LOS ANGELES – JuJu Watkins lay on the court, surrounded by her teammates, after the final buzzer sounded.
The rookie's sensation was a cramp after scoring 32 points in No. 9 USC's 73-65 victory over second-ranked UCLA. A trainer used a handheld massage gun on Watkins' legs. He couldn't stop smiling and laughing after the anticipation had kept her awake the night before.
“She just tries her best all the time,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said.
Watkins and the Trojans sent the Bruins to their first loss of the season on Sunday, leaving No. 1 South Carolina as the only undefeated team in the country.
“As a team we were very anxious on defense,” Watkins said. “I fed off the energy of my teammates. You just want to be a part of it. On the defensive end, we played a great game. The whole team did.”
It was Watkins' sixth 30-point game of the season and first since Dec. 3 for the Trojans (13-1, 3-1 Pac-12), who extended their home winning streak to 17 games.
“I felt like this was going to happen,” Gottlieb said. “Our preparation and mentality were going to give us the opportunity to win the game.”
McKenzie Forbes added 18 points as the Trojans ended a nine-game losing streak against their crosstown rival. UCLA (14-1, 3-1) won 71-64 two weeks ago at Pauley Pavilion in front of a record crowd of 13,659 in the schools' first meeting of top 10 teams this season.
“We showed a lot of what we're capable of, not just to the fans but to ourselves,” Forbes said.
Charisma Osborne led the Bruins with 25 points, all in the second half in front of a sellout crowd of 10,258 at the Galen Center. After feeling unwell at halftime, the fifth-year player scored a layup late in the third quarter that gave her 2,000 career points. Lauren Betts, UCLA's leading scorer and rebounder, was limited to 10 after not starting for the first time this season after being sick during the week.
“We were just trying to keep fighting, trying to get to the basket,” Osborne said. “We kept giving up buckets and couldn't get any stops.”
All five of UCLA's starters were in foul trouble, with Londynn Jones, Kiki Rice and Lina Sontag fouling out in the fourth.
Watkins was just 8 of 22 from the field and missed all six of his 3-point attempts, but he was 16 of 16 from the free throw line and had 10 rebounds.
“She's going to score,” UCLA coach Cori Close said, “but we didn't execute what we said we were going to do and we didn't support each other and you get caught.”
Forbes' 3-pointer kept USC ahead 60-48 in the fourth.
But the Bruins scored nine straight points, capped by a Jones 3-pointer, to pull within 63-59.
Watkins hit a jumper and Taylor Bigby scored for USC. Jones' layup brought the Bruins within five points.
Jones missed a 3-pointer and Angela Dugalic missed a layup in the final 14 seconds.
The Bruins outscored USC 23-17 in the third quarter, getting 13 points from Osborne, to close the score at 51-42. Watkins committed two quick fouls early but scored 10 points.
USC was missing starting center Rayah Marshall (13 points and 10.5 rebounds) and reserve Aaliyah Gayles, who were ill.
The Trojans used runs of 11-0 in the first quarter and 15-0 in the second to lead 34-19 at halftime. On two occasions, Watkins got his own offensive rebound and scored despite defensive pressure in the paint.
Before Watkins got going offensively, Forbes, a Harvard transfer, hit consecutive 3-pointers to fuel the Trojans' first-quarter run.
The Bruins committed 15 turnovers leading to 16 points for the Trojans in the first half as UCLA starters Jones, Osborne and Dugalic failed to score.
Celebrities in attendance included rappers Chris Brown and USC graduate Saweetie, Candace Parker and Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller.
