No. 6 USC hands No. 1 UCLA its first loss of the season, 71-60

Posted by Admin February 14, 2025 Basketball

Into the early morning of Valentine’s Day on the east coast, Juju Watkins and the sixth-ranked Trojans knocked off No. 1 UCLA 71-60, finally adding a loss to the Bruins’ previously unblemished record.

This win marks the first time the Trojans have defeated a No. 1 ranked team since 1983.

It was a captivating performance from one of women’s basketball’s best as Watkins dropped 38 points, 11 rebounds, eight blocks and five assists in front of a star-studded Los Angeles crowd.

The 6-foot-2 sophomore became the first player to tally 35 points, five assists and five blocks in a game in the past 20 seasons across all Division I basketball.

USC (22-2, 12-1 Big Ten) carried a 38-35 lead into the break, but the top-ranked Bruins found their rhythm in the third quarter, outscoring the Trojans 17-9 to take a 52-47 lead into the final 10 minutes.

The first five minutes of the fourth were neck-and-neck after the Trojans opened on a 6-0 run as the inner-city rivals traded the lead four times. But behind a rocking Galen Center, USC went on a 13-3 run in the final four minutes, cruising to a double-digit win over the nation’s last undefeated team.