No. 2 UCLA went 27-2 within the common season. USC’s JuJu Watkins had a mixed 68 factors towards the Bruins in these two losses. On Feb. 13, she scored 38 factors in a 71-60 win. And on Saturday, she had 30 in an 80-67 win.
With yet one more incendiary efficiency from the frontrunner for Nationwide Participant of the Yr, No. 4 USC defeated the Bruins to brush their season sequence and win the Huge Ten regular-season title. In video games not involving USC, UCLA went undefeated.
Watkins bought these 30 factors on 10-of-22 taking pictures from the sphere (4-of-11 from 3-point vary), whereas chipping in 5 assists, three rebounds, three blocks and two steals towards two turnovers.
USC bought off to a powerful begin behind Watkins, who scored 23 of these factors in a primary half that ended with the Trojans main by 14 factors. Taking part in in entrance a sold-out Pauley Pavilion in Westwood, USC took management early.
UCLA managed to get again into the sport within the second half, narrowing the result in as little as 4 factors towards the top of the third quarter. Another run within the fourth put the Trojans again in management, permitting Watkins to take a look at with a full minute left to benefit from the win.
USC has now crushed UCLA 4 straight instances, with Watkins dropping at the very least 30 factors in each recreation. She is now 4-1 towards the Bruins. Trojans legend Cheryl Miller, in attendance along with her brother and UCLA alum Reggie Miller, appreciated what she was seeing.
On the opposite finish of the sideline, UCLA’s personal Nationwide Participant of the Yr candidate Lauren Betts struggled, ending with 11 factors on 5-of-11 taking pictures, 11 rebounds, two blocks and 5 turnovers. USC clearly had a recreation plan for her and was aggressive with its double groups, and it labored.
With their main scorer quiet and Kiki Rice, their solely different participant averaging double-digit factors per recreation, taking pictures 3-of-13, the Bruins could not preserve almost sufficient momentum on offense. They shot 22-of-61 (36.1%) as a workforce, with 16 turnovers towards 16 assists.
The win means USC will take the No. 1 seed within the Huge Ten event, and now has the within monitor to a No. 1 seed within the NCAA event. UCLA was the top-ranked workforce when the NCAA event committee revealed its prime 16 on Thursday, whereas USC had the final No. 1 seed. These two groups may theoretically meet once more within the Huge Ten event, with much more at stake.
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