No. 1 UCLA Undefeated No More, Falls to No. 6 USC in Crosstown Showdown

After 24 games, No. 1 UCLA women's basketball was finally conquered on Thursday, as it fell to its bitter rival, No. 6 USC, at the Galin Center.

USC sophomore guard JuJu Watkins, the best player in women's college basketball, led the Trojans with an incredible game-high 38 points while adding 11 rebounds to secure the double-double. She also posted a career-high eight blocks and dished out five assists.

Despite winning the battle of the glass by 10 rebounds, the Bruins simply didn't do enough to win the game. They committed 20 turnovers and made just a pair of 3-pointers on 13 attempts.

Their downfall could largely be attributed to an underwhelming fourth-quarter performance, which ultimately made the difference after the Bruins had led by two possessions at the end of the third.

UCLA found itself trailing by 9 points at the end of the first quarter. USC would go up by as many as 13 in the second, but a 10-0 run from the Bruins would even the game at 35-35 with a bit over a minute to play before halftime.

That was until a triple from Watkins in the final minute would give the Trojans a 3-point advantage at the break.

Another 10-0 run from UCLA to open the second half would give the Bruins a 7-point lead. That run included a 7-point scoring burst from star junior center Lauren Betts, who ultimately finished with 18 points and a game-high 13 boards.

Junior guard Kiki Rice was the Bruins' second-leading scorer in the contest, with 15. She also added six assists.

Junior forward Janiah Barker was the third Bruin to end up with double digits in the scoring column, as she posted 10 points. She also grabbed four rebounds.

The Bruins would eventually take a 5-point lead into the fourth.

But UCLA went cold in the final quarter, going just 2-16 from the field. The Trojans would outscore the Bruins, 24-8, in the final period.

Had it not been for what was one of its worst quarters of the season, this game could have gone much differently for the Bruins, but ultimately, it was USC which seized the opportunity.

UCLA had been 23-0 going into Thursday's matchup, while USC had lost just two games.

The Bruins will get a chance to avenge the loss when they host the Trojans in their regular-season finale at Pauley Pavilion on Saturday.

Until then, they have four games still to play, starting with a home game against No. 22 Michigan State on Sunday.

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