JuJu Watkins Torches No. 1 UCLA in Upset Victory

No. 6 USC upset No. 1 UCLA Thursday night at the Galen Center, and it was JuJu Watkins who stole the show.

She recorded 38 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists on the night, including eight blocks and eight 3-pointers. After scoring 25 points in the first half, UCLA’s Lauren Betts, a National Player of the Year favorite, went on a 10-0 scoring run, wiping out Watkin’s first-half performance. USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb decided to aggressively double up on Betts with Clarice Akunwafo and Watkins, helping USC go on a 20-4 fourth-quarter run to secure the victory.

It is the first time USC defeated a No. 1 ranked opponent since 1983.

“It took everything. It’s been a rough couple weeks for me, and being able to snap back into it, and get back into my rhythm at Galen against UCLA. It’s really all I could ask for,” said Watkins in her post-game interview.

“I have the greatest teammates, and I’m just glad we could get it done tonight. Betts is an anomaly, so to be able to play against her… we knew she was a big part of their offense and if I was able to help my teammates in any way, it was good.”

Watkins is averaging 21.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists this season. This was her fifth 30-point game this season. Her performance on both ends of the court exemplifies why she is one of the top candidates for Player of the Year.

USC now is in first place in the Big Ten (22-2, 12-1). UCLA was on its best run in program history, going undefeated until Thursday night and dropping to 23-1 and 11-1.

UCLA will host USC again on March 1st.