Londynn Jones scored 21 points, including five 3-pointers, and second-ranked UCLA defeated No. 6 USC 71-64 in a battle of unbeaten crosstown rivals Saturday, despite 27 points and 11 rebounds from JuJu Watkins at a sold out Pauley Pavilion. Lauren Betts had 15 points and eight rebounds while Kiki Rice scored 12 for the Bruins (12-0, 1-0 Pac-12), who beat the Trojans for the ninth straight time.
Tyler Bilodeau scored a career-high 27 points and Jordan Pope added 20 to lead host Oregon State to an 86-70 victory Saturday night over Southern California. Oregon State (9-4, 1-1 Pac-12) scored the first 11 points of the second half, culminated by Pope’s 3-pointer to extend the lead to 50-30 with 15:13 remaining. USC (6-7, 0-2 Pac-12) responded with a 9-0 run, but the Beavers quickly regained control and maintained a double-digit lead the remainder of the game.
The Southern California Trojans bid farewell to the Pac-12 Conference with a six-pack to go and an eggnog bath to toast an otherwise unremarkable season. With Caleb Williams watching from the sideline, Miller Moss threw a Holiday Bowl-record six touchdown passes in his first college start and USC ended a frustrating season by beating No. 16 Louisville 42-28 Wednesday night. Afterward, coach Lincoln Riley had a tub of eggnog poured over his head.
Caitlin Clark — the current Associated Press national player of the year — is in what may be her final season at Iowa. Regardless of their futures, JuJu Watkins is poised to step in as the next big star of the women’s game. The Southern California freshman guard is the nation’s second-leading scorer at 26.8 points per game, right behind Clark, who leads with 30.5.
JuJu Watkins was slowed but not stopped by illness or Cal State-Fullerton. “We put a lot on her shoulders,” Gottlieb said. Watkins made all six of her free throws while falling short of scoring at least 30 points for just the fourth time in nine games this season.