Thursday, February 13
Los Angeles, CA
7 p.m.
UCLA
23-1,11-1Big Ten
60
at
71
No. 6 USC
22-2,12-1Big Ten
1
2
3
4
F
UCLA
15
20
17
8
60
Southern California
24
14
9
24
71
Photo by: Caren Nicdao
No. 1 Women’s Basketball Suffers First Loss of Season at No. 6 USC
February 13, 2025 | Women's Basketball
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The No. 1-ranked UCLA Women's Basketball team (23-1, 11-1 Big Ten) lost its first game of the 2024-2025 season to No. 6-ranked USC at Galen Center on Thursday night. The game was the 106th all-time meeting of the programs and the first meeting of both teams in Big Ten conference play. The Bruins lost 71-60 in the first of two matchups against the Trojans this season.
Junior Lauren Betts finished with her 13th double-double of the year against USC (22-2, 12-1 Big Ten), scoring 18 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.
Junior Kiki Rice finished in double figures for the 17th time this season, adding fifteen points and dishing six assists. Janiah Barker also had a double-digit performance, finishing with 10 points and five rebounds.
The Bruins struggled on both ends early in the first quarter and finished down 15-24 to the Trojans. The team allowed five turnovers in the first ten minutes which led to USC scoring seven points. Betts and Barker each finished with four points in the first quarter, and Angela Dugalić, Rice, and Gabriela Jaquez also scored in the period. Jaquez also provided three offensive rebounds and Rice added two steals.
UCLA was quiet at the beginning of the second quarter but used a 17-3 run to finish the first half trailing only 35-38. The comeback effort was led by Betts, who finished the quarter with five points, four rebounds, an assist, and a block. Both Rice and Londynn Jones were able to score on back-to-back possessions, and Rice finished the frame with three assists. The team struggled to defend JuJu Watkins, who scored 25 of USC's 38 first-half points, but outscored USC 20-14 in the second quarter and to make it a one possession game at halftime.
The Bruins outscored the Trojans 17-9 in the third quarter to take a five-point lead by the end of the period. Betts finished the frame with nine points and six rebounds, including a layup in the paint to give the team its first lead since the first quarter. Jones made her presence felt on both ends in the third quarter, hitting a three-pointer to force a Trojan timeout. The 5-foot-4 shooting guard also made Watkins commit a pair of turnovers and miss contested shots. Barker also hit a tough turn-around fadeaway, and Rice hit a shot to contribute to UCLA's offense. The team's defense was also elite, holding the Trojans without a made field goal for over five minutes in the third quarter.
The Bruins fought through the fourth quarter but were outscored 24-6 by the Trojans in their first loss of the year. Rice was the only UCLA player to score more than once, finishing the period with five points. Betts was held scoreless in the final frame. The game had eight lead changes and was tied five times. This loss ends the Bruins' program-record 23-game win streak.
UP NEXT – vs. No. 22 Michigan State (Feb. 16)
The Bruins will return home to Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom to face off against No. 22-ranked Michigan State on Sunday, Feb. 16. The game will tip off at 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.
Junior Lauren Betts finished with her 13th double-double of the year against USC (22-2, 12-1 Big Ten), scoring 18 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.
Junior Kiki Rice finished in double figures for the 17th time this season, adding fifteen points and dishing six assists. Janiah Barker also had a double-digit performance, finishing with 10 points and five rebounds.
The Bruins struggled on both ends early in the first quarter and finished down 15-24 to the Trojans. The team allowed five turnovers in the first ten minutes which led to USC scoring seven points. Betts and Barker each finished with four points in the first quarter, and Angela Dugalić, Rice, and Gabriela Jaquez also scored in the period. Jaquez also provided three offensive rebounds and Rice added two steals.
UCLA was quiet at the beginning of the second quarter but used a 17-3 run to finish the first half trailing only 35-38. The comeback effort was led by Betts, who finished the quarter with five points, four rebounds, an assist, and a block. Both Rice and Londynn Jones were able to score on back-to-back possessions, and Rice finished the frame with three assists. The team struggled to defend JuJu Watkins, who scored 25 of USC's 38 first-half points, but outscored USC 20-14 in the second quarter and to make it a one possession game at halftime.
GET THAT OUTTA HERE ??
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) February 14, 2025
??: Peacock#GoBruins | @laurenbetts12 pic.twitter.com/7KcMu6Kv7m
The Bruins outscored the Trojans 17-9 in the third quarter to take a five-point lead by the end of the period. Betts finished the frame with nine points and six rebounds, including a layup in the paint to give the team its first lead since the first quarter. Jones made her presence felt on both ends in the third quarter, hitting a three-pointer to force a Trojan timeout. The 5-foot-4 shooting guard also made Watkins commit a pair of turnovers and miss contested shots. Barker also hit a tough turn-around fadeaway, and Rice hit a shot to contribute to UCLA's offense. The team's defense was also elite, holding the Trojans without a made field goal for over five minutes in the third quarter.
The fadeaway???????????????
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) February 14, 2025
??: Peacock#GoBruins | @tyesouthside pic.twitter.com/0gHpT8QLb5
The Bruins fought through the fourth quarter but were outscored 24-6 by the Trojans in their first loss of the year. Rice was the only UCLA player to score more than once, finishing the period with five points. Betts was held scoreless in the final frame. The game had eight lead changes and was tied five times. This loss ends the Bruins' program-record 23-game win streak.
UP NEXT – vs. No. 22 Michigan State (Feb. 16)
The Bruins will return home to Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom to face off against No. 22-ranked Michigan State on Sunday, Feb. 16. The game will tip off at 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.
Team Stats
UCLA
USC
FG%
.351
.333
3FG%
.154
.444
FT%
.720
.840
RB
45
35
TO
20
9
STL
3
9
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
18
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
8
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's BasketballG
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