With 38 points, JuJu Watkins ended a scoring drought and helped sixth-ranked USC defeat No. 1 UCLA 71-60, fulfilling her objective of returning the program to its former glory.
As USC rallied for the program’s first victory over a top-ranked team since 1983 on Thursday night, some of those Trojans great from the early 1980s, including Hall of Famers Tina Thompson and Cheryl Miller, joined a boisterous crowd.
During pregame warmups, DJ Mal-Ski promised the 10,258-strong audience that it was going to be “one of those nights.”
Of course it was.
When the Trojans placed the Bruins down early in the game, Watkins scored eight points in five minutes after her sister Mali sung the national anthem.
“JuJu got hot off the bounce and she got in a rhythm,” Cori Close, the coach at UCLA, stated.
In the second quarter, when USC was outscored 20–14, Watkins scored all of the team’s points. She made a 3-pointer to keep the Trojans ahead 38-35 at the half and end the Bruins’ 10-0 run.
It was only two points short of her season-high 40-point performance against California Baptist, and it was her second-highest scoring game.
The largely cardinal-clad audience, which was varied in terms of age, gender, and race, also did so. This is evidence of Watkins’ ability to draw crowds and the support she receives from the Watts neighborhood, where she was raised.
Watkins had shot 12 of 45 from the field in her previous two home games going into this one. Additionally, she only made 4 out of 25 3-point attempts throughout that time.
She had 11 rebounds, 8 blocks, and 5 assists in addition to making 6 of 9 3-pointers and 8 of 10 free throws.
“She takes pride on both sides of the ball,” Reported Close.
Actors Kevin Hart and Issa Rae, NFL rookie of the year Jayden Daniels, LA Sparks players Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby, and Vanessa Bryant and daughter Natalia were also there.
