INDIANAPOLIS -- UCLA and USC have faced each other three times this season, with each game growing more important than the last. The Trojans ruined the Bruins’ perfect season in the first game, then took the Big Ten regular season crown in UCLA’s own stadium in the second.
When the two historic foes matched up for the third time in the Big Ten Conference Championship game Sunday March 9, the Bruins settled the score taking home both their pride and the conference tournament crown after emerging with a 72-67 victory after trailing nearly the entire game.
“This is about young women making really hard choices and using basketball to grow in amazing ways,” UCLA head coach Cori Close said in a televised postgame interview. “I’m so gratified to see the work they’ve done in the dark pay off in the light.”
The Trojans found their stride off the back of the performance of none other but star sophomore guard JuJu Watkins, who put together back-to-back jumpers to kick off what became a 12-0 run for USC to quickly go ahead 17-11 with 3:46 left in the first quarter. The Trojans took that lead through the end of the period, finishing the first ahead 24-19.
Even when Watkins’ shots from the field weren’t falling, she contributed from the charity stripe. Watkins was 7-8 from the free throw line in the first half alone.
The Bruins put together a 7-0 run to come one away from the Trojans, but USC spoiled their efforts as the half wound down with a 9-0 run of their own to go into halftime leading the Bruins 45-35.
Stephanie Amador Blondet-Imagn Images
Mar 8, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; USC Trojans forward Kiki Iriafen (44) battles for the ball against UCLA Bruins forward Janiah Barker (0) during the second half for the Big Ten Conference Championship at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
UCLA head coach Cori Close previously spoke on USC “out-toughing” the Bruins in previous matchups, and the first half looked to be more of the same.
USC especially showed their toughness with their rebounding. The Trojans had 32 rebounds in the first half to just nine by UCLA, and 12 of those rebounds were on the offensive end. USC seemed to be continuing their momentum into the second half, but soon UCLA began clawing back. The Bruin outscored the Trojans 17-9 in the third quarter, including a 10-2 run to finish the third just two behind the Trojans, 54-52.
UCLA star junior center Lauren Betts came alive for the Bruins in the third quarter. After being held to just four points in the first half, Betts was perfect from the field in the second half, scoring 13 while blocking three shots.
“I’m so freakin’ proud of this team,” Betts said in a televised postgame interview. “We earned that game. We earned it… we could have given up after we lost to them back to back but we just weren’t done. That wasn’t enough.”
UCLA got a handle on defending Watkins in the fourth quarter, swarming Watkins with Bruins anytime she was in the paint and largely keeping the ball out of her hands when she was outside the key. Watkins was held to 11 points in the second half, a step down from her previous dominations against UCLA.
An 11-0 run across the third and fourth quarters put the Bruins ahead 58-54, Rice caught an errant pass from the Trojans under the UCLA hoop and banked it in to add to the Bruin lead.
While the Bruins’ were surging, the Trojans’ shooting had gone dry. USC didn’t make a field goal in the fourth quarter until nine minutes in, and as the final minute wound down UCLA held a slight lead 66-62.
Close called a timeout after the Trojans snapped their scoring skid to try and ice any energy USC might have been building.
Stephanie Amador Blondet-Imagn Images
Mar 8, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts (51) goes to do a layup against USC Trojans center Rayah Marshall’s (13) defense during the first quarter for the Big Ten Conference Championship at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Betts completed a layup with 45 seconds left on the clock to cross a big milestone in a big moment. With the layup, Betts had eclipsed the 1,000 points scored mark as a Bruin.
With 13 seconds left, UCLA junior guard Londynn Jones drew a foul and earned herself a trip to the line. Jones sank both her free throws and added on some crucial last-second insurance for the Bruins, now leading 70-62 with 13 seconds left.
Just as fast, Watkins connected on back-to-back shots, first a jumper for three then a layup, to stay just three behind the Bruins with four seconds left.
Jones drew a game-saving foul from USC freshman guard Avery Howell and earned herself a trip to the line, sinking both her shots to put the Bruins up 72-67, locking down the Bruins win and their conference tournament title.
Stephanie Amador Blondet-Imagn Images
Mar 8, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Cori Close reacts after cutting the net for the Big Ten Conference Championship against USC Trojans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The UCLA Bruins won 72-67 in the B1G Women’s Basketball Tournament.
“These coaches put together a really amazing program,” Betts said in a televised postgame interview. “This group of girls that we had, I’m just so proud of everybody. This means so much to UCLA.”