After handing former No. 1 UCLA its first loss of the season two weeks earlier with 38 points from star Juju Watkins, No. 4 USC will travel to Pauley Pavilion on Saturday, March 1 to take on the Bruins for its regular-season finale.
Both teams have gone undefeated since their last meeting on Feb. 13, with each picking up two ranked wins as they look to close out conference play. Both the Trojans and Bruins are 16-1 in the Big Ten, while the Bruins are still undefeated at home (13-0).
After stumbling against the Trojans, center Lauren Betts is averaging 23 points for UCLA in her three games played since, and she set a new program record for most blocks in a single season, eclipsing 70, against Illinois on Feb. 23.
Watkins has led the Trojans on a six-game win streak, averaging 23.2 points and seven rebounds per game in February. The guard became the first player to tally 35 points, five assists and five blocks in a game in the past 20 seasons across all DI basketball in USC’s 71-60 win over UCLA on Feb. 13. Watkins exploded for a 38-point, 11-rebound double-double, with eight blocks and five assists. The guard shot 66.7% from 3-point range, going 6-of-9.
UCLA still holds the overall series record at 33-25 with a 19-8 home record. However, the Trojans have taken the last three matchups. The Trojans also come into the matchup 2-0 in road games against top-10 opponents, having previously defeated UConn and Maryland on the road.
