UCLA women surge in second half to defeat USC for Big Ten tournament championship

INDIANAPOLIS — They stormed from the bench to mob one another at midcourt, streamers and confetti falling from the rafters.

Finally, after so much had gone wrong against their rivals in two defeats during the regular season, the UCLA Bruins mustered the ultimate rebuttal.

They are the Big Ten tournament champions.

The Bruins gleefully put on championship hats, tears flowing amid the smiles as they celebrated a come-from-behind 72-67 victory over USC in the title game Sunday afternoon at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

It was UCLA’s first tournament championship since it won the Pac-10 title in 2006 after the second-seeded Bruins outscored the top-seeded Trojans 37-22 in the second half.

The third time proved to be the charm for UCLA.

Thanks to a stout defensive effort in the second half, the Bruins knocked off the Trojans 72-67 on Sunday in Indianapolis to claim the Big Ten conference tournament title.

UCLA (30-2) finally beat USC (28-3) as the Bruins ended a four-game losing streak to the Trojans. The last time UCLA beat USC was Dec. 30, 2023 before losing twice over the course of the 2023-24 season, including in the Pac-12 conference tournament, and twice during the 2024-25 regular season.

The Trojans went cold in the second half after building a 48-35 advantage early in the third quarter, scoring 19 points the rest of the way, including a 13-point fourth quarter.

Lauren Betts finished with 17 points, 13 in the second half, to lead the Bruins. Londynn Jones added 13 points and made four three-pointers to help UCLA rally.

JuJu Watkins scored a game-high 29 points, but was four of 15 from the field in the second half as USC appeared to wear down playing its third close game in three days, shooting 22.2% (eight of 36) from the field.

UCLA, on the other hand, looked fresher down the stretch after a blowout win over Ohio State on Saturday to reach the final, and the Bruins were able to notch a win over their crosstown rivals.

Both teams are expected to garner No. 1 seeds when the NCAA tournament bracket is announced next Sunday. UCLA, however, appears to be in line for the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament after Texas lost to South Carolina 64-45 in the Southeastern Conference tournament final.

UCLA is making its closing argument for the top overall seed in the NCAA tournament.

The Bruins have clamped down on the Trojans and hold a 64-60 lead with 57 seconds left as USC went nearly nine minutes without a field goal in the fourth quarter.

A jumper by JuJu Watkins with 1:13 left pulled the Trojans closer before UCLA took a timeout with less than a minute to go.

Two free throws by Kiki Rice put UCLA ahead 64-58 with 2:44 left, the largest lead of the game for the Bruins.

UCLA is finding its footing in the second half while USC has cooled off on offense.

Trailing by as many as 13 points early in the third quarter, the Bruins went on an 13-4 run spanning the end of the third period and the start of the fourth to take a 60-56 lead with 4:33 to go.

Janiah Barker’s jumper put the Bruins ahead 56-54 with 8:30 to go in the game. It was UCLA’s first lead since the Bruins led 11-10 at the 5:21 mark in the first quarter.

USC has not made a field goal since Kiki Iriafen made a shot with 2:18 to go in the third quarter.

During the TV timeout with 3:08 to go in the third quarter, the CBS broadcast showed UCLA center Lauren Betts getting her right hand bandaged.

It appeared to provide a lift, as Betts hit a jumper and made a layup to spark the Bruins on a 7-2 run to end the period that left the Trojans holding on to a 54-52 lead through three quarters.

USC went on a five-minute scoring drought in the period as UCLA outscored the Trojans 17-9 to close what had been a 10-point halftime deficit.

Betts is up to a team-high 13 points on five-of-eight shooting. The Trojans shot 24% from the field in the third quarter, going four for 17. The baskets came from JuJu Watkins, Kiki Iriafen and Talia von Oelhoffen (2).

Despite a cold stretch on offense by USC, the Trojans are maintaining a cushion as they’ve built a 52-45 advantage with 3:55 to go in the third quarter

A big factor for USC generating just enough offense is its rebounding. The Trojans are outrebounding the Bruins 29-14, but USC has 15 offensive rebounds to the Bruins’ three.

Talia von Oelhoffen has five of USC seven points this quarter, and JuJu Watkins hit a jumper to get her to 20 points for the 26th time this season.

USC figured one good run deserves another.

After UCLA went on a 7-0 run to pull within 36-35 with 2:28 to go in the second quarter, the Trojans responded by scoring the last nine points of the first half to take a 45-35 halftime lead in the Big Ten conference tournament title game.

JuJu Watkins scored six straight points to kick off the burst, on two baskets and two free throws. Then Avery Howell capped off the scoring with a three-pointer just before the halftime buzzer.

Watkins is up to 18 points to lead all scorers, while Howell has eight points, including two three-pointers.

For UCLA, Lauren Betts has four points and has taken only four shots in the first half. Kiki Rice has five points and four assists thus far.

With fifth-ranked South Carolina trouncing No. 1 Texas, 64-45, in the Southeastern Conference championship game earlier on Sunday, it appears to open the door for the winner of this game to be the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament.

UCLA draws close, USC responds and expands its lead.

The Bruins drew within 27-26 on a layup by Lauren Betts with 7:35 to go before the Trojans got a basket from Kiki Iriafen, a three-pointer from Avery Howell and free throws from JuJu Watkins to build a 34-28 advantage with 4:55 to go in the first half.

USC’s offensive surge continued through the end of the first quarter, putting the Trojans ahead of UCLA, 24-19.

Malia Samuels came off the bench for USC and hit two three-pointers while Kiki Iriafen added four points in the opening period.

UCLA stayed within striking distance thanks to two three-pointers off the bench from Timea Gardiner and a late steal and layup from Kiki Rice to close out the scoring.

The Bruins also had eight points off turnovers.

“We gotta play way harder,” UCLA coach Cori Close said on the CBS broadcast in between quarters.

UCLA built an 11-5 advantage about four minutes into the first quarter.

Then JuJu Watkins entered the chat.

Seven points by the star guard keyed a 9-0 USC run that has given the Trojans a 14-11 lead with 4:21 to go in the opening period after a timeout by UCLA coach Cori Close.

Lauren Betts has two points and an assist in the early going for the Bruins. Forward Gabriela Jaquez, who scored 12 points on perfect shooting from the floor, picked up two fouls within the game’s first three minutes and has sat out since the 7:09 mark.

We have tipped off in Indianapolis and the third matchup between USC and UCLA is off and running. Starting lineups:

USC

Kiki Iriafen (F)

Rayah Marshall (F)

Talia von Oelhoffen (G)

Kennedy Smith (G)

JuJu Watkins (G)

UCLA

Angela Dugalic (F)

Gabriela Jaquez (F)

Lauren Betts (C)

Londynn Jones (G)

Kiki Rice (G)

Same matchup, different city.

No. 2 USC and No. 4 UCLA, the top two seeds in the Big Ten conference tournament, will meet for the third time this season, this time at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis to decide the conference tournament champion.

The teams squared off March 1 at Pauley Pavilion, with the Trojans (28-2) securing a dominant 80-67 win to claim the conference’s regular season title.

The Bruins (29-2) are looking to build on Saturday’s dominant win over Ohio State and finally knock off USC this season in the process. UCLA’s two losses have come at the hands of the Trojans.

Regardless of result, both teams are projected to be top seeds when the NCAA tournament bracket is announced next Sunday. According to ESPN.com, the Bruins and Trojans are No. 1 seeds on the same side of the bracket, setting up a potential fourth showdown in the Final Four in Tampa, Fla., in a national semifinal on April 4.

Roars rained down from each corner of Pauley Pavilion, every soul in the hallowed hoops arena knowing full well the outcome of the crosstown showdown and the conference title that came with it rested squarely on her shoulders. Some in cardinal and gold waited for deliverance, as if it was assured for USC. Others in light blue prayed for divine intervention, understanding little else could save UCLA.

The feeling — of a whole arena hanging on her every move — is so familiar to JuJu Watkins. When she airballed a third-quarter jumper, the superstar sophomore could only smile as the crowd let her hear it, reminding her every time she touched the ball.

In Hollywood, blockbuster hits always get a sequel — even in women’s college basketball. UCLA versus USC I was an instant classic, fit for the silver screen, but the sequel was a box-office flop that left the Bruins awestruck.

Despite the same glitz and glamour as the original, the final scene was anything but a joyous ending for No. 2 UCLA, which fell 80-67 to No. 4 USC on Saturday night at Pauley Pavilion, cementing a Trojans sweep of the season series.

She began the game by nailing a three-pointer in less than a minute, calmly dribbling into the teeth of a swarming UCLA defense and throwing it down with a shrug.

She ended the game by blocking a Gabriel Jaquez shot so fiercely, the ball bounced back off Jaquez’s head and out of bounds.

INDIANAPOLIS — Timea Gardiner buried a corner three-pointer inside a high school gym here Thursday afternoon, commencing an almost daily tradition for the UCLA women’s basketball team.

Clap-clap-clap, clap-clap-clap.

INDIANAPOLIS — Lindsay Gottlieb had warned of this very possibility, that her team’s opener in the Big Ten women’s basketball tournament might have the feel of an NCAA tournament game given the conference’s slew of quality teams.

Never mind that USC was top-seeded, second-ranked nationally and riding a seven-game winning streak.

INDIANAPOLIS — Four days after revealing to each other what they could do better during a players-only film session, the UCLA Bruins found a few more talking points.

Their bad-shot-taking offense was disjointed. Their defense was vulnerable. Their lead over what was supposed to be a heavily overmatched opponent was shaky.

INDIANAPOLIS — It had been a forgettable afternoon for JuJu Watkins when she found herself confronted by a double team on the low block early in the fourth quarter.

To that point, the USC superstar had missed more shots than she had made. Her most memorable moment might have been when she slammed the ball off the court in frustration after getting called for charging in the first half.

INDIANAPOLIS — One saying that’s repeated this time of year in college basketball is that it’s hard to beat the same team three times in a season.

UCLA can show the saying has merit.