Friday, March 8
Las Vegas, Nev.
7:30 PM
USC
25-5,13-5Pac-12
80
vs
70
UCLA
25-6,13-5Pac-12
1
2
3
4
OT 1
OT 2
F
UCLA
8
23
14
14
8
3
70
Southern California
24
13
11
11
8
13
80
Team Stats
UCLA
USC
FG%
.316
.315
3FG%
.167
.211
FT%
.882
.811
RB
54
56
TO
14
10
STL
6
10
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
33
FGM
9
3FGM
1
FTM
14
Pts
17
FGM
5
3FGM
3
FTM
4
Pts
9
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's BasketballG/F
/ Women's Basketball
C/F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballPhoto by: Katie Chin
No. 5 USC Women’s Basketball Powers Up For Double-OT Win Over No. 7 UCLA In Pac-12 Semifinals
March 08, 2024 | Women's Basketball
Box ScorePAC-12 TOURNAMENT CENTRALHIGHLIGHTSPOSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCEGOTTLIEB, WATKINS, FORBES ON PAC-12 NETWORKSBOX SCORE (PDF)
The Trojans are on to the Pac-12 title match on Sunday after an epic battle with the Bruins in Las Vegas.
LAS VEGAS, NEV. — The No. 5 USC women's basketball team dug deep for an epic rivalry win over No. 7 UCLA, beating the third-seeded Bruins 80-70 in double overtime to capture the second-seeded Trojans' first trip to the Pac-12 Tournament championship game since winning it all in 2014. A heroic 33-point effort from USC's JuJu Watkins was bolstered by gutsy play across the board for the Trojans, who outscored their rivals 13-3 in the second overtime to improve to 25-5 overall. UCLA is now 25-6 after taking its second loss of the season to USC. The Trojans will now face top-seeded Stanford in the Pac-12 title match at 2 p.m. on Sunday (March 10).
It was a first-half tug-of-war with the teams trading sizable 16-0 scoring surges. USC manufactured the first rally to go up 24-8 at the end of the first quarter before the Bruins answered to knot it up in the second. USC would wrap the first half on a 7-0 run to lead it 37-31 at the break, having shot 38.2 percent from the floor to sit just ahead of UCLA's 36.7 percent effort. USC also had the edge on the boards 22-21 through those first 20 minutes of semifinal action. The jostling for position continued in full force through the second half and beyond. UCLA fought back to tie it after USC had held a five-point lead with 4:00 left in regulation. That would lead the rivals into overtime, where this time it was USC that landed a late 3-pointer to tie it up for the 11th time. In the second overtime, USC dug in its heels, utilizing stingy defense and netting big buckets on the offensive end to claim the 10-point win in epic fashion.
USC finished out the game shooting 31.5 percent overall, going 30-of-37 from the free-throw line and winning a tight battle on the boards 56-54. UCLA shot 31.6 percent overall and was 15-of-17 from the stripe. The Trojans were paced by a ferocious effort from Juju Watkins, who set a new Pac-12 Tournament record for single-game scoring by a freshman with her 33-point effort while battling through knocks and bruises. She'd record a double-double with 10 rebounds, and was joined in double figures by McKenzie Forbes' 16 points. Kaitlyn Davis hauled in a season-high 16 rebounds for the Trojans, and Rayah Marshall pulled in 11. UCLA had four players finish in double figures, led by Charisma Osborne's 21 points along with 17 points and 18 rebounds from Lauren Betts. Kiki Rice had 11 points for UCLA, and Angela Dugalic finished with 10.
UCLA struck first with a 4-0 start, but USC's balance bit back as six different Trojans scored in the next five minutes to get USC to a 12-8 lead at 4:45. USC's rally extended to a 16-0 run that featured six straight points from JuJu Watkins back-to-back big 3-pointers from McKenzie Forbes at Watkins in the final minute. UCLA had come up empty for over six minutes in that frame while USC built out a 24-8 lead at the end of the first. The Bruins busted out of their dry spell in the second with a 16-0 surge of its own to knot it at 26-26 with 4:32 on the clock. Free throws from Kayla Williams snapped that streak, and although UCLA edged ahead 31-30 at 3:29, Watkins and Williams delivered back-to-back buckets and then Forbes blasted another bomb from 3-point range to tug the Trojans ahead 37-31 to wrap the first half.
USC hit a cold patch from the floor in the third but was able to get to the line. A Bruin 3-pointer had UCLA one back at 42-41 before Kayla Padilla broke through for USC to make it 44-41 at 3:45. After a back-and-forth stretch next, the Trojans would carry a 48-45 lead into the fourth. The battle raged on, with the lead trading hands three times in four minutes. A 4-0 push from Watkins nudged USC ahead 55-54 at 6:25. A Padilla block would segue to a 4-0 USC push with a pair of free throws from Forbes followed by a bucket from Watkins to make it 59-54 USC at the four-minute mark. Again UCLA fired back, netting a score down low and then an equalizing three to snarl it up 59-59 with 1:35 on the clock. With a flurry of action on both ends, Padilla came up with an enormous block on the defensive end and USC called timeout with 18 second on the clock after Davis captured the rebound. USC went on the attack looking for the go-ahead score, but the shot didn't come, and UCLA got the ball with 2.1 ticks to go. The Bruins didn't get their shot off in time, and the game pushed on the overtime.
UCLA worked to a four-point lead in OT, leading it entering the final minute 67-63. Watkins hit one from the line with 55 seconds on the clock, and Davis hauled in the offensive board on the second try. Forbes planted a three with 50 ticks to go to level it 67-67, and after another chaotic stretch, a second OT was next in the cards. The Trojans found another gear in those final 10 minutes, getting big buckets from Davis, Forbes and Marshall and some key free throws from Watkins, who also delivered a block to help USC lead it 74-68 until UCLA finally scored from the floor at 1:10. Unable to get anything to go on the offensive end, UCLA saw the Trojans haul in some big defensive boards and net free throws at the other end to round out the 80-70 win and ticket to the Pac-12 title match.
No. 2 seed USC is on to the championship game of the Pac-12 Tournament for the first time since winning it all in 2014. USC faces top-seeded Stanford — which the Trojans beat in Pac-12 regular-season meeting earlier this season — at 2 p.m. on Sunday (March 10) in the final at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
NOTABLE:
- Now 25-5 overall, USC has recorded its most wins since going 26-4 in 1993-94 under head coach Cheryl Miller.
- With 33 points tonight, FR JuJu Watkins now ranks No. 4 all-time in the nation for single-season scoring by a true freshman with her 801 points.
- Watkins' 33 points marked the most points scored in a Pac-12 Tournament game since USC's own Cassie Harberts scored 31 in 2011.
- Also with 10 rebounds, Watkins recorded her seventh double-double.
- Watkins adds to her USC record of 30-plus games in a single season, now with 13 in 2023-24.
- Watkins ranks No. 3 all-time in single-season scoring at USC with 801 points, behind Cheryl Miller, who has the top-two marks all-time: 814 in 1985-86 and 805 in 1984-85.
- GS Kaitlyn Davis recorded a season-high 16 rebounds — two off her career high set while at Columbia.
- With 11 rebounds tonight, JR Rayah Marshall has recorded double-digit rebounds in USC's last four games.
- Marshall is now tied with Briana Gilbreath at No. 10 all-time in career rebounds with 813.
- USC recorded a season-high 56 rebounds.
- This was USC's second double-overtime game (and win) this season.
- This is USC's third time winning more than one game at the Pac-12 Tournament.
- This will be USC's third appearance in a Pac-12 Tournament final (2014 and 2009).
- This was the first time that the No. 2 seed has beaten the No. 3 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament since 2010, when it was No. 2 UCLA beating No. 3 USC.
- USC is now 4-2 this season vs. top-10 ranked opponents.
- This will be the third Pac-12 Tournament title game appearance for HC Lindsay Gottlieb, who is the first coach to ever lead two different Pac-12 programs to the title game (led Cal to 2012 & 2015 title games)
- USC had lost all four previous meetings with UCLA at the Pac-12 Tournament (2022, 2020, 2010, 2008).
- USC is now 22-1 overall when scoring 65 or more points and 19-1 when outrebounding its opponent.
It was a first-half tug-of-war with the teams trading sizable 16-0 scoring surges. USC manufactured the first rally to go up 24-8 at the end of the first quarter before the Bruins answered to knot it up in the second. USC would wrap the first half on a 7-0 run to lead it 37-31 at the break, having shot 38.2 percent from the floor to sit just ahead of UCLA's 36.7 percent effort. USC also had the edge on the boards 22-21 through those first 20 minutes of semifinal action. The jostling for position continued in full force through the second half and beyond. UCLA fought back to tie it after USC had held a five-point lead with 4:00 left in regulation. That would lead the rivals into overtime, where this time it was USC that landed a late 3-pointer to tie it up for the 11th time. In the second overtime, USC dug in its heels, utilizing stingy defense and netting big buckets on the offensive end to claim the 10-point win in epic fashion.
USC finished out the game shooting 31.5 percent overall, going 30-of-37 from the free-throw line and winning a tight battle on the boards 56-54. UCLA shot 31.6 percent overall and was 15-of-17 from the stripe. The Trojans were paced by a ferocious effort from Juju Watkins, who set a new Pac-12 Tournament record for single-game scoring by a freshman with her 33-point effort while battling through knocks and bruises. She'd record a double-double with 10 rebounds, and was joined in double figures by McKenzie Forbes' 16 points. Kaitlyn Davis hauled in a season-high 16 rebounds for the Trojans, and Rayah Marshall pulled in 11. UCLA had four players finish in double figures, led by Charisma Osborne's 21 points along with 17 points and 18 rebounds from Lauren Betts. Kiki Rice had 11 points for UCLA, and Angela Dugalic finished with 10.
"We work so hard every single day, all the way back to July in the summer, for moments like this."
— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) March 9, 2024
After a wild 2OT finish, @USCWBB's @Kenzie4bs spoke with @keelyismyname about advancing to the Pac-12 Tournament finals ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Z5eJzUAJJU
UCLA struck first with a 4-0 start, but USC's balance bit back as six different Trojans scored in the next five minutes to get USC to a 12-8 lead at 4:45. USC's rally extended to a 16-0 run that featured six straight points from JuJu Watkins back-to-back big 3-pointers from McKenzie Forbes at Watkins in the final minute. UCLA had come up empty for over six minutes in that frame while USC built out a 24-8 lead at the end of the first. The Bruins busted out of their dry spell in the second with a 16-0 surge of its own to knot it at 26-26 with 4:32 on the clock. Free throws from Kayla Williams snapped that streak, and although UCLA edged ahead 31-30 at 3:29, Watkins and Williams delivered back-to-back buckets and then Forbes blasted another bomb from 3-point range to tug the Trojans ahead 37-31 to wrap the first half.
USC hit a cold patch from the floor in the third but was able to get to the line. A Bruin 3-pointer had UCLA one back at 42-41 before Kayla Padilla broke through for USC to make it 44-41 at 3:45. After a back-and-forth stretch next, the Trojans would carry a 48-45 lead into the fourth. The battle raged on, with the lead trading hands three times in four minutes. A 4-0 push from Watkins nudged USC ahead 55-54 at 6:25. A Padilla block would segue to a 4-0 USC push with a pair of free throws from Forbes followed by a bucket from Watkins to make it 59-54 USC at the four-minute mark. Again UCLA fired back, netting a score down low and then an equalizing three to snarl it up 59-59 with 1:35 on the clock. With a flurry of action on both ends, Padilla came up with an enormous block on the defensive end and USC called timeout with 18 second on the clock after Davis captured the rebound. USC went on the attack looking for the go-ahead score, but the shot didn't come, and UCLA got the ball with 2.1 ticks to go. The Bruins didn't get their shot off in time, and the game pushed on the overtime.
UCLA worked to a four-point lead in OT, leading it entering the final minute 67-63. Watkins hit one from the line with 55 seconds on the clock, and Davis hauled in the offensive board on the second try. Forbes planted a three with 50 ticks to go to level it 67-67, and after another chaotic stretch, a second OT was next in the cards. The Trojans found another gear in those final 10 minutes, getting big buckets from Davis, Forbes and Marshall and some key free throws from Watkins, who also delivered a block to help USC lead it 74-68 until UCLA finally scored from the floor at 1:10. Unable to get anything to go on the offensive end, UCLA saw the Trojans haul in some big defensive boards and net free throws at the other end to round out the 80-70 win and ticket to the Pac-12 title match.
NEXT:"The belief was there from the start."@USCWBB guard @kaylacp_ spoke with @keelyismyname about the Trojans' huge victory over UCLA, prep for Stanford and more! pic.twitter.com/zun2fR3PSl
— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) March 9, 2024
No. 2 seed USC is on to the championship game of the Pac-12 Tournament for the first time since winning it all in 2014. USC faces top-seeded Stanford — which the Trojans beat in Pac-12 regular-season meeting earlier this season — at 2 p.m. on Sunday (March 10) in the final at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
NOTABLE:
- Now 25-5 overall, USC has recorded its most wins since going 26-4 in 1993-94 under head coach Cheryl Miller.
- With 33 points tonight, FR JuJu Watkins now ranks No. 4 all-time in the nation for single-season scoring by a true freshman with her 801 points.
- Watkins' 33 points marked the most points scored in a Pac-12 Tournament game since USC's own Cassie Harberts scored 31 in 2011.
- Also with 10 rebounds, Watkins recorded her seventh double-double.
- Watkins adds to her USC record of 30-plus games in a single season, now with 13 in 2023-24.
- Watkins ranks No. 3 all-time in single-season scoring at USC with 801 points, behind Cheryl Miller, who has the top-two marks all-time: 814 in 1985-86 and 805 in 1984-85.
- GS Kaitlyn Davis recorded a season-high 16 rebounds — two off her career high set while at Columbia.
- With 11 rebounds tonight, JR Rayah Marshall has recorded double-digit rebounds in USC's last four games.
- Marshall is now tied with Briana Gilbreath at No. 10 all-time in career rebounds with 813.
- USC recorded a season-high 56 rebounds.
- This was USC's second double-overtime game (and win) this season.
- This is USC's third time winning more than one game at the Pac-12 Tournament.
- This will be USC's third appearance in a Pac-12 Tournament final (2014 and 2009).
- This was the first time that the No. 2 seed has beaten the No. 3 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament since 2010, when it was No. 2 UCLA beating No. 3 USC.
- USC is now 4-2 this season vs. top-10 ranked opponents.
- This will be the third Pac-12 Tournament title game appearance for HC Lindsay Gottlieb, who is the first coach to ever lead two different Pac-12 programs to the title game (led Cal to 2012 & 2015 title games)
- USC had lost all four previous meetings with UCLA at the Pac-12 Tournament (2022, 2020, 2010, 2008).
- USC is now 22-1 overall when scoring 65 or more points and 19-1 when outrebounding its opponent.
Women's Basketball Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb Media Availability 9/18/25
Thursday, September 18
USC WBB's Lindsay Gottlieb, Rayah Marshall and Talia von Oelhoffen | Trojan Press Conference
Monday, March 31
USC WBB heads to the Elite 8, defeats Kansas State in Sweet 16 | Rapid Reaction
Saturday, March 29
Kennedy Smith on USC WBB heading to the Elite Eight, Trojan freshmen getting the job done
Saturday, March 29
