UCLA vs USC rivalry - Top 5 matchups between two heavyweight colleges feat. JuJu Watkins's 33 points, Bruins' Pac-12 win and more

There is a lot of history between the UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans, particularly in women's basketball. Thursday features a big matchup between the two sides. It marks the 58th time that the Bruins and Trojans will face each other in women's basketball history. UCLA leads 33-24 all-time, but they lost their last two encounters to USC during the 2023-24 campaign.

Thursday will be big for fans of both teams as they will get to see the two college basketball starts, Lauren Betts and JuJu Watkins take on each other. Let's take a look at the five best recent matchups between the two programs.

Top 5 recent UCLA vs USC matchups

5. UCLA 71, USC 64 - Dec. 30, 2023

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: DEC 30 Women's - USC at UCLA - Source: Getty

This matchup featured JuJu Watkins's first encounter against the Bruins and ended with UCLA coming out with the victory.

Both squads were neck-and-neck as UCLA led 38-37 going into halftime. Despite USC's efforts, the Bruins outscored the Trojans 33-27 in the last 20 minutes to get the win in front of a packed crowd.

Watkins's first game against the Bruins saw her finish with 27 points and 11 rebounds. However, it wasn't enough as UCLA's Londynn Jones and Lauren Betts combined for 36 points, 15 rebounds and six blocks on 13-of-23 shooting.

---

4. UCLA 61, USC 60 - Jan. 8, 2023

Southern California v UCLA Women's Basketball - Source: Getty

This encounter went down to the wire as UCLA rallied from a double-digit deficit to get the win. USC had a 52-40 lead going into the fourth quarter. However, the Bruins outscored the Trojans 21-8 in the fourth quarter, holding them to just 25% from three-point land during the game.

Londynn Jones led the way for USC with 22 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field. Emily Bessoir came next with 11 points and five rebounds, while Charisma Osborne contributed nine points, seven rebounds and four assists.

---

3. UCLA 73, USC 66 - March 6, 2020

The Bruins made key plays down the stretch to beat the Trojans in the quarterfinals of the 2020 Pac-12 tournament before it got canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trailing 23-12 after the first quarter and then being down 52-46 heading into the final quarter, UCLA sparked a rally. They outscored USC 27-14 in the last 10 minutes to pull off the win.

Michaela Onyenwere dominated the contest with a 26-point,15-rebound performance. The Bruins outrebounded the Trojans 17-9 on the offensive boards and also led the blocks charts 7-3.

---

2. UCLA 73, USC 60 - March 2, 2022

This matchup saw the Bruins take the victory over the Trojans in the first round of the 2022 Pac-12 Tournament. The score was tied at 46 apiece after three quarters, but UCLA boomed with a 27-14 display in the final 10 minutes to secure the win.

The Bruins had four players score in double-digits. IImar'I Thomas had a team-high 18 points, Charisma Osborne put up 14 points and five rebounds, Angela Dugalic put up a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Jaelynn Penn provided 11 points and seven rebounds.

---

1. USC 80, UCLA 70 - March 8, 2024

UCLA v USC - Source: Getty

The last encounter between these two programs happened in the semifinals of the 2024 Pac-12 Tournament and featured a big performance from JuJu Watkins.

Both teams went back and forth throughout the game, and USC was up 24-8 after the first quarter before UCLA responded with a 23-13 second-quarter effort. It stayed close as they were tied at 59 apiece after regulation, but Watkins and the Trojans outscored the Bruins 21-11 in the two overtime periods to win a thrilling game.

USC struggled to shoot throughout the game but the team was much more disciplined than their opponent. They had just 18 personal fouls when compared to the Bruins' 28. Watkins finished with a double-double of 33 points and 10 rebounds while Mckenzie Forbes had 17 points.