No. 6 USC is hosting No. 1 UCLA on Thursday for the Big Ten’s first Battle of Los Angeles. These were the two teams predicted to finish atop the conference in their first season since moving from the Pac-12, and if their recent meetings are any indication of how this one will go down, fans are in for a treat.
The Bruins have been the No. 1 team in the nation for 12 consecutive weeks while being the last undefeated team remaining. Their 23-0 record is also the best start in program history.
The Trojans suffered their first loss in November against now-No. 2 Notre Dame. Their second loss was more unexpected, as it happened against an unranked Iowa squad earlier this month. However, USC bounced back with 20-plus point wins over Wisconsin and then-No. 8 Ohio State.
Here is what you need to know about Thursday’s matchup between USC and UCLA.
Where to watch No. 6 USC vs. No. 1 UCLA
When: Thursday, Feb. 13 at 10 p.m. ET
Where: Galen Center — Los Angeles
TV: Peacock
Streaming: fubo (follow for free)
Follow: CBS Sports app
Series history
UCLA holds a 33-24 lead over USC since 1999 in their all-time series, but the Trojans won their last two meetings.
Their most recent encounter was a double-overtime thriller in the 2024 Pac-12 semifinals. USC won it 80-70 behind 33 points and 10 rebounds from JuJu Watkins, who finished the season as the highest-scoring freshman in history with 920 points.
Lauren Betts had an excellent performance in that game, tallying 17 points and career-high 18 rebounds. Kiki Rice and Angela Dugalic also registered double figures in scoring.
This will be a star-studded rematch as both Watkins and Betts are two of the top candidates for national Player of the Year.
UCLA’s resume is unblemished
The Bruins have collected wins over six ranked opponents, and also have a few other victories over teams that were not ranked at the time of their matchup but have been in the AP Top 25 at least once this season.
Cori Close’s team is led by junior center Lauren Betts and her 19.6 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game. However, the Bruins are much deeper than her as six other players are averaging at least eight points per contest.
In their 62-52 win against Oregon on Sunday, Londynn Jones was the player who took over by registering a season-high 21 points, including five of UCLA’s seven 3-pointers. That game also saw a strong defensive effort by the Bruins as they held the Ducks to just 26.6% from the field.
The team dynamic can be seen in the stat sheet as the Bruins are No. 4 in the country with 21.1 assists per game. UCLA is also top 15 in both scoring offense and defense.
Kiki Iriafen, Kennedy Smith powering USC
Sophomore guard JuJu Watkins has been going through a bit of a slump for her standards, but she still leads the team with 23.9 points per game. Grad student forward Kiki Iriafen is another top contributor with 18 points while shooting a productive 51.5% from the field.
Iriafen registered her eighth double-double in the 84-63 win over Ohio State, the Trojans’ fifth win over a ranked opponent.
One of the Trojans’ biggest moments this season was getting their first win against UConn in December. That was the day freshman Kennedy Smith returned to the USC lineup after a month-long absence due to a surgical procedure. It was a relief for USC coach Linsday Gottlieb as she described Smith as the “best defensive freshman player I ever had.”
Through the 16 games she has played this season, Smith is the Trojans’ third double-digit scorer with 10.2 points per game. USC is No. 9 in the country in scoring offense with 83.2 points per contest.
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