USC Women’s Basketball Takes 66-43 Loss At UCLA

WESTWOOD, CALIF. — The USC women's basketball team was plagued by a pile of turnovers that kept the Trojans from keeping pace with rival UCLA. The Trojans lost ground early on the Bruins, and wound up with a 66-43 loss tonight at Pauley Pavilion in Pac-12 play. USC is now 9-6 overall and 2-3 in conference action. UCLA improves to 8-4, 3-1.

USC was hampered by 16 first-half turnovers, helping to fuel UCLA's fire as the Bruins shot 50 percent from the floor and led it 37-24 by halftime. USC was shooting at a 40-percent clip and led on the boards 24-13, but those giveaways turned into 15 UCLA points in those first 20 minutes of action. Eleven more Trojan turnovers occurred in the second half, while USC's scoring effort took a dive. The Trojans wrapped up shooting 27.6 percent from the floor with just 2-of-17 three made. UCLA, meanwhile, shot 42.4 percent overall and hit six threes. USC did still hold the advantage on the boards, 46-32, but those 27 total turnovers gifted the Bruins 21 points on the night.

USC's bright spot was Jordyn Jenkins' second carer double-double. She was the only Trojan to hit double digits tonight with her 17 points and 11 rebounds. UCLA had three Bruins in double figures, led by Ilmar'I Thomas' 20 along with 11 for Charisma Osborne and 10 from Natalie Chou — all in the fourth quarter. 

The score snarled up four times before UCLA mounted a 7-0 rally to work into the lead in the first frame. A Bruin 3-pointer made it a 16-9 lead before Jordyn Jenkins interrupted things with a bucket for USC at 2:20. The teams would trade scores in the final stretch, with a buzzer-beating layup netting a 20-13 lead for USC at the close of the first. USC committed eight turnovers in those first 10 minutes to account for the Trojans' slide. UCLA found another surge with a 6-0 run that finally came to a stop on USC's first 3-pointer of the game, landed by Desiree Caldwell to make it a 28-20 deficit at 5:16. UCLA responded in kind, however, and outscored the Trojans 9-4 in the final push to halftime as the Bruins gripped a 37-24 advantage at the break.

USC largely stayed in stride with the Bruins in the next quarter, still down 13 after Rayah Marshall struck down low to make it 49-36 with 2:20 on the clock. UCLA responded with back-to-back buckets, though, and it was 53-36 Bruins entering the fourth. There, Jenkins worked her way into a double-double, but the Bruins' hands stayed hotter. Back-to-back UCLA 3-pointers put the Trojans in a 64-40 hole with 4:00 to go. Facing an insurmountable margin, USC would wrap the game with one last bucket to finish out a 66-43 loss.

NOTABLE:
- FR Rayah Marshall knocked down her first 3-pointer since making one in USC's season opener.
- USC committed a season-high 27 turnovers
- With another block tonight, FR Rayah Marshall extended her run of games with at least one block to 10 straight. 
- With 17 points, SO Jordyn Jenkins scored in double digits for the sixth consecutive game.
-  Jenkins leads USC with 11 double-digit outings this season.
-  With 11 rebounds, Jenkins also recorded her second career double-double (both this season).
- USC's seven points in the fourth quarter matched the fewest in a single quarter by USC this season.
- USC's two 3-pointers made matched a season low.

NEXT:
USC heads back across town to home turf next, hosting UCLA in another Pac-12 clash at 6 p.m. on Sunday (Jan. 23) at Galen Center.