LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lauren Betts had 18 points and 12 rebounds, and No. 4 UCLA routed Jazzy Davidson and 17th-ranked Southern California 80-46 on Saturday night for the Bruins’ eighth win in a row.
Gianna Kneepkens added 15 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Bruins (14-1, 4-0 Big Ten), who took over sole possession of first place in the conference.
Kara Dunn scored 11 points and touted freshman Davidson had 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting for the Trojans (10-4, 2-1), whose three-game winning streak ended at Pauley Pavilion. Davidson matched Betts with three blocks.
USC was without JuJu Watkins, who watched from the bench as she takes the season off while recovering from a torn ACL.
Londynn Jones, who left UCLA after three seasons to join USC, made her third start of the season but wasn’t a factor. She airballed a shot in the first quarter and Bruins fans shouted at her the rest of the game. Jones had six points on 1-of-9 shooting while missing 4 of 5 3-pointers.
The crosstown rivals were tied 16-all after the opening quarter.
UCLA broke the game open in the second period, outscoring USC 27-12. The Trojans were outrebounded 15-3 and shot just 5 of 18 from the floor.
The Bruins used a 16-2 run to go into halftime leading 43-28. Five players scored in the spurt, with Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker hitting 3-pointers.
UCLA dominated in nearly every category, with Betts helping the Bruins to a 42-10 edge in the paint. Their roster height averages 6-foot-2 and the shorter Trojans were outmatched. UCLA controlled the boards, 46-26.
USC fell to 0-3 against top-5 teams this season, with earlier losses to No. 1 UConn and then-No. 3 South Carolina. The Trojans were held to six points in the fourth quarter against the Bruins.
UCLA’s Kiki Rice added 14 points and eight assists and Gabriela Jaquez had 12 points and six rebounds.
UCLA took a 55-54 lead in the all-time series. Hall of Fame siblings Cheryl Miller (USC) and Reggie Miller (UCLA) sat courtside in their respective alma mater’s jerseys.
Up next
USC: Hosts Oregon on Tuesday.
UCLA: Visits No. 20 Nebraska on Jan. 11.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball