LOS ANGELES -- The stage was already big, the moment already heavy with anticipation, so JuJu Watkins made sure her performance would not be forgotten.
Against undefeated, top-ranked UCLA, which had been overwhelming teams left and right with its depth and size, it appeared Watkins would need to reach toward perfection for No. 6 USC to have a shot. Instead, in front of a sold-out, electric Galen Center crowd, the sophomore phenom from Los Angeles made history and helped the Trojans upset the Bruins 71-60 on Thursday night.
Over the course of 40 minutes, resting exactly 43.6 seconds in the first half, Watkins stitched together one of the best games of the season, showcasing every facet of her game with 38 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and a game-changing 8 blocked shots.
Watkins is the first Division I player with at least 35 points, 5 blocks and 5 assists in a game in the past 20 seasons.
The victory moved USC (22-2, 12-1) into first place in the Big Ten. UCLA (23-1, 11-1) will host the next meeting between the teams March 1.
"Honestly," senior center Clarice Akunwafo said, "JuJu is amazing."
Watkins, by now, is known for her prolific scoring. She glides through defenses with a relative ease that makes it look as if she's playing in slow motion, allowing her to score nearly at will. Even if her style often leaves her vulnerable to cold stretches, they never seem to last long. On Thursday, her 38 points came in unstoppable waves that the Bruins could only hope to tame.
In the first quarter, coming off a game in which she started 0-for-10 from the field, Watkins scored 11 points. In the second, she added 14 more thanks to three 3-pointers. It seemed as if no one on the court would be able to stop her.
"I didn't teach JuJu any of that," USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said with a smile. "Just try to put her in situations to be her best self, and she does most of that work. What I was so impressed with tonight, obviously, was just the mentality she came out with."
That was evident early when Watkins' first contribution was not a made shot but rather a block 26 seconds in. In a game that unspooled with enough drama to fill a limited TV series, it was the perfect foreshadowing.
"She's really active," UCLA coach Cori Close said. "She's always been that way. She's able to get into a rhythm and really anticipate. She takes pride on both sides of the ball."
By halftime, with USC leading by three, it appeared for the Trojans to hold on that Watkins would need to hit 50 points, a total she has reached once in her career. The Bruins were not going to go down easily, and they emerged from the half with a 17-9 run in the third.
At one point, UCLA was up seven points and 6-foot-7 Lauren Betts was starting to get going. Gottlieb called a timeout and decided to commit to doubling Betts with Watkins' help. Watkins' scoring was not going to be enough, especially when the rest of her team shot 9-for-37. So Watkins and the Trojans decided it was time to win the game with defense.
"She had my back," said Akunwafo, the main defender on Betts, who finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Bruins. "I knew she had my back with those blocks."
In the span of one minute in the fourth quarter, Watkins made three blocks. A few minutes later, she added a steal to her stat line, prompting a fast break that she led all the way to the basket for a three-point play with just under six minutes left.
The moment summed up Watkins' performance. Her play on both ends of the court gave USC a lead it wouldn't relinquish and ignited one of Galen Center's loudest cheers. Watkins had willed USC all the way back and eclipsed 1,500 career points in the process.
"It's whatever it takes to win," Watkins said. "I didn't plan on having that many blocks, but it's whatever we need to win."
By the time the buzzer sounded and USC had pulled out an 11-point victory, Watkins walked to the center of the court to celebrate with the adoring crowd. She wasn't done yet, spending ample time taking pictures and signing autographs for the countless fans who wore her No. 12 jersey. After the game, she couldn't help but acknowledge not only the crowd but also the celebrities assembled courtside to see her stardom continue to rise.
"I'm really just like a kid out there and living out my dream," Watkins said. "When you have people like that show up, you can't disappoint."
But while Watkins was wowed by the presence of celebrities, they too stood in awe of her. Even comedian Kevin Hart, who was in attendance, mimicked a bow in her direction.
"We'll never forget this night," Gottlieb said. "It's as good as anything I've ever seen."