This post was updated Nov. 24 at 11:53 p.m.

Westwood took its revenge on “USC” about 16 hours after last night’s crushing defeat at the Rose Bowl. 

Well, kind of. It was a different “USC” – the formidable University of South Carolina women’s basketball program. 

And though there was no Victory Bell up for grabs, the Bruin faithful will wrap their weekend with an outright thumping of “USC” as No. 5 UCLA women’s basketball (5-0) handed No. 1 South Carolina (5-1) its second loss in two years and clinched its own first win over a top-ranked opponent. 

They weren’t just mere strokes of revenge, though – they were the slashes that outlined a truth in the women’s college basketball sphere: UCLA looks to be a national title-contending team. 

“We expected to win,” said coach Cori Close. “There was never a doubt. And we prepared like we expected to win. You can hope and wish all you want, but if you don’t prepare at a level that equips you, (it) doesn’t do any good.”

The Bruins and Gamecocks last met in the 2023 Sweet 16 – where then-No. 4 seed UCLA fell to top-ranked South Carolina, bringing its season to a halt. But in Sunday’s nonconference matchup, the Bruins stamped victory for the first time in recent memory between the two teams – with UCLA’s last win coming in 1981.

After sending two floor generals to the court for tipoff – both freshman Elina Aarnisalo and junior Kiki Rice – the former lit up Pauley Pavilion, thawing a scoreboard that was deadlocked at 0-0 for almost the first three minutes of the game. 

A steal in the paint sent her bolting down the court for a wide-open layup and a deafening Pauley Pavilion. 

“E (Aarnisalo) is mature beyond her years,” Close said. “Every day is going to be a little bit different. I thought that her (Rice’s) experience was really important to us. Lauren (junior center Lauren Betts) always calls her a rock, and she does a really good job getting us settled.”

And once the scoreboard broke free, the Bruins rocketed with it – clinging onto their lead through 40 minutes of play. 

UCLA held South Carolina to 26.5% shooting from the field in the first half, a stark contrast to its 45.3% average so far this season and its 49.2% from last season. The Bruins, meanwhile, maintained an efficient 51.9% in the first 20 minutes.

Success evaded the Gamecocks on every possession for the game’s opening five minutes – stalling till 4:55 minutes remained in the first quarter to disturb the scoreboard. 

But their glory was short-lived – junior guard Gabriela Jaquez had entered the game prior to South Carolina’s first score and drilled UCLA’s first triple in response to her foe’s first bucket. 

Jaquez was subbed in alongside juniors forward Janiah Barker and guard Londynn Jones. Collectively, the trio put up 16 of the Bruins’ 20 points to give them a 10-point lead at the close of the first period.

And by the half, Jaquez, Barker and Jones accounted for 21 of the Bruins’ 43-22 lead, helping their team softly enter the locker room with a large cushion over the nation’s most elite program – or so the rankings say.

“We have so many weapons on this team, and our bench is so deep,” Betts said. “Everyone’s ready when their number’s called to go out there and make a difference in the game.”

Jones holds UCLA’s single-season record for 3-pointers made from her 87 total last season. 

And last season’s leading 3-point shooter in the Pac-12 went 5-of-5 from deep, pacing the Bruins with 15 points through the afternoon. Aarnisalo followed closely with 13 points of her own, shooting on a 60% field goal percentage and putting up a triple of her own. 

“It takes a lot of preparation. It’s something that I work on every morning and after practice,” Jones said. “Just continuing to get those reps in.”

Nothing changed in that Bruin locker room through halftime. 

Though South Carolina bolted out the gates in the opening minutes – diminishing UCLA’s lead to 16 –  it simply couldn’t overcome its adversary’s double-digit lead. By the end of the third, the Bruins’ lead ballooned to 20 points as they wrapped the stanza by forcing the Gamecocks to a shot-clock violation. 

Betts, the team’s top scorer so far this season, notched her fourth double-double in her second season as a Bruin. The 6-foot-7 big had 11 points and 14 rebounds, assisting the Bruins to a 77-62 win over the NCAA’s top-ranked program.

“It’s Nov. 24. Am I proud of our team? Yes, but this is just the beginning, and we can’t get tired of doing things right,” Close said.