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Undefeated UCLA women’s basketball to face crosstown rival USC

Redshirt junior guard Natalie Chou has played every game for No. 7 UCLA women’s basketball, including seven starts. She has averaged 7.1 points in 20.6 minutes per game. (Niveda Tennety/Assistant Photo editor)

Women's Basketball


USC
Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Galen Center
Pac-12 Networks

By Dylan Dsouza

Jan. 17, 2020 12:10 a.m.

And then there was one.

No. 7 UCLA women’s basketball (16-0, 5-0 Pac-12) will travel across town to the Galen Center to face rival USC (8-8, 0-5) on Friday evening with a chance to extend its run as the only remaining undefeated team in the nation.

“It makes it harder when we’re undefeated and people know that, they really want to beat us,” said redshirt senior guard Japreece Dean. “There’s some pressure. We know it’s there, but we try not to look at it and play every game for every game.”

USC was on a five-game winning streak heading into its first rivalry matchup, in which UCLA came out on top 83-59. Since then, the Trojans have failed to pick up a win, currently riding a five-game losing streak.

Coach Cori Close said she is worried about complacency given the Trojans’ recent form.

“I think USC’s record is really deceiving,” Close said. “We told our team today that they are playing much better than when we played them the first time. I don’t think they were playing as hard or as well as they are playing right now.”

The Bruins spent Wednesday’s practice – their first one after traveling to Utah and Colorado – keying in on the Trojans’ personnel.

In the first crosstown matchup, USC forward Alyssa Pili dropped a career-high 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting along with 10 rebounds, a steal and a block.

“Their post game has been dominant,” Close said. “That’ll be a really important piece for us to slow down their three dominant post players that they rotate through if we expect to go to Galen and get a win.”

Six-foot-one redshirt junior guard Natalie Chou said she will look to play a part in stopping USC’s offense.

“I’m like a spark player,” Chou said. “To bring energy off the bench and just to score and help my teammates on defense with steals and blocks. Just bringing energy.”

Touted as one of the team’s “seven starters” by Close, Chou displayed her defensive prowess in the last matchup against the Trojans. She racked up three steals and two blocks in 27 minutes.

She leads the team in steals on the season with 31 and is tied for second in blocks with six.

The Pac-12 continues to dominate the national rankings, boasting four of the top-10 teams and six ranked squads.

“You have chosen to join the best conference in women’s basketball,” Close said. “Well, with that privilege comes great responsibility … I don’t think you can rest on any team in the conference and I think you need to have a hunger to hold yourself to the highest standards or you won’t be competing for championships, period.”

Tipoff is scheduled to be at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at the Galen Center with the first 700 fans receiving a “Beat the Bruins” t-shirt.

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Dylan Dsouza | Alumnus
Dsouza joined The Bruin as a freshman in 2016 and contributed until he graduated in 2020. He spent time on the women's basketball, men's basketball, women's tennis, men's tennis and women's volleyball beats.
Dsouza joined The Bruin as a freshman in 2016 and contributed until he graduated in 2020. He spent time on the women's basketball, men's basketball, women's tennis, men's tennis and women's volleyball beats.
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