Swanson: UCLA, USC women’s basketball brings the drama — again
Rayah Marshall #13 of the USC Trojans shoots as Emily Bessoir #11 of the UCLA Bruins defends during the first half of a game at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Camryn Brown #35 of the UCLA Bruins and Rayah Marshall #13 of the USC Trojans reach for a rebound during the first half of a game at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Rayah Marshall #13 of the USC Trojans shoots as Camryn Brown #35 of the UCLA Bruins defends during the first half of a game at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
The UCLA Bruins and the USC Trojans huddle on the court during the first half of a game at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
The UCLA Bruins huddle on the court during the first half of a game against the USC Trojans at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Kayla Williams #4 of the USC Trojans falls while passing the ball as Gabriela Jaquez #23 of the UCLA Bruins defends during the first half of a game at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Gabriela Jaquez #23, Kiki Rice #1, and Christeen Iwuala #22 of the UCLA Bruins celebrate on the bench in the second half of a game against the USC Trojans and at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Gabriela Jaquez #23, Kiki Rice #1, and Christeen Iwuala #22 of the UCLA Bruins celebrate on the bench in the second half of a game against the USC Trojans and at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Londynn Jones #3 of the UCLA Bruins shoots as Clarice Akunwafo #34 and Alyson Miura #25 of the USC Trojans defend during the second half of a game at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Gabriela Jaquez #23 of the UCLA Bruins shoots as Okako Adika #24 and Destiny Littleton #11 of the USC Trojans defend during the second half of a game at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Londynn Jones #3 of the UCLA Bruins drives around Taylor Bigby #1 of the USC Trojans during the second half of a game at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Charisma Osborne #20 of the UCLA Bruins shoots as Destiny Littleton #11 of the USC Trojans defends during the second half of a game at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Rayah Marshall #13 of the USC Trojans helps up Londynn Jones #3 of the UCLA Bruins during the second half of a game at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Londynn Jones #3 of the UCLA Bruins shoots as Rayah Marshall #13 of the USC Trojans defends during the second half of a game at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Londynn Jones #3 of the UCLA Bruins shoots as Rayah Marshall #13 and Destiny Littleton #11 of the USC Trojans defend during the second half of a game at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Rayah Marshall #13 of the USC Trojans celebrates with the USC Trojans bench during the second half of a game against the UCLA Bruins at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Gabriela Jaquez #23 of the UCLA Bruins, Okako Adika #24 of the USC Trojans, and Londynn Jones #3 of the UCLA Bruins fight for control of the ball during the second half of a game at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Gabriela Jaquez #23 of the UCLA Bruins, Okako Adika #24 of the USC Trojans, and Londynn Jones #3 of the UCLA Bruins fight for control of the ball during the second half of a game at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Gina Conti #10 of the UCLA Bruins celebrates following a game against the USC Trojans at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. The UCLA Bruins defeated the USC Trojans 61-60. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Gabriela Jaquez #23 of the UCLA Bruins celebrates on the bench during the second half of a game against the USC Trojans at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Gabriela Jaquez #23 of the UCLA Bruins celebrates on the bench during the second half of a game against the USC Trojans at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Camryn Brown #35 of the UCLA Bruins celebrates following a game against the USC Trojans at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. The UCLA Bruins defeated the USC Trojans 61-60. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Camryn Brown #35 of the UCLA Bruins celebrates following a game against the USC Trojans at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. The UCLA Bruins defeated the USC Trojans 61-60. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Destiny Littleton #11 of the USC Trojans, Lina Sontag #21 of the UCLA Bruins, and Clarice Akunwafo #34 of the USC Trojans reach for a rebound during the second half of a game at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Destiny Littleton #11 of the USC Trojans, Lina Sontag #21 of the UCLA Bruins, and Clarice Akunwafo #34 of the USC Trojans reach for a rebound during the second half of a game at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
The USC Trojans huddle on the court during the second half of a game against the UCLA Bruins at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Gina Conti #10 of the UCLA Bruins shoots as Rayah Marshall #13 of the USC Trojans defends during the second half of a game at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Camryn Brown #35 of the UCLA Bruins drives around Destiny Littleton #11 of the USC Trojans during the second half of a game at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on January 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES – It’s a shame the UCLA and USC women’s basketball teams don’t meet another time this season. A shame they won’t tip off another 10 times.
Because these teams bring the drama.
For the second time this season, No. 12 UCLA’s high-wire act sufficed in a taut contest that ended – just as the first had on Dec. 15 – with the Trojans possessing the ball and trailing but just three points with seconds to play.
This time, before a crowd of 6,638 at Pauley Pavilion, USC at least got a shot off. But Destiny Littleton’s 3-point attempt was off the mark, and the rebound and put-back layup by Okako Adika with time expiring wasn’t enough to make up the difference, delivering the host Bruins a 61-60 victory – the eighth in a row in the crosstown showdown. (UCLA held on to win 59-56 when the teams met Dec. 15.)
Afterward Sunday, UCLA coach Cori Close stopped to chat with Cori Anderson, John Wooden’s great-granddaughter, who came to the game and commended the Bruins for their fight – especially “that girl from the Inland Empire, she’s pretty good.”
That girl from the Inland Empire was the difference — no, not that girl.
This time, it wasn’t all about Charisma Osborne, the Bruins’ senior leader, who hails from Moreno Valley. Osborne fought through a shoulder injury and plenty of USC jostling, shot 2 for 16, drew 10 fouls and committed none – clutch considering it helped put UCLA (14-2, 3-1) in the bonus when it most mattered and allowed them to chip away at what was a 52-40 lead at the start of the fourth quarter.
It was the Inland Empire’s Londynn Jones who impressed Wooden’s great-granddaughter, who lives out that way.
A calm freshman from Riverside, Jones just kept carrying on Sunday, driving, drawing fouls, staring down USC’s guards with her on-ball defensive intensity.
The smallest player on the floor, a 5-foot-4 guard whose build could fool you into believing she’s a member of UCLA’s talented gymnastics team, Jones re-set her one-game-old career scoring high by five Sunday, when she led all scorers with 22 points on 6-for-11 shooting from the floor, and her 8-for-9 mark from the free-throw line.
Afterward, she shrugged off her exploits: “It’s not really a surprise to me,” she said. “I mean, I put in the work when no one sees, so it’s just coming out and implementing it to the game, you know? It’s what we do.”
It’s what she does. What she’s been doing. In 2019, when she was a freshman at Corona Santiago High School, Jones poured in 29 points to lead the Sharks to a Division 3AA championship.
And last June, as a member of Team USA, playing in the FIBA women’s championship in Buenos Aires shortly after graduating from Corona Centennial, Jones recorded 15 points, five rebounds and five steals to help lift the United States to an 82-77 championship victory over Canada.
Now Jones is just one of the five vaunted freshman getting real run on Close’s talented team this season, youngsters with much to learn and a long way to go, but already playing with impressive “neutral thinking,” as she calls it. Freshmen contributors capable of keeping their cool and taking it a play at a time, even when their crosstown rivals pinned them down for an entire quarter in a way that would’ve been enough to put away a lesser opponent.
USC – which remains unranked even though its four losses have all come against teams that are or were ranked – outscored its hosts 18-10 in the third period, holding the Bruins to 3-for-20 shooting and taking a 52-40 lead.
But the Bruins regrouped, rallied their supporters – including the 42 former UCLA women’s players who were in the building Sunday – and countered with a monster defensive push.
USC started the quarter leading 52-40, but the Trojans had six turnovers before they took a shot in the final 10-minute frame, in which they shot just 2 for 8 and were outscored 21-8.
Mick Cronin wants UCLA’s rebounding to fuel fast break
It was a gut punch for the Trojans (11-4, 1-3).
Tears in her eyes, USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said she was “devastated that we couldn’t get it home, that I couldn’t get them home to the finish line in the fourth quarter.”
But don’t count out her squad come March, as Gottlieb noted: “What we do with this feeling is up to us, we know we have the tools to turn it into something positive.”
Close was emotional postgame too, her voice wavering as she thought about Wooden and all he meant to UCLA and her.
“Just thinking about the faithfulness of people who came before us,” she said. “It always gets to me because Coach Wooden gave me so much and not a day doesn’t go by that I don’t realize how lucky I am to walk in the steps that he first walked… it just really humbles you, that we get to wear these letters.”
Sitting beside Close on the dais during the postgame news conference, Jones listened, nodded, and reached out to comfort her coach with a touch to her arm.
An 18-year-old with wherewithal to handle herself like a veteran, on the court and off, Jones will be someone to watch — the bigger, the more tense the game, the better. Like, say, Friday, when No. 2 Stanford comes to play at Pauley Pavilion before going to Galen Center on Sunday.
