No. 21 UCLA women edge previously unbeaten USC 78-73
LOS ANGELES (AP) Monique Billings scored a career-high 23 points and Jordin Canada had 22 to give No. 21 UCLA a 78-73 victory over previously unbeaten USC in both teams' Pac-12 opener Wednesday night.
Billings was 10 of 15 from the field with 12 rebounds. Canada was 7 of 14 with eight assists. Nirra Fields scored 19 points for the Bruins (9-3), who shot 49 percent.
USC (12-1), which came in as one of eight undefeated teams in the country, was led by Temi Fagbenle with 23 points and 10 rebounds and Kristen Simon with 14 points and 11 boards. Brianna Barrett added 18 points.
The Trojans shot just 38 percent but outrebounded the Bruins 50-36, including 24 on the offensive boards.
Fagbenle opened the fourth quarter with a bucket to tie it at 53-all. Neither team led by more than three until a 6-0 spurt, capped by a 3-pointer by Kennedy Burke, gave the Bruins a 73-66 advantage with 3:29 left. Barrett scored the next four points but Billings sank a floater in the key and Canada had three free throws for an eight-point edge with 47 seconds remaining.
UCLA, which led 32-30 at halftime and was up 10 midway through the third quarter before USC closed the gap.
