LOS ANGELES — UCLA has Lauren Betts. It’s a simple statement, a truth that differentiates the Bruins from all their foes, both in size and ability to shift a game in favor at Pauley Pavilion demonstrably.

USC does not have Betts. Nor Kiki Iriafen or Rayah Marshall at its disposal anymore. The Trojans did not have a response for the Bruins’ star senior center among their frontcourt-by-committee approach.

In the first of two 2026 rivalry matchups between No. 4 UCLA and No. 17 USC, Betts’ size on the offensive end – forcing her way into the paint for a team-high 18 points and 12 rebounds on Saturday evening – and on the defensive end, where she shut the door on the Trojans’ shooting performance from inside the arc to a dire 23% from the field, proved all the difference in the Bruins’ 80-46 victory.

“I’m proud of how we continue to show up and make sure that we’re setting that standard for ourselves every single game, going out to compete,” Betts said. “And, you know, this is a really stacked team, and everyone continues to show up and do their role and execute it really well.”

The 34-point victory was the largest margin of victory in the rivalry since February 2021, when UCLA defeated USC 93-51. The Trojans’ loss was their largest defeat during Lindsay Gottlieb’s five-year tenure.

“Everything from disappointment to embarrassment,” Gottlieb said. “But we own it. They were the better team today. They were better by a lot.”

Betts, along with teammates Angela Dugalic and younger sister, Sienna Betts, held USC post players to 1-for-13 from the field – just two points. The Bruins’ 6-foot-7 post, who is the reigning Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, said her role in the scouting report was to remain in the paint and help out on ball screens. Lauren Betts lived up to her role as the Bruins prepared.

“I think that’s just something that I take a lot of pride in,” said Lauren Betts, who also recorded three blocks, “just making things as hard as possible for posts on other teams, but I really do think it was a team effort.”

Even if UCLA (14-1, 4-0 Big Ten) wasn’t getting the response it desired from Lauren Betts in the early aughts of Saturday night, the Bruins’ backcourt was firing on all cylinders.

Midway through the second quarter, USC forward Dayana Mendes whiffed on a 3-point shot, sending an airball effort into the hands of fellow post Yakiya Milton. Betts stuffed Milton’s second-chance effort and sent the ball down the court on the fast break.

And there was Gianna Kneepkens – UCLA’s graduate student 3-point threat – waiting in the corner where she hammered down the open look. The Bruins then led 34-26 with 3:18 remaining in the second quarter. The Utah transfer’s long-range bucket sparked a fury of offensive firepower – the Bruins ended the second quarter on a 16-2 run to lead the Trojans (10-4, 2-1) by 15 points at halftime.

UCLA coach Cori Close didn’t just have to rely on Kneepkens, who finished the contest with 15 points. Graduate student guard Charlisse Leger-Walker asserted herself for eight points after having just a combined eight points in her previous three games.

“She’s just been spectacular,” said Close of Leger-Walker, who recorded a block on a seemingly wide-open layup from USC guard Kara Dunn that sent Pauley Pavilion into an ovation before Lauren Betts scored a layup to make it 67-40 in the fourth quarter.

Senior guard Kiki Rice even stamped her impact on the game with 12 second-half points after scoring just two points in the first half.

“I think we’re going in the right direction, but I think that’s still a journey we need to go on,” Close said. “And I think we got to fight for a few more possessions.”

It wasn’t always easy for the Bruins – having to fend off a furious 3-point barrage from the Trojans in the first quarter. Dunn sank two of the Trojans’ four 3-pointers of their first five attempts. During the rest of Saturday night, USC shot 4-for-19 from beyond the arc.

Lauren Betts said it was up to the Bruins to lock the Trojans down from beyond the arc, flipping a switch from the second quarter onward to hold USC at bay.

“I think it was just us having that mentality defensively, that we’re just – we’re not going to let them shoot anymore 3-pointers,” she said. That was honestly the only thing that was really keeping (USC) in the game.”

Londynn Jones, who sent the Trojans packing with a five 3-pointer performance at Pauley Pavilion in 2023, struggled on the other side of the crosstown battle. Playing second fiddle to freshman sensation Jazzy Davidson (10 points) and Dunn (11 points), the senior guard couldn’t imprint her mark in Westwood on Saturday, shooting 1-for-9 from the field.

“I didn’t think that we did enough to be competitive,” said Gottlieb, whose Trojans have now lost to No. 1 Connecticut, No. 3 South Carolina, and on Saturday, added fourth-ranked UCLA to their loss tally.

UCLA outrebounded USC 46-26, with six Bruins recording five or more rebounds. Rice led with eight assists, of UCLA’s 24 overall.

USC next plays Oregon on Tuesday at the Galen Center, whereas UCLA has eight days off before facing No. 20 Nebraska on the road on Jan. 11.