There's being on fire, and then there is whatever level JuJu Watkins was on during Thursday night's game against No. 1 UCLA at Galen Center. The star USC sophomore could not be stopped on the offensive end for most of the evening, eventually leading the No. 6 Trojans to a 71-60 victory over their crosstown rival.

There was star power both on the floor and in the crowd, with celebrities and athletes such as Kevin Hart, Flea, Cheryl Miller, Jayden Daniels and Kelsey Plum in attendance, with all eyes focused on two of the top teams in the country at Galen Center.

USC's star and the leading scorer in the Big Ten had her full array of skills on display Thursday night. In case anyone couldn't keep up, Watkins reminded the crowd just how many big shots she was hitting during one stretch in the first half when she flashed a three to the crowd after hitting a 3-pointer.

It was that kind of night for Watkins, who finished the first half with 25 points and accounted for all 14 of USC's points in the second quarter. The Los Angeles native finished the game with 38 points to help her squad take down UCLA for a third consecutive game.

It took an effort on both ends of the floor for USC (22-2, 12-1 Big Ten) to hand the Bruins their first loss of the season. Though much of the attention will be on what Watkins and the Trojans were able to do offensively to pick apart UCLA, it was their work on defense that made the difference in the victory.

Watkins herself finished the game with 8 blocks to go along with 11 rebounds and 5 assists on a stat-filled evening for the USC star guard.

"I didn't teach JuJu any of that," USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb joked after the game. "Just try to put her in situations to be her best self, and she does most of that work. What I was so impressed with tonight, obviously, was just the mentality she came out with. Obviously, the ball going through the net helps, but when we changed our coverages in the second half and said we can't just go one on one with (Lauren) Betts we have to double but the doubles gotta be good, she ends up with eight blocks as well.

"I thought our team stepped up and did a lot of toughness things that won us the game in the fourth, but I think this is a historic Galen performance that we should appreciate from JuJu and her team."

Watkins has now averaged 32.5 points across four games against USC's crosstown rival.

The Trojans looked dominant early in the game as their defense suffocated UCLA star Lauren Betts and the rest of the Bruins' offense. That eventually led to a comfortable 24-15 lead after the first quarter.

The top-ranked team in the country could not be kept in check for long, however. UCLA (23-1, 11-1) clawed its way back then claimed control in the third quarter by outscoring the Trojans 17-9.

Watkins went just 1 for 6 in that quarter and finished with only 5 points. Then she turned on the fire once again. That was particularly important on the defensive end of the floor as she collected 5 of her 8 blocks in the final 10 minutes.

"Just to have that youthful spirit on the floor," Watkins said when asked what changed following a recent stretch of performances below her average. "That's the biggest thing for me. Just to be happy out there, go out there with my teammates and get the job done. I think that's really all I can ask for.

"It has been a tough couple weeks for me, but I'm just staying true to the process. There's a lesson in everything, and I think that is to always stay joyful on the court."

The key turn in the game came late when Avery Howell hit a 3-pointer with 4:25 to play as UCLA was clinging to a one-possession lead. The shot from the freshman gave USC a 58-56 advantage, and the Trojans would never relinquish the lead from that point on.

Following a free throw from UCLA's Kiki Rice, the Trojans broke off a 9-0 run highlighted by a fastbreak layup from Kiki Iriafen off a turnover that ignited the sold out crowd at Galen Center.

Late in the third and early in the fourth quarter, USC was able to stymie the UCLA offense and bottle up Betts thanks to an impressive effort by Watkins and Clarice Akunwafo. The tandem helped control the UCLA star and hold her scoreless after the 5:05 mark in the third quarter.

"Yes, I do my best shield her and play great post defense, but honestly the biggest thing is ball pressure," Akunwafo said. "The guards do a great job of being on the ball, so even if let's say one second Betts is open, they can't pass the ball to her because of the amazing ball pressure.

"And shoutout to Ju, because she had my back. Betts got me sometimes, but I knew Ju had my back and had that block."

The Trojans will head to Washington on Sunday ahead of two final home games before USC wraps up the regular season with a rematch against the Bruins on March 1.