The USC men's basketball team moved into the top 25 nationally rankings at No. 20 after they beat UCLA 66-48 last Saturday. Although the Bruins were missing some key players the Trojans look like the better team even if the Bruins had all of their players. The main reason, Ethan Anderson.

If Anderson can continue to play like he did against UCLA, the Trojans will be hard to beat in Pac-12 play. "This was a very big night for me just because I haven't seen my shots fall the way I wanted them to," said Anderson during a Zoom interview after the game Saturday. Anderson scored 19 points, hitting five 3-pointers and playing tough defense on UCLA's point guard Tyger Campbell. Anderson is also recovering from a back injury that sidelined him for three weeks.

The Trojans are currently in first place in the Pac-12 Conference with an overall record of 15-3 and they are 9-2 in Pac-12 play. The Bruins are 13-4 overall and 9-2 in conference play.

The No. 1 ranked UCLA softball team will start their season on Friday on the UCLA campus at 2 p.m. against Fresno State and they will play a double header on Saturday against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Once again, the Bruins are loaded with talent and barring injury or a coronavirus situation, they should be fighting for another NCAA championship in a few months. Leading the way for UCLA will be the best women's college softball player in the nation, Rachel Garcia. Garcia is one of the best pitchers in the nation and she can hit the ball. Outfielder Bubba Nickles is also one of the best players in the nation. Those two seniors will be backed by Brianna Perez, Keli Godin, Aaliyah Jordan and Kinsley Washington.

The Lakers and Clippers are still near the top of the Western Conference. The Lakers are in second place with a current record of 19-6 and the Clippers are in third place with a record of 17-8.

GEORGE LAASE

Mac Etienne of the UCLA's men's basketball team scored eight points, grabbed five rebounds and blocked two shots in his first game as a Bruin. The 6'9 220 pound freshman played 27 minutes in the loss to USC last Saturday at USC.

The Lakers have a home game at the Staples Center on Friday at 7 p.m. against Memphis and they are on the road for two games before they return home against the Nets on Thursday, February 18, at 7 p.m.

The Clippers are on the road on Friday against former UCLA player Zack Levine and the Chicago Bulls. They return home on Sunday to battle Cleveland, on Monday they face Miami and Wednesday they battle the first play Jazz. All of those game start at 7 p.m.