When USC faced UCLA Jan. 27, it was a total beatdown, as the Bruins won 65-50. None of the Trojans’ starters reached double figures in scoring, and UCLA’s electric 22-4 run toward the end of the first half gave it an 11-point edge at halftime.

Since then, USC (10-16, 4-11 Pac-12) has only mustered two wins, while UCLA (14-12, 9-6) has only lost one game, which was a 1-point buzzer-beater loss to Utah (16-10, 7-8) last Sunday. While both teams are on opposite sides of the standings — with the Bruins trying to work their way into the Pac-12’s top-three, and the Trojans hoping not to finish last — the rivalry’s competitiveness sees no barriers and makes for an interesting second edition of the crosstown showdown.

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“We’re playing these games as stepping stones to the Pac-12 tournament,” said graduate forward DJ Rodman in an interview with the Daily Trojan. “Our biggest goal is just to mainly compete at this point.”

One big difference between the first matchup and the upcoming one is that the Trojans were without freshman guard Isaiah Collier last time because of his hand injury. While USC has only won one game since his return, Collier has been on fire, posting at least 15 points in each of his last four appearances, including 25 last Saturday against Colorado (17-9, 8-7). He has also created opportunities for his teammates with ease, tallying 15 assists in his last two games.

“Collier has made incredible improvements from early in the year,” Head Coach Andy Enfield said. “He’s trying to manage the game at a much higher level and, unfortunately, was out for a month; we would have more wins.”

Fifth-year guard Boogie Ellis had a lackluster 8-point performance on 3-10 shooting against the Bruins last time around but will look to forget those woes this weekend. Against the Buffaloes, Ellis went for a season-high 30 points, including five 3-point makes. If Ellis can replicate his recent success in conjunction with Collier’s resurgence, the USC backcourt will have no problem scoring.

Redshirt senior forward Joshua Morgan has recently been a huge force on the defensive end, blocking nine shots and recording two steals in his last two games. He will need to limit fouling to give the Trojans the size they need down the stretch, as he fouled out against Colorado and had four against the Utes.

“It’s a great matchup,” Morgan said. “I’ve just got to do my best to shut them down as much as possible.”

USC will also hope to have a solid performance from junior guard Kobe Johnson, who tallied 14 points and four steals last Saturday. 

On the other hand, Bruins sophomore guard Dylan Andrews scored 20 points against USC in the last matchup following four consecutive games of not reaching double-digits. His dominant performance at Galen Center ignited him to be a main catalyst for UCLA in the proceeding games. He’s now scored at least 12 points in each of his last seven games, including 21 in the Bruins’ gritty victory over Oregon (17-8, 9-5).

Junior guard Lazar Stefanovic added 17 points in UCLA’s win over the Trojans and has also been on a scoring tear ever since. USC must be wary of his 3-point shooting ability and defend him accordingly, as he leads the Bruins in makes from beyond the arc.

The Trojans also allowed a double-double to sophomore forward Adem Bona in the previous matchup and will need Morgan and other big men to box him out. UCLA’s 15 offensive rebounds against USC helped it generate 17 second-chance points.

“Long rebounds have kind of been an Achilles heel for us at times,” Morgan said. “But my mentality is just to do my best to hit first, keep the biggest guy on the court away from the ball if possible.”

Both teams’ records may tell different stories, but the glory of the archrivalry trumps the disparity in success. The Trojans are 56-125 against the Bruins since the 1949-50 season so, naturally, USC is the underdog, but it’ll have a chance to go into Westwood and silence the mass of UCLA fans.

“For a rivalry game, especially at the away arena, I feel I can show some potential for us,” Rodman said. “We’ve shown flashes here and there, but we’ve got to put them all together and just string a couple together.”

This game will kick off a three-game road set for the Trojans before they head back to Galen Center for their final two regular-season games.

The second matchup between USC and UCLA will take place Saturday at 7 p.m. at Pauley Pavilion.