Freshman Joshua Smith scored a team-high 15 points as UCLA snapped a four-game losing streak against its city rival, beating USC 64-50 in a Pac-10 Conference game at the Pauley Pavilion Wednesday night.

The Bruins started fast but led just 36-35 at the half as USC closed the first half on a 6-0 run. The Trojans scored the first field goal of the second half to take the lead, but UCLA quickly responded and built a 53-45 advantage on a 3-pointer by Jerime Anderson with just over eight minutes left.

USC never got closer than six points the rest of the way.

The final score was UCLA’s largest lead of the game. Malcolm Lee added 13 points for the Bruins (15-7, 7-3 Pac-10), who moved to within a half-game of the conference lead.

USC (12-11, 4-6 Pac-10) has lost five of its last seven games since defeating the Bruins earlier in the season. The Trojans’ Nikola Vucevic led all scorers with 18 points.

USC last won five straight in the series in 1943 when it capped a 42-game winning streak against the Bruins.