On Sunday, the USC women’s basketball team made a statement, traveling across the country and knocking off No. 9 North Carolina State 69-68 in Charlotte. It was a thrilling victory for the Trojans, who took the lead on a Jazzy Davison layup with under ten seconds remaining.
What did we learn from the game? Here are some key takeaways:
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USC is still really good without JuJu Watkins
Going into the season, there were a lot of questions surrounding just how good USC would be without superstar JuJu Watkins, who is out for the season with an ACL injury. Obviously, there are a ton of games left to be played, but the Trojans just traveled across the country and beat a top ten team. That should tell you a lot about the answer to those questions.
Jazzy Davidson has already arrived
It took exactly two games for the highly-touted freshman to announce her presence to the sport. Davidson finished the game with 21 points, four rebounds, four assists, five blocks, and three steals. Oh, and she hit the go-ahead shot in the game’s final seconds. Not bad for someone who just turned 19 last week.
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Welcome to Londynn
UCLA transfer Londynn Jones also had a big game, recording 19 points, four rebounds, and three assists. And she did it without wearing any blue.
Concern on the boards
USC was outrebounded by North Carolina State 54 to 40. While the Wolfpack are a very good team with a lot of size, the Trojans allowing their opponent to control the boards like that is certainly a cause for concern.
Women’s college basketball has a scheduling problem
Had this game been played on a Wednesday evening, the Trojans’ dramatic victory would have been one of the biggest trending topics in sports. Instead, because it was played on an NFL Sunday afternoon, only a handful of people were paying attention.
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This is one of numerous marquee matchups that the Trojans have played over the past two years at the same time as either NFL or high-profile college football games. It feels as though the sport of women’s college basketball continues to get in its own way, costing itself exposure by playing big games opposite the NFL and college football.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC women’s basketball beats No. 9 North Carolina State: Key takeaways
