LOS ANGELES — A year ago, the South Carolina Gamecocks came out West on a similarly rainy November weekend in Southern California and, as the defending champions, got trucked by UCLA. It was the Bruins’ announcement as a national title contender in a season when UCLA made its first NCAA Final Four in program history.
The Gamecocks were supposed to face another women’s basketball team on the rise in their 2025 bicoastal showdown, but JuJu Watkins’ injury in March changed the trajectory of this season’s USC Trojans. In the so-called battle for “The Real SC” on Saturday, only one team looked the part of title contender in No. 2 South Carolina’s 69-52 win over No. 8 USC at Crypto.com Arena.
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With only one returning starter, Raven Johnson, the Gamecocks are still learning their pathway to success. Two of Saturday’s other starters, Joyce Edwards and Tessa Johnson, were promoted from bench roles, and two others, Ta’Niya Latson and Madina Okot, are transfers.
Even with new faces, the foundation of this South Carolina squad looks familiar to past iterations: balanced scoring, dominance on the offensive glass and disruptive defense.
The Gamecocks had four players in double figures, forged a 21-10 edge in offensive rebounds and limited USC to 28 points in the paint. Despite South Carolina leading by only two points at halftime, it was a clinical performance by a program that has advanced to the national semifinals in five consecutive tournaments.
South Carolina won the battle in the paint
Looking at the box score postgame, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley identified Okot’s plus-minus as a key indicator of how the game was won. The Gamecocks won Okot’s 35 minutes by 23 points, meaning they were outscored by six in the five minutes she sat. Okot led both teams with 15 rebounds, including five on the offensive end. At 6-foot-7, she deterred a number of the Trojans’ attacks into the paint and limited them to 10-of-24 shooting on layups.
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“She’s a big presence,” Johnson said. “She’s sweet and loving, but on the court, she’s a force.”
While Okot kept USC from scoring in the paint, she was key to South Carolina’s offensive success. She drew a number of fouls, sealing a smaller defender, even if they didn’t directly lead to free throws. Okot was a lob target when the Trojans’ ball pressure made the Gamecocks’ guards uncomfortable on the perimeter. She was able to create second chances not just with her offensive rebounds, but also with her box-outs.
South Carolina outscored USC 44-28 on points in the paint and collected 24 more rebounds. The Gamecocks were easily able to win despite shooting only 40 percent from the field because of the volume of opportunities.
South Carolina has historically had a deeper frontcourt than this season, with waves of bigs coming off the bench. The absences of Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins leave a bigger role for Okot, and the Mississippi State transfer has seamlessly stepped into the responsibility.
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USC is searching for offense beyond Jazzy Davidson
The Trojans conceded about as many points Saturday (69) as they did in their win over then-No. 9 NC State (68) last week. Defense wasn’t necessarily the issue against the Gamecocks.
But while super freshman Davidson had 21 points against the Wolfpack, she was limited to eight against South Carolina, and USC struggled to find sources of scoring beyond her. Londynn Jones was swallowed up by the length and athleticism of South Carolina’s defenders, shooting 2 of 10; an emblematic moment was a free-throw line jumper being swatted into oblivion by Okot leaping out of the paint.
Davidson was out of rhythm after picking up two fouls within the first 2½ minutes. When she returned, she had issues with her handle as the Gamecock guards poked away at her dribble, and when she was able to get to the lane, more bodies awaited to contest her shots.
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“It’s one thing to talk about it, it’s one thing to see it on film, it’s another thing to experience it,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “They do have a lot of length, especially in the interior.”
The Trojans couldn’t force South Carolina to adjust its strategy of collapsing in the paint because they couldn’t hit any jumpers. They made 1 of 14 3-pointers. Kara Dunn, who made 35 percent of her 3-pointers last season, missed 5 of her 7 shots outside the paint.
South Carolina’s transition was a separator
The Gamecocks’ pace made things even more challenging for USC. The Trojans want to play fast, as Gottlieb repeatedly acknowledged before and after the game, but it was South Carolina that beat the defense up the floor throughout the night. Edwards’ speed was difficult for the Trojans to contend with in transition, and when USC met her in the paint, it sprung leaks on the perimeter for Tessa Johnson to hit shots on the break.
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Although the Gamecocks were only credited with 11 fast-break points, they also quickly got into their offense after dead balls. Time and time again, Edwards beat her defender down the court and earned a foul or an easy bucket.
“The pace that South Carolina plays at lets her get out in transition,” Gottlieb said. “The motor piece is a big part of what Joyce brings to the table, and she’s excellent.”
Edwards led both teams with 17 points and added 10 rebounds, two blocks and two steals. She also had four assists and a couple of easy opportunities for more, though she put too much juice on an outlet pass and a dump-off to Okot when she faced a double in the restricted area.
“She’s worked really hard all her life for these moments,” Staley said. “I’m challenging her to be the best two-way player in the country on the floor every time she steps on the floor.”
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Edwards was at least the best two-way player in Los Angeles Saturday, a critical piece to the identity South Carolina is building this season. The other USC has more work to do to figure out who it can lean on with Watkins on the sideline.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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