Trojans Wire and USC women’s basketball analyst Cece Clay have you covered for continuing analysis and insight into the Trojans. However, we wanted a South Carolina perspective on Saturday’s game against USC. We turned to analyst Lauren Beasley, who covers South Carolina athletics and (disclaimer) is also a writer for College Sports Wire, part of our College Wire network.
Here are Lauren Beasley’s five takeaways from South Carolina beating USC women’s basketball 69-52 this past Saturday. Let’s see what there is for the Trojans to learn from the loss they just absorbed:
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Lauren Beasley’s five takeaways from South Carolina vs USC
South Carolina women’s basketball didn’t just win “The Real SC” matchup in Los Angeles, Dawn Staley’s squad enforced its identity. No. 2 South Carolina punched past No 8 USC 69-52 on Saturday at the Crypto.com Arena, pulling away after halftime with depth and rebounding dominance. Joyce Edwards delivered yet another star performance, while the Gamecocks’ backcourt controlled the tempo, causing the Trojans to struggle to keep the pace. It was a nationally televised measuring stick for two Top-10 teams, and South Carolina used the momentum to raise the bar even further. Here are the five biggest takeaways from a matchup loaded with storylines.
Joyce Edwards is becoming a matchup problem in college hoops
The freshman phenom is poised and polished, something that usually takes time in a collegiate career. She posted 17 points, 10 rebounds, and her first double-double of the season. She also added two blocks and two steals. Ten of her 17 points came in the third quarter when the Gamecocks flipped a tight game in their favor. Edwards’ physicality overwhelmed USC’s frontcourt, and her ability to tilt matchups on both ends is becoming a foundational piece of Staley’s identity this season.
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South Carolina’s depth is a competitive weapon
Four Gamecocks finished in double figures for the fourth straight game, a balance that no one else in the country is matching on a regular basis. Joyce Edwards with her 17, Raven Johnson with 14, Tessa Johnson also with 14, and Florida State transfer Ta’Niya Latson with 12. They all had meaningful minutes in the game, especially in that third-quarter dominance. It is the third time this season that at least four starters have hit double figures, underscoring Staley’s ability to press and rotate.
Rebounding was the clencher
South Carolina crushed USC on the glass 56-32, and Madina Okot owned the paint with a season high of 15 rebounds. The Trojans got just one 3-pointer to fall, 1-of-14, meaning they needed second-chance production to stay in the game, but South Carolina never allowed it.
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USC missed JuJu Watkins, and it showed
USC has a talented roster; the squad is well-coached, but there is no real replacement for the Trojans’ star guard JuJu Watkins, who is still rehabbing a season-ending knee injury. Freshman Jazzy Davidson finished with eight points on 4-for-11 shooting with four turnovers and early foul trouble. Kennedy Smith with 12 points, and Kara Dunn with 10, steadied the offense, but USC’s fourth quarter, with only seven points, made the absence of its elite scorer impossible to ignore.
South Carolina closes like a veteran team
Up by just two points at the half, the Gamecocks tightened their rotations, sharpened their defensive pressure, and outscored USC 23-15 in the third quarter. Tessa Johnson’s two 3-pointers and Edwards’ 10 points provided enough separation before the fourth quarter. USC missed five of its first seven shots of the quarter and committed several costly turnovers as South Carolina controlled the possession. The Gamecocks ended up holding USC to only seven points and finishing with a poise that looked postseason ready.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC women’s basketball hopefully learned from South Carolina
