No. 16 USC Women's Basketball Drops Nonconference Game Against No. 1 UConn

Saturday, December 13

Los Angeles, Calif.

2:30 p.m.

USC

7-3,1-0Big Ten

UConn

10-0,2-0Big East

UConn

Southern California

Jazzy Davidson brings the ball downcourt from

No. 16 USC Women's Basketball Drops Nonconference Game Against No. 1 UConn

December 13, 2025 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Press Conference

Kennedy Smith drops a season high 16 points as Trojans fall 79-51.

LOS ANGELES - No. 16 USC dropped its first home game of the season to top-ranked No. 1 UConn, 79–51, on Saturday afternoon at the Galen Center.

With the loss, the Women of Troy drop to 7-3, while the Huskies maintain an unblemished record at 10-0.

The Trojans briefly held an early lead, but UConn responded with a 15–0 run and led 23–9 after the first quarter. The Trojans were unable to recover offensively, scoring just 17 points in the first half despite holding the Huskies to 39 points before the break, UConn's fewest points in a half this season.

Sophomore Kennedy Smith led USC with a season and team-high 16 points, going a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line. The sophomore guard also pulled down a team-high seven rebounds and recorded three steals. Freshman Jazzy Davidson added 10 points, four rebounds and a game-high four blocks, while knocking down a team-best two three-pointers.

Senior Londynn Jones finished with 14 points, converting a season- and game-high eight free throws, while Kara Dunn contributed five points and had a season high five assists.

USC found some rhythm coming out of halftime, scoring 22 points in the third quarter, but UConn answered with 30 points of its own to push the lead to as many as 39. The Trojans finished the game shooting 30.2 percent from the field, totaling a season-low 51 points and 16 made field goals.

The Women of Troy look to rebound on Thursday, Dec. 18 as USC hosts Cal Poly for a 7 p.m. contest at the Galen Center.

MAIN TAKEAWAYS:
- SO Kennedy Smith scored a season and team-high 16 points (5-for-5 FT). The guard also contributed a team-high seven rebounds and three steals
- FR Jazzy Davidson notched a game-high four blocks. She also tallied 10 points, four rebounds and a team-high two made three pointers
- SR Londynn Jones posted 14 points and scored a season and game-high eight made free throws
- SR Kara Dunn matched her career high and set a new season high in assists with five. The guard also had five points and two rebounds
- The Trojans restricted the Huskies to 39 points in the first half, their fewest points scored in a half this season.
- This loss marks the first time USC was held to less than 10 points in multiple quarters of a game since Feb. 25, 2023 against Washington
- USC's 28 point deficit is their largest margin of defeat since Jan. 19, 2024 at Utah (78-58)
- The Women of Troy are now 1-5 all-time against the Huskies

QUOTES:
Lindsay Gottlieb | Head Coach

On the program's momentum and atmosphere at Galen Center:
"I think just where this program has been, and where we've come and where we're headed is still really exciting…This is not the USC of five years ago, 10 years ago or even 15 years ago, and I think that everyone knows that. I think we're for real. We're here. This is what our atmosphere is like and I'm proud of that. We obviously just want to continue getting better and competing, but there was a lot of good in terms of what the atmosphere was like in here today."

On the start of Jazzy Davidson's collegiate career:
"I think her mentality is a competitive one. I think she's the focal point in a lot of ways, of another team's Scout, and she'll keep getting better. We'll all keep getting better to make all of us play better. I think she takes it on like a competitor. I think her motor, she never stops. She wants to make the right play every time. That's obviously not always going to happen, but she's got teammates around her that believe in her and know she's only going to get better from having these experiences this early in her career."

Londynn Jones | Sr. | Guard

On leadership role:
"I think it's just having the experience. I've been through things like this, and I think it's just anywhere I can help the team keep their mind right. Games like this are where you learn so much. I think staying present and just trying to do whatever it is in that moment, you have to take it play-by-play. I think that was just kind of the mentality that I was just trying to get everybody on and you can't do anything about the past. So, moving forward, we're just trying to get better."

On being a veteran and helping Jazzy keep a positive mindset:
"Jazzy is a great player and I think when you're a great player, you know the things to tell yourself. Like I said, being one of the veterans on the team, my responsibility is just to keep her mind right, let her know the things that she's capable of, and remind her who she is… It's a game. You learn from it, and you just build for the next one."

Kennedy Smith | So. | Guard

On learning after a tough loss:
"Like Lindsay said earlier, really honing in on details, it's the little things that matter. If we say we're going under, somebody needs to go under. Those little things will catch up to us as well as just being aggressive, being competitive. No matter if we're down or not, playing with your heart, playing hard from start to finish is something that we need to take and carry over. We're about to go into Big Ten play soon, and the games are not going to get easier. Everybody in the Big Ten is shooting fours and stuff of that nature, so we really have to be more aggressive, be more mindful and be more intentional."

On leadership during team huddles:
"During the game I was telling them in the huddles just work on us at this point. If we're going to lose the game, we're gonna lose the game, but work on what we need to be better."