University Southern California Trojans
USC
11-7,3-4Big Ten
Purdue
10-8,2-5Big Ten
USC Women's Basketball Pounds Purdue 83-57
January 18, 2026 | Women's Basketball
Trojans pick up third straight win over Boilermakers.
With the win, the Trojans improve to 3-0 all-time against Purdue and move to 11-7 overall and 3-4 in conference play.
The Trojans controlled the game from the opening tip, building a double-digit lead in the first quarter and never looking back en route to their first win of the new year. USC finished with 25 assists on 30 made field goals and held advantages in points off turnovers (30-19), fast-break scoring (22-2) and paint production (40-24) throughout the contest.
Freshman Jazzy Davidson set the tone early, knocking down a three-pointer within the first ten seconds of the first quarter off an assist from junior Malia Samuels to open the scoring. Senior Dunn followed with six consecutive points to give USC a 9-7 edge, as the Trojans converted opportunities from the field in the opening period to take a 21-11 lead.
The Women of Troy continued to apply pressure in the second quarter. Sophomore Vivian Iwuchukwu opened the frame with a layup off a Davidson assist, and the Trojans surged ahead by capitalizing on Purdue turnovers and pushing the pace in transition. At the break, USC held commanding advantages in points off turnovers (18-7), fast-break points (13-2) and paint points (16-12). Dunn led all scorers with 16 first-half points on an efficient 6-for-8 shooting, including a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.
The Trojans broke the game open after halftime. Davidson scored the first five points of the third quarter, sparking a 24-point frame from the Trojans that stretched USC's lead to as many as 24. Dunn capped the quarter with a layup in the final second to give the Trojans a 66-42 advantage heading into the fourth.
USC maintained its momentum in the final period, with senior Londynn Jones scoring a game-high six points in the quarter while finishing a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line on the night. The Trojans wrapped up the final frame with a 26-point margin of victory, marking USC's largest since Cal Poly (86-39) back in December.
The Women of Troy hit the road this week for games against No. 15 Michigan State on Thursday, Jan. 22 (5 p.m. PT) and No. 8 Michigan on Sunday, Jan. 25 (11 a.m. PT).
MAIN TAKEAWAYS:
- With thE win, the Trojans are now 3-0 all-time against the Boilermakers. It is also USC's first win of 2026
- This game marks FR Jazzy Davidson's 18th straight game with one or more blocks, recording one against the Boilermakers, and her 15th straight game scoring in double figures. The guard also contributed 13 points (4-for-4 FT), six assists and a team-high three steals
- SR Kara Dunn recorded a season-high 29 points and 12 made field goals along with a team-high five rebounds. This is her eighth consecutive game scoring in double figures and fourth consecutive game with +20 points
- SO Kennedy Smith returned to competition for the first time since Jan. 3 at UCLA. She contributed six assists, two steals and a team-high two blocks with a game-high +30 rating
- SR Londynn Jones tallied 15 points (6-for-6 FT) and three assists
- The Trojans' 25 assists were their second most in a game this season
QUOTES:
Lindsay Gottlieb | Head Coach
On today's win and motivation for future games:
"It's a lot more fun to win, but I was mostly really excited about our demeanor. I think growth from Thursday night doesn't matter unless you continue to build on that. I thought we really did that tonight. It was really fun and it was also our alumni day. There's nothing like the Women of Troy and the history of this program. I thought we were really worthy of the greatness that's come before us today… I thought it was incredible to have Kennedy back. She's a winning player, but I think what we're going to see going forward here is that the time without Ken, while it's been hard, has led to growth."
Kara Dunn | Sr | G
On being a leader on the team and her relationship with Jazzy:
"One thing that I've learned is my relationships with the other people are really digging in and we're talking through things that are bothering us; things that we need to get better at on the court. With Jazzy and through all this, we've gotten really close just talking on the court, off the court, about things that we need to do for this team and things we can say for other people. Also the things we need to do on the court for our team, so through all this, I feel like we're really starting to bond together."
Jazzy Davidson | Fr | G
On relationship with Kara
"Kara, she's a great leader. She has all of our back and she's super experienced, so it's just been really nice having that voice for me as a freshman and navigating through things. Obviously losing is not fun, but I feel like just with her leadership, it's really helped us get through that, and I think our best days are ahead of us. So, I'm very grateful for her."
