University Southern California Trojans
USC
11-8,3-5Big Ten
Michigan State
18-2,7-2Big Ten
USC Women's Basketball Falls 74-68 to No. 13 Michigan State
January 22, 2026 | Women's Basketball
Trojans come up short in Big Ten road battle.
EAST LANSING, Mich. — USC women's basketball erased an early deficit and led at halftime, but No. 13 Michigan State pulled away late as the Trojans fell 74-68 on Thursday night at the Breslin Events Center.
With the loss, the Trojans drop to 11-8 and 3-5 in conference play.
Michigan State won the opening tip and built an early advantage, but senior Kara Dunn kept USC within striking distance from the outset. Dunn opened USC's scoring with a layup at the 8:35 mark and ultimately accounted for 10 of USC's first 14 points. Freshman Jazzy Davidson knocked down a jumper before Kennedy Smith buried a shot-clock–beating three with 33 seconds left to cut the deficit to 24-17 at the end of the first.
USC found momentum in the second quarter behind Davidson's activity on both ends of the floor. The freshman opened the frame with a block and a layup, then scored again to pull USC within one. Davidson tied the game at 32-32 with a pair of free throws before Londynn Jones drilled a three-pointer at 2:54 to give USC its first lead, 35-34. The Trojans closed the half on top, 37-36, outscoring Michigan State 20-12 in the period.
The third quarter turned into a back-and-forth battle, featuring six lead changes and three ties. Smith opened scoring with a jumper to give USC a 39-36 edge, while Dunn paced the Trojans with six points in the quarter. Michigan State closed the frame on a late run, taking a 53-49 lead into the final 10 minutes.
USC continued to fight in the fourth. Dunn connected on a three to pull the Trojans within four, and USC erupted for a 10-0 run in less than 50 seconds, fueled by forced turnovers and transition baskets. The Trojans forced five Michigan State turnovers in a span of just 1:05, cutting the deficit to two following a Davidson layup. With 12 seconds remaining, Dunn knocked down a clutch three to make it a four-point game, but Michigan State sealed the 74-68 final at the free-throw line.
Up next the Women of Troy head to Ann Arbor for a Sunday matinee matchup against No. 7 Michigan at 2 p.m ET.
Notables
- FR Jazzy Davidson recorded her 19th straight game with at least one block, finishing with a game-high five, and scored 21 points (8-for-16 FG, 4-for-4 FT) to extend her double-figure scoring streak to 16 games.
- SR Kara Dunn led USC with 23 points on 10-for-18 shooting, marking her ninth consecutive game in double figures and fifth straight with 20-plus points. She added six rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
- SO Kennedy Smith, in her second game back, totaled 15 points, six rebounds, four assists and a team- and season-high four steals.
- Dayana Mendes and Vivian Iwuchukwu each grabbed six rebounds, a season high for Mendes and a career high for Iwuchukwu.
- USC finished with 11 blocks — its second-most this season — shot a season-best 87.5 percent from the free-throw line, outrebounded Michigan State 42-33 and held a 7-2 edge in bench points.
- The Trojans are now 4-2 all-time against Michigan State.
