USC Women's Basketball Falls to No. 1 Seed South Carolina During Second Round of NCAA Tournament

Monday, March 23

Columbia, SC

5:00 p.m. PT

USC

101

South Carolina

Photo by: Katie Chin

USC Women's Basketball Falls to No. 1 Seed South Carolina During Second Round of NCAA Tournament

March 23, 2026 | Women's Basketball

Trojans show fight late in the game but come up short against Gamecocks.

COLUMBIA, S.C. - USC women's basketball saw its NCAA Tournament run come to an end on Monday night, falling to No. 1 seed South Carolina 101-61 at Colonial Life Arena. Facing a top seed on its home floor, USC battled through a difficult opening stretch before showing resilience and offensive rhythm late, highlighted by one of its most efficient shooting halves of the season.

South Carolina set the tone early with a 13-0 run to open the game, capitalizing on turnovers and second-chance opportunities to build a quick double-digit lead. Sophomore Kennedy Smith provided the first spark for the Trojans with a fast-break jumper, and senior Londynn Jones added a layup as USC looked to settle in. Despite those efforts, the Gamecocks' physicality in the paint pushed the margin to 26-8 after one quarter. Still, USC showed flashes in the second quarter, including a brief defensive stretch that held South Carolina scoreless for nearly three minutes and back-to-back triples from Smith and freshman Jazzy Davidson.

The Trojans continued to compete in the second half, finding more rhythm offensively behind Davidson and Jones. Davidson scored 16 points on the night, including a personal five-point burst in the third quarter, while Jones delivered a standout performance with a game-high 20 points, knocking down 5-of-6 from beyond the arc. USC's perimeter shooting became a bright spot, as the Trojans went 9-for-17 (52.9 percent) from three-point range after halftime and finished the game at an impressive 48.0 percent from deep (its best mark of the season). Back-to-back threes from Jones and Malia Samuels late in the third quarter, followed by a strong fourth period in which USC matched South Carolina with 23 points, underscored the team's fight through the final buzzer.

Beyond the final score, USC's depth and development remained evident. Twelve Trojans saw action, contributing to 26 bench points, while the program continued to build on its NCAA Tournament history, now 36-18 all-time. Davidson also capped a remarkable freshman campaign, recording her 30th double-figure scoring game of the season.

USC wraps up the 2025-26 season 18-14 overall under fifth year head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb.

MAIN TAKEAWAYS:

USC is now 36-18 all-time in NCAA Tournament games
With 16 points tonight, FR Jazzy Davidson wraps up her freshman season with 30 double-figure scoring performances, including a streak of 26 games, which spanned from Nov. 18 through March 1. The guard joins JuJu Watkins, Sarah Strong, Maya Moore, Cheryl Miller, and Candace Parker as the only freshmen in women's college basketball history to record 500+ points, 150+ rebounds, 100+ assists, 50+ steals, and 50+ blocks.
USC recorded 26 bench points against the Gamecocks on Monday night, with 12 Trojans seeing action during the Second Round of NCAA play.
The Trojans hit 12 three-pointers to go 48.0% from beyond the arc, their best three-point percentage this season
SR Londynn Jones led USC in scoring with 20 points, her most in an NCAA Tournament game. She also contributed a game-high five three-pointers on six attempts, matching her season high
USC matched South Carolina's 23 points in the final quarter of play