No. 3 USC women’s basketball lost its first game of the season to the No. 6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 74-61 after 21 turnovers and a bundle of missed shots hurt the Trojans in the long run.
In front of a sellout crowd that included Michael B. Jordan, Snoop Dogg, Jason Sudeikis and multiple WNBA stars such as Candace Parker and Cameron Brink, it was Notre Dame’s sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo who shined brightest of them all, notching five steals and finishing with 24 points.
It was clear from the beginning that this star-studded game would be a defensive slugfest, as the two sides traded turnovers and defensively induced missed baskets. It was Hidalgo who broke the deadlock, notching a short jumper to put the Fighting Irish on the board first.
After a short stint of missed shots and turnovers by both sides, Notre Dame jumped out to an early 14-6 lead as five points from Hidalgo and a three from graduate guard Olivia Miles provided a quick 8-0 run for the Fighting Irish with just under five minutes to play in first.
“It’s difficult to have two dynamic guards out there, but, you know, I still think it’ll make us better and we’ll do even better next time,” head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said.
The Trojans’ turnover troubles continued, as the relentless Notre Dame defense forced eight first-quarter giveaways. By the end of the quarter, the Fighting Irish extended their lead to double digits, up 20-10.
“[We need to] be more disciplined,” Gottlieb said regarding the turnovers. “Try to figure out how to play fast and be aggressive, which should be a strength of ours, but how to execute when it’s time to execute, or how to not play into a team’s hands that has a defensive identity like that.”
The 10-point lead for the Fighting Irish didn’t last long into the second quarter as a 9-2 run by the Trojans — powered by a 3-pointer from freshman guard Kayleigh Heckel— forced a timeout by Notre Dame with 7:36 to play in the half with the Fighting Irish up 22-19.
“She has really unique talent,” Gottlieb said on Heckel making her first start for the Trojans. “She’s so fast. She’s a competitor, difficult situation to be in and have your first start be against the Irish with this back court.”
The turnover troubles continued for USC, as the Trojans practically kept handing the ball back to Notre Dame, resulting in the Fighting Irish jumping back out to a seven-point lead with three minutes to play in the half.
Despite a valiant effort battling back to end the second, Notre Dame held the lead 35-28 to end the first 20 minutes of play.
The second half started far different from the first, with the Trojans and Fighting Irish trading buckets. Most notably, sophomore guard JuJu Watkins got going after a slow first half, scoring six of the Trojan’s first eight points.
“I just think this is a learning experience for the whole team. So much to learn as far as chemistry and everything,” Watkins said. “For me, the biggest thing is just staying poised and under control. The whole game wasn’t the prettiest for me.”
Halfway through the quarter, USC had outscored Notre Dame by one in the half, with the Fighting Irish up 44-38. Less than a minute later, Galen Center erupted as Watkins converted an and-one, cutting the lead to three and re-electrifying the rowdy Trojan faithful.
Regardless of the rambunctious USC fans, multiple series of missed baskets and turnovers from the Trojans led to a larger lead once again for the Fighting Irish. Miles hit a three to shut down USC’s momentum, and Notre Dame led 52-45 to end the third period.
The start to the Trojan’s fourth quarter was less than ideal, as USC did not get its first points until the 6:41 mark left in the game, allowing Notre Dame to get up by 13 points.
A 14-2 run in the first half of the final quarter, coupled with the Trojans’ turnover issues, resulted in a 19-point Notre Dame lead with 4:48 to play.
A last gasp by Watkins and graduate forward Kiki Iriafen wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit as the Trojans fell 74-61.
“We have big goals,” Gottlieb said. “We have to have better communication on the floor, I have to demand that of them better and you’ll see improvement there. I’m certain of that.”
The Trojans’ 3-point shooting will need to improve in big time games if they have any hope of making a deep tournament run, as USC only went 1-for-13 from beyond the arc.
USC will look to get back to its winning ways November 26 against Seton Hall at the Women’s Acrisure Holiday Invitational in Palm Springs.