In its season opener against New Mexico State, No. 18 USC women’s basketball sputtered to start but eventually found its footing and pulled off a dominant 87-48 victory over the Aggies. Tuesday’s contest provided an opportunity for head coach Lindsay Gottlieb to try out different rotations and see what pieces of her retooled offense mesh well together.
The early part of the game was a disjointed effort for the Trojans, who struggled with offensive consistency in the first despite eight points apiece from sophomore guard Kennedy Smith and senior guard Londynn Jones.
Jones, a UCLA transfer and one of the team’s only seniors, pestered the Aggie defense with aggressive drives and stellar midrange action off the pick and roll.
“Something I work on a lot is just trying to make the right read and just take what the defense is giving me,” Jones said.
USC’s other senior vet is Georgia Tech transfer guard Kara Dunn. Dunn had a punishing presence, flying around the court and attacking the offensive glass.
“I’ve leaned on them a lot to be those leaders and to bring what they already know, but also be open to learning new stuff and understand that that’s a growth process too,” Gottlieb said of her seniors. “Londynn and Kara are really capable and have done a lot already, but will continue to get better with us.”
Jones and Smith continued to anchor the offense as the game unfolded and the Trojan lead ballooned up to 22 to end the first half. Sophomore forward Dayana Mendes left an impression on the court with a perfect 3-for-3 performance from beyond the arc, finishing with nine points and five rebounds in her first game at USC.
Spectators likely anticipated the collegiate debut of freshman guard and 2025 McDonald’s All-American Jazzy Davidson. Davidson finally scored less than two minutes into the second quarter and kept humming on offense throughout the game, finishing with 14 points despite perimeter shooting struggles. Her size and fluidity did more than make her difficult to defend – they opened up opportunities for her teammates around her.
On the other side of the ball, Aggie senior forward Lucia Yenes was borderline unstoppable against USC’s pervasive attack, turning seemingly dead plays into miracle finishes. She led all scorers with 27 points and chipped in five rebounds, but didn’t get much help from her supporting cast. Only one other Aggie, junior guard Imani Warren, scored more than two points on the night.
Operating with a 30-plus point advantage for much of the second half, USC continued its strategy of sharing the ball and hounding the Aggies with relentless defense. Jones kept the offense running off the bench, cutting to the basket with fearless tenacity whenever possible despite her 5-foot-4 frame. She finished with a team-high 16 points, joining Davidson, Smith (11) and Dunn (12) in double figures for the game.
The Trojans contributed strong individual offensive performances, but showed plenty of room for improvement. Issues of cohesion will likely resolve as the season progresses, but USC’s shooting will have to improve if the team wants to be competitive with tougher opponents down the line. The Trojans shot only 40.9% from the floor against New Mexico State and went 8-for-24 from the three. Seven of those long range misses came from Davidson.
“It was a little rough at first,” Davidson said. “My coaches and my teammates, they’re always supporting me and have my back.”
“I don’t think she’ll ever miss seven threes again,” Gottlieb said. “We have total confidence in the way that she can impact winning, and we know shots will fall.”
What they lacked in offensive rhythm, the Trojans made up for on the defensive end. They showcased their defensive intensity early, running a full court press in the first possessions of the game and playing with active hands throughout. USC finished the game with 11 steals in a suffocating defensive performance.
Expectations were high for returners like Smith and junior guard Malia Samuels, who held down the USC defense last season.
“I do think defense has to be a calling card,” Gottlieb said. “In particular, Kennedy and Malia really take that as part of their identity… that’s a big weapon for us.”
The Trojans’ star power and defensive intensity kept them from feeling the heat in this matchup, but only time will tell if they can hold their own against more intense competition later in the season. They’ll have to weather a slew of ranked opponents on their non-conference schedule, and Big Ten play is no smooth sailing either.
USC will face its next test on Sunday as the team travels to Charlotte for a neutral site matchup against No. 9 NC State before returning to Los Angeles to play No. 2 South Carolina at Crypto.com arena on Nov. 15.