As the Big Ten season draws to a close, every match turns into a critical win when looking ahead to the playoff season. Although the Trojans’ next slate is facing the Indiana Hoosiers at home, will USC’s late momentum shift be enough to grant them playoff contention?
USC will need to continue to build on its current momentum and winning streak ahead of the Big Ten tournament and March Madness contention. The good news is that USC has been and still is in playoff talks, just not as expected when compared to last season.
According to analyst Autumn Johnson’s second bracket prediction, the Trojans are expected to come in at a No. 10 seed. As for the Big Ten tournament, USC may be in prime position to compete, currently sitting at ninth overall in conference standings. However, last season’s squad earned a No. 1 seed with the opportunity to host the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament following a 16-1 run in Big Ten play and going 31-4 overall.
Freshman guard Jazzy Davidson, USC’s leading scorer, has been one of the main offensive weapons for the Trojans in their current momentum shift. Following her career-high performance, Davidson tabbed her fifth Big Ten Freshman of the Week award this season. She continues to lead the Trojans across all categories: in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and minutes played.
Sunday’s win over Illinois was highlighted by Davidison’s 27 point clip, eight rebounds and shooting 11-for-24 from the field. Sophomore guard Kennedy Smith also dished out a career-high six blocks, 20 points and seven rebounds.
USC’s defense was the highlight of the match against the Illini, as the team recorded 40 rebounds, eight blocks and 18 points off turnovers. While the Trojans maintained their lead throughout the entirety of the match, they were met with a fourth quarter push from the Illini to protect home court. Despite the late offensive run from Illinois, USC won the game 70-62.
Even with their back-to-back wins, USC continues to be unranked in this week’s AP rankings.
Indiana (14-11, 3-10) is sitting at 14th overall in the current Big Ten conference standings. The programs have only met twice, with USC holding both wins over the Hoosiers. Indiana senior guard Shay Ciezki earned a Big Ten Co-Player of the Week award, her third of the season.
Ciezki currently leads the Hoosiers in points, 3-point shooting percentage and minutes played. In the Hoosiers’ two recent wins over Purdue and Wisconsin, she averaged 30.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and shot 57.9 percent. Redshirt sophomore guard Lenée Beaumont is following behind her, averaging 13.6 points per game and leading the team with 8.7 rebounds per game.
The Trojans’ matchup against the Hoosiers will tip off Thursday at 7 p.m.