Senior night at Galen Center was supposed to be a celebration. Instead, it became a reminder of the Trojans’ continued struggles with rebounding and hitting 3-pointers.
In the latest chapter of the Crosstown Showdown, Southern California battled, but ultimately fell 73-50 to No. 2 UCLA on Sunday night. The loss marked USC’s second-lowest scoring output of the season, with the lowest also coming against the Bruins (46 points) earlier this season in Westwood.
Still, the night was about more than the final score.
It was the final home game at Galen Center for senior guards Kara Dunn and Londynn Jones. Jones, facing her former team, earned the start as USC stuck with the same starting lineup it has used since February 5th.
There was no shortage of emotion. Head coach Lindsay Gottlieb reflected on what the moment meant postgame.
“What I really appreciate [about Jones and Dunn] is that it’s never felt temporary,” Gottlieb said. “They’ve been all in on what we’re trying to do and giving us what they have… Being a Trojan is a lifetime thing, and I hope they feel the love back and again.”
UCLA imposed its will early, putting two quick fouls on USC and forcing difficult shot selection with suffocating defense. The Bruins’ physicality and rebounding edge became the defining storyline. They finished with a commanding 47-22 advantage on the glass, including 22 offensive rebounds that repeatedly extended possessions.
USC prides itself on aggressive defense as well, and it showed in stretches. Freshman guard Jazzy Davidson was disruptive early, forcing turnovers — including one fast break that led to a layup to cut the deficit to eight in the first. Sophomore guard Kennedy Smith’s active hands created deflections, and sophomore guard/forward Dayana Mendes electrified the crowd with a deep three to push USC into double digits.
But foul trouble slowed the Trojans’ momentum. Davidson picked up her third personal foul and was forced to the bench with 7:41 remaining in the second quarter.
The half ended on a scary note when USC redshirt freshman forward Laura Williams and junior guard Malia Samuels collided hard on the final play before the buzzer, both going down in a physical sequence emblematic of the rivalry.
If there was a defining USC stretch, it came in the third quarter.
Davidson re-entered with fire, converting a spinning field goal through contact and completing the 3-point play. Moments later, Smith ripped the ball free, leading to a Dunn three. In a blink, USC rattled off a 9-0 run in just 35 seconds, trimming the deficit to nine.
The Trojans’ defensive energy surged. The game slowed into a grind, with both teams struggling to find clean looks.
But the run proved temporary.
A flagrant foul assessed to Smith against freshman guard Angela Dugalic gave UCLA free throws, and senior guard Kiki Rice converted both to push the Bruins to 50 with 3:25 left in the third. From there, UCLA’s depth and poise reasserted control.
“I think that [9-0] was going to be their run, and that was going to be it,” UCLA senior guard Gabriela Jaquez said. “I think we played up to the standard a majority of the time… super proud of what we were able to do.”
After clawing back to single digits, USC’s offense stalled in the fourth. UCLA’s unselfish ball movement, 19 assists on 28 made baskets, and dominance on the boards proved too much.
Graduate guard Charlisse Leger-Walker led UCLA with 20 points, tying a season high. Known internally as “X-ray Vision Walker,” the point guard credited last season, when she sat out, for shaping her understanding of team dynamics.
“It almost put me in a coaching position,” Leger-Walker said. “It feels amazing [to be undefeated in conference play].”
UCLA head coach Cori Close was unequivocal when asked if this was the best team she’s coached: “In a word, yes.”
USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb, however, focused on the fight.
“I thought our effort and our competition level were what we expected,” Gottlieb said. “We didn’t rebound well enough, we didn’t shoot the ball well enough… but I thought we were in the fight.”
Gottlieb emphasized the program’s growth despite adversity, including playing without 2025 National Player of the Year junior guard JuJu Watkins this season.
“We’ve never made one single excuse. This is our team. We love our team,” Gottlieb said. “We’re an NCAA Tournament team, and we’re a scary NCAA Tournament team.”
USC closes the regular season 17-12 (9-9 Big Ten) and now turns its attention to Washington in the conference tournament, where the Trojans have garnered a No. 9 seed. Gottlieb made the focus clear.
“We’re trying to win the freaking next game,” she said. “You don’t get to do the next one unless you beat Washington.”
Sunday night did not end the way the Trojans wanted. But the energy inside the Galen Center, the packed stands, the emotional senior ceremony, the flashes of growth, reinforced something bigger.
“We have a program. We have a culture,” Gottlieb said. “The goal is to be the premier program in women’s college basketball for the next however many years.”
On senior night, USC chose to fight. March will determine how far that fight carries.