From the opening tip, USC women’s basketball wasted no time making a statement as they turned defensive stops into scoring opportunities overwhelming the College of Charleston Cougars. Behind a relentless presence on the boards, high-level scoring from freshman guard Saniyah Hall and an ongoing defensive pressure from sophomore guard Jazzy Davidson, USC defeated the Cougars 105-44 at Galen Center Tuesday night, showing exactly why they sit at No. 3 in the AP Poll.
The Trojans established their offensive presence early with freshman center Sarah Okeke scoring the first point off an offensive rebound and put back. USC continued to control the speed of the game and created extra possessions, while senior guard JuJu Watkins and Davidson set the tone defensively. Watkins’ four steals led to fast-break opportunities, while Davidson disrupted Charleston’s offense by putting up three blocks and four steals.
“I thought we came out with a lot of intention and our defense is getting a lot better,” head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said postgame. “We’ve been talking about just taking steps in that regard because then we get to run fast on offense.”
Davidson led the offensive charge early, attacking the basket and connecting from beyond the arc. She finished with 24 points, four rebounds, shooting 9-of-17 from the field. Hall matched Davidson, adding a career-high 24 points of her own and eight rebounds.
The Trojans jumped to a 29-8 lead after the first quarter and continued to extend their lead into the second, entering halftime well ahead at 58-23. Hall provided an excellent scoring presence, shooting 65% from the field, while Okeke converted opportunities around the basket, finishing with eight points and seven rebounds.
Gottlieb was able to showcase her team’s deep bench, incorporating junior guard Ryann Bennett, senior center Pania Davis and freshman forward Sitaya Fagan into the rotation.
Bennett finished with 10 points and four assists, shooting 3-of-5 from the field and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. Davis added four points and six rebounds, while Fagan struggled offensively; she made her presence felt from the boards with a team-high nine rebounds.
“We’ve just been really talking to our team about making the right play, and playing to the best of our ability on both ends,” Gottlieb said.
USC maintained its momentum after halftime, outscoring the Cougars 28-12 in the third quarter. The Trojans continued to capitalize on turnovers and transition opportunities, extending their advantage to 86-35 entering the fourth.
Charleston struggled to establish a consistent offensive rhythm against the Trojans’ suffocating defense as they were held to 30.2% from the field and 20% from the three-point range.
Redshirt sophomore forward Isla Juffermans led the Cougars with 12 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while guards Anilys Rolon added 10 points and Janna Vogelaar contributed seven points and four assists.
The Trojans finished shooting 50.6% from the field and 38.6% from beyond the arc, collecting 52 rebounds and dishing out 23 assists. USC also forced 21 turnovers that converted into 28 points, holding the Cougars to just five points off turnovers.
The Trojans improve to 3-0 on the season, with all three victories having double-digit deficits and surpassing the 100-point mark.
“We have really good players who are incredibly athletic and skilled and play hard and want to play together,” Gotllieb said. “I’m not hunting 100-point games; I’m hunting the efficiency on here [stat sheet].”
The Trojans are on the road to face the South Carolina Gamecocks in the battle of “The Real SC” at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina, on Nov. 15th at 10:00 a.m. PST.
Edited by Brooke Lordino and Adriana Brady