University Southern California Trojans
Sunday, November 15
Greenville, S.C.
10:00 AM
USC
3-1,0-0Big Ten
85
vs
89
South Carolina
4-0,0-0SEC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern California | 23 | 22 | 19 | 21 | 85 |
| South Carolina | 24 | 25 | 21 | 19 | 89 |
Photo by: Katie Chin
November 15, 2026 | Women's Basketball
Four Trojans score in double figures as USC rallies from down 12 to challenge the top-ranked Gamecocks.
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Senior JuJu Watkins scored 25 points to lead four Trojans in double figures as the No. 3 USC women's basketball team mounted a late comeback before falling to No. 1 South Carolina, 89-85, on Sunday, Nov. 15 at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
The Women of Troy erased all but two points of a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit, using a 13-3 surge to pull within 87-85 on Watkins' jumper with 46 seconds remaining. USC forced another turnover to earn a chance to tie, but Watkins' layup with 15 seconds left would not fall. South Carolina secured the result with two free throws as the Trojans moved to 3-1 on the season.
Freshman Saniyah Hall finished just shy of a double-double with 17 points and a career-high nine rebounds, adding four assists, two steals and a block. Junior Kennedy Smith delivered season highs of 15 points, five rebounds and five assists without committing a turnover, while sophomore Jazzy Davidson contributed 14 points behind a season-best four three's.
Watkins added two steals and a season-high two blocks. Redshirt sophomore Laura Williams also blocked two shots, both in the fourth quarter, and collected a season-high five rebounds, including four on the offensive glass.
Smith set the tone early, opening the scoring with a layup off a Hall assist before connecting on both of her first-quarter three-point attempts. She went 3-for-3 from the field for eight points in the opening period as USC built a lead of as many as eight. South Carolina edged ahead late, but Sara Okeke's putback in the closing second brought the Trojans within one at the end of the first (24-23).
Smith continued her strong first half with seven second-quarter points, taking 15 points into the break on 6-for-8 shooting. USC generated an 8-2 advantage in second-chance points through the first two quarters and remained within four, 49-45, at halftime.
Hall opened the second half with a layup to cut the margin to two. Davidson supplied eight points in the third quarter, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers and both of her free throws. After South Carolina stretched its lead to 10, USC answered with seven points over the final two minutes, including a Hall jumper with 18 seconds left, to enter the fourth trailing 70-64.
The Trojans closed within two early in the final period before a South Carolina run pushed the deficit to 84-72 with 3:57 remaining. Watkins sparked USC's response with a three-pointer, then added a layup as the Trojans began chipping away. Three free throws from Hall and Davidson's fourth triple brought USC within four before Watkins' jumper made it a one-possession game in the final minute.
Davidson's steal with 18 seconds remaining gave USC possession and a chance to tie, but Watkins' layup with 15 seconds left would not fall. South Carolina's Tessa Johnson made two free throws with 13 seconds remaining to push the margin to four, and Hall's final three-point attempt missed as the Trojans' comeback bid ended, 89-85.
USC next faces Baylor in the Hollywood Hardwood Classic on Friday, Nov. 20, at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. PT, with the game airing on Big Ten Network.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
The Women of Troy erased all but two points of a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit, using a 13-3 surge to pull within 87-85 on Watkins' jumper with 46 seconds remaining. USC forced another turnover to earn a chance to tie, but Watkins' layup with 15 seconds left would not fall. South Carolina secured the result with two free throws as the Trojans moved to 3-1 on the season.
Freshman Saniyah Hall finished just shy of a double-double with 17 points and a career-high nine rebounds, adding four assists, two steals and a block. Junior Kennedy Smith delivered season highs of 15 points, five rebounds and five assists without committing a turnover, while sophomore Jazzy Davidson contributed 14 points behind a season-best four three's.
Watkins added two steals and a season-high two blocks. Redshirt sophomore Laura Williams also blocked two shots, both in the fourth quarter, and collected a season-high five rebounds, including four on the offensive glass.
Smith set the tone early, opening the scoring with a layup off a Hall assist before connecting on both of her first-quarter three-point attempts. She went 3-for-3 from the field for eight points in the opening period as USC built a lead of as many as eight. South Carolina edged ahead late, but Sara Okeke's putback in the closing second brought the Trojans within one at the end of the first (24-23).
Smith continued her strong first half with seven second-quarter points, taking 15 points into the break on 6-for-8 shooting. USC generated an 8-2 advantage in second-chance points through the first two quarters and remained within four, 49-45, at halftime.
Hall opened the second half with a layup to cut the margin to two. Davidson supplied eight points in the third quarter, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers and both of her free throws. After South Carolina stretched its lead to 10, USC answered with seven points over the final two minutes, including a Hall jumper with 18 seconds left, to enter the fourth trailing 70-64.
The Trojans closed within two early in the final period before a South Carolina run pushed the deficit to 84-72 with 3:57 remaining. Watkins sparked USC's response with a three-pointer, then added a layup as the Trojans began chipping away. Three free throws from Hall and Davidson's fourth triple brought USC within four before Watkins' jumper made it a one-possession game in the final minute.
Davidson's steal with 18 seconds remaining gave USC possession and a chance to tie, but Watkins' layup with 15 seconds left would not fall. South Carolina's Tessa Johnson made two free throws with 13 seconds remaining to push the margin to four, and Hall's final three-point attempt missed as the Trojans' comeback bid ended, 89-85.
USC next faces Baylor in the Hollywood Hardwood Classic on Friday, Nov. 20, at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. PT, with the game airing on Big Ten Network.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Four Trojans scored in double figures: SR JuJu Watkins (25), FR Saniyah Hall (17), JR Kennedy Smith (15) & SO Jazzy Davidson (14)
- In the opening quarter, USC scored 23 points, the most South Carolina allowed by an opponent in a first quarter this season
- Watkins scored a team-high 25 points alongside a season and game-high-tying two blocks, two steals and two rebounds
- In addition to her 17 points and career and team-high nine rebounds, Hall tallied a career-high four assists, two steals and one block. The guard's seven made free throws were also a career best
- Smith recorded a season-high 15 points (6-for-10 FG, 3-for-6 3PT), season-high five rebounds and a game-high-tying five assists
- Davidson contributed 14 points, including a game-high four made three-pointers. She also had three rebounds, three assists and two steals
- USC led South Carolina in points off turnovers (21-16), second chance points (14-10) and blocks (5-2)
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
F/C
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballTeam Stats
USC
SC
FG%
.420
.554
3FG%
.296
.500
FT%
.679
.815
RB
34
36
TO
16
20
STL
7
11
Game Leaders
Pts
25
FGM
8
3FGM
1
FTM
8
Pts
17
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
7
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
14
FGM
4
3FGM
4
FTM
2
Thursday, November 12
Thursday, November 12
Tuesday, November 10
Tuesday, November 10
