USC Women's Basketball Falls 88-83 to No. 10 Ohio State

Sunday, February 22

Columbus, Ohio

11 a.m.

USC

17-10,9-7Big Ten

Ohio State

23-5,12-4Big Ten

Southern California

Ohio St.

Kennedy Smith brings the ball down the court

Photo by: Chris Mora

USC Women's Basketball Falls 88-83 to No. 10 Ohio State

February 22, 2026 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Freshman Jazzy Davidson posts career-high 32-points.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – USC women's basketball went toe-to-toe with No. 10 Ohio State for 40 minutes on Sunday afternoon, but a late Buckeye surge handed the Trojans an 88-83 setback at the Schottenstein Center.

The Trojans (17-10, 9-7) led after each of the first three quarters in a tightly contested match up that featured 14 lead changes and six ties, but Ohio State's 27-point fourth quarter and 53 second-half points ultimately proved to be the difference.

After Ohio State scored the game's first points, USC answered quickly. Freshman Jazzy Davidson knocked down a three-pointer to put the Trojans on the board, and sophomore Kennedy Smith followed with a triple of her own. Smith later converted a three-point play to trim the deficit to 15-14 before Davidson closed the opening quarter with her third three of the frame, finishing a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc as USC carried a 20-19 lead into the second.

USC continued to control the tempo in the second quarter. Dunn opened the scoring with a layup to move the Trojans back in front, and senior Londynn Jones knocked down a jumper at the 1:55 mark for USC's final field goal of the half. With eight seconds remaining before the break, Dunn calmly sank two free throws to give USC a 38-35 halftime advantage.

The Trojans came out of the locker room with poise. Smith scored USC's first bucket of the second half on a layup from Davidson and later drained a three-pointer to reclaim a 43-42 lead. She added another three-point play to stretch USC's advantage to 56-52 midway through the period. Davidson kept rolling, hitting a three with 1:59 left in the third off a feed from Malia Samuels to put USC up 61-57. She followed with a late layup as the Trojans took a 64-61 edge into the fourth after a 26-26 third quarter.

Ohio State used a decisive run early in the fourth to swing the momentum. The Buckeyes shot 70 percent in the final period and capitalized at the free-throw line, turning a three-point USC lead into a double-digit advantage midway through the quarter. Still, the Trojans continued to battle. Davidson opened the final frame at the stripe and later delivered key baskets down the stretch, while sophomore Dayana Mendes drilled a clutch three-pointer with three seconds remaining to cut the deficit to 86-83. Ohio State converted free throws in the closing seconds to secure the five-point win.

Davidson delivered a career night in the effort, pouring in a team- and career-high 32 points on 11-of-22 shooting, including 6-of-9 from three-point range. Davidson is the first USC freshman to score 30 points or more in a game since JuJu Watkins did so against the UCLA Bruins on March 8, 2024. The freshman of the year candidate also had six rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block.

Despite the loss, USC shot a season-best 53.7 percent from the field and outscored the Buckeyes 21-5 in bench points and held a 6-0 edge in blocks.

Up next, USC heads to Penn State for a Wednesday night contest at 6 p.m. PT.

NOTES:

USC shot a season best 53.7 percent from the field against Ohio State
Jazzy Davidson scored a team- and career-high 32 points (6-for-9 3PT, 4-for-6 FT), extending her double-figure streak to 24 games. She has posted 20+ points in five straight and 12 times this season. Her 32 points are the most by a Trojan this year and the first 30-point game for USC since Kiki Iriafen vs. the Mississippi State Bulldogs women's basketball (March 24, 2025). She is also the first USC freshman to score 30+ since JuJu Watkins vs. the UCLA Bruins women's basketball(March 8, 2024). Davidson added a career-high six made threes and matched her career best with 11 field goals.
Davidson also made a career-high six three-pointers
Dayana Mendes recorded a season-high 13 points and four field goals with a game-best +17 rating. She matched her career and season highs with three made threes, marking her first double-figure game of the season.
Kennedy Smith finished with 18 points (6-for-9 FG, 2-for-3 3PT, 4-for-4 FT), three rebounds, four assists and a game-high three blocks
Gerda Raulušaitytė made two field goals, her most since Dec. 27, 2025 vs. Washington
USC led in bench points (21-5), blocks (6-0) and three-pointers made (11-5)
Ohio State's 53 second-half points were the most USC has allowed in a half this season
The game featured 14 lead changes and six ties
USC is now 5-5 all-time against the Buckeyes