The No. 3 USC women’s basketball team has spent the opening week looking every bit like a group with real national-title ambitions, and Tuesday night only sharpened that picture. The Trojans rolled past the College of Charleston 105-44 at the Galen Center, improved to 3-0, and kept a remarkable run going by topping 100 points for the third straight game.
The biggest reason USC keeps overwhelming opponents is the way its top three scorers are stacking games on top of games. Freshman guard Saniyah Hall, sophomore guard Jazzy Davidson and senior guard JuJu Watkins each cleared 20 points against Charleston, combining for 68. That kind of production gives the Women of Troy a ceiling that is hard to ignore.
USC wasted no time taking control. The Trojans opened with an 18-0 burst and were ahead 25-4 after the first quarter, with Davidson and Watkins doing much of the early damage. By halftime, the lead had ballooned to 58-23 after USC outscored Charleston 29-15 in the second quarter.
Hall, Davidson and Watkins were all in double figures by the break, and the scoring pace never really slowed. Hall took over for a stretch in the third quarter, scoring seven straight points before USC answered with another 9-0 run.
Hall and Davidson each finished with 24 points, while Watkins added 20 in only 22 minutes. Watkins also had six assists and four steals, and she sat out the fourth quarter as she continues working her way back into the rotation after missing last season with an ACL injury.
USC’s defense was just as punishing as its offense. The Trojans forced 21 turnovers and turned them into 28 points, while freshman forward Sitaya Fagan led the team with nine rebounds.
Now the schedule gets serious. USC heads to Columbia to face No. 1 South Carolina on Sunday, Nov. 15 in a matchup that brings together two teams with national championship aspirations.
There is history here, too. South Carolina won the last two meetings between the programs, including last season’s NCAA Tournament second-round game. This time, though, USC will have Watkins available.
Her return changes the equation. In three games, Watkins is averaging 26.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.5 steals, and she has quickly reminded everyone what the Trojans were missing while she was sidelined.
Still, USC’s supporting cast may be the real swing factor against the nation’s top-ranked team. Hall has already shown she can be a steady scoring threat, and Davidson gives the Trojans another versatile weapon on the perimeter.
South Carolina has been just as convincing to start the season, with dominant wins over ranked Maryland and North Carolina. Its 45-point win over the Tar Heels was its largest margin of victory against a Top 25 opponent, according to ESPN.
For USC, the challenge is clear: handle South Carolina’s physicality, battle on the glass and in the paint, and find enough offense against one of the country’s best defenses. The Trojans have looked like a contender so far, but Sunday will tell a lot more about where they stand against the best.
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