Jazzy Davidson, visibly emotional, used her warm-up jacket sleeve to wipe away tears during the postgame press conference. USC had just fallen to No. 13 Ohio State, 88-83, in a hard-fought battle.
“We’re all competitors and we all want to win,” Davidson shared with reporters. “It’s just a tough loss, but we’ll learn from it.”
Head coach Lindsay Gottlieb offered a comforting pat on Davidson’s leg, reflecting the team’s journey this season. The Trojans (17-10 overall, 9-7 Big Ten) have faced challenges head-on, learning and growing from each experience.
This final road trip has been no exception. With one away game left against Penn State (10-17, 3-13) on Wednesday, USC is wrapping up a rigorous Big Ten season, gearing up for the NCAA Tournament.
“This is Big Ten basketball,” Gottlieb remarked. “Facing a Top 10 team on the road in February is the perfect preparation for the basketball that lies ahead.”
Over 8,000 fans packed the Schottenstein Center in Columbus to witness the clash between the Buckeyes and the Trojans, who have averaged an impressive 4,477 fans per game this season. The atmosphere was electric, something Gottlieb believes will serve her team well in the future.
“Look at this crowd,” she noted. “It’s great for our team to experience this. We’re likely heading to the NCAA tournament, and we’re grateful for what these environments teach us.”
Davidson was a standout, scoring 32 points-a career-high that made her the first USC freshman to surpass 30 points in a game since JuJu Watkins did it against UCLA in 2024. This performance earned her a fourth consecutive Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor, though it didn’t fully erase the sting of USC’s sixth road loss this season.
The Trojans have a chance to rebound quickly with a game against Penn State on Wednesday, a perfect opportunity to reset before facing No. 2 UCLA on Sunday. This matchup also wraps up their final road trip of the season.
Penn State has had a roller-coaster season, winning three of their last four games but enduring an 11-game losing streak earlier. They boast two of the conference’s top scorers: 5-foot-8 guard Kiyomi McMiller (21.6 ppg) and 6-foot-6 center Gracie Merkle (19.3 ppg). Merkle is particularly dominant, leading the Big Ten in shooting percentage at 73.3% and averaging 8.3 rebounds per game.
For USC, Laura Williams has emerged as a key player in the paint, leading the Trojans in rebounds over the last four games. Her presence will be crucial against Merkle and the Nittany Lions.
Ball control will be another focus for USC, having turned the ball over 25 times against Ohio State, leading to 31 points for the Buckeyes.
“You can’t draw up a script to come to Ohio State and withstand that,” Gottlieb said. “We fought like heck to do so.”
USC (17-10 overall, 9-7 Big Ten) at PENN STATE (10-17, 3-13)
When: Wednesday, 3 p.m.
TV/Radio: Big Ten+/USCTrojans.com/Listen