**USC Women’s Basketball Suffers First Loss of the Season to South Carolina, 69-52**
LOS ANGELES, CA — The cold air wasn’t just outside Crypto.com Arena, site of the high-stakes matchup between the USC Trojans and the South Carolina Gamecocks; it was also felt on the court. The Women of Troy struggled with their shooting, cooling off significantly in field goal percentage as they fell to the Gamecocks 69-52, marking their first loss of the season.
From the outset, it was clear this clash between two top-10 women’s programs would be a fiercely contested battle. The Gamecocks set the tone early, led by senior guard Raven Johnson, who scored 8 points by the end of the first quarter. South Carolina held a commanding 18-8 lead at one point in the opening period. However, the Trojans began to find their rhythm toward the end of the quarter, closing the gap to just four points by quarter’s end.
The second quarter saw a dip in scoring from the Trojans, which didn’t help as South Carolina responded steadily. Kara Dunn led USC’s scoring with 7 points on 3-of-6 shooting during the quarter, eventually finishing the game with 10 points. Kennedy Smith was the team’s top scorer, contributing 12 points and 4 assists on the night.
“We want these types of games to teach us where we want to be and where we need to get to,” USC Women’s Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb said in her postgame remarks.
Once the second half commenced, the Gamecocks took control. South Carolina capitalized on fast-break opportunities while the Trojans couldn’t find their shot. USC finished the second half with a stark 29% field goal percentage (9-31) and went 0-for-8 from three-point range.
Joyce Edwards was a standout for South Carolina, notching a triple-double with 17 points on 4-of-11 shooting, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists. Meanwhile, Madina Okot dominated the boards, grabbing 15 rebounds and adding 6 points.
One particularly telling statistic was the Gamecocks’ dominance in rebounding, finishing with an impressive 56 team rebounds over USC.
The Women of Troy will have some time to regroup following the tough loss. Their next game is scheduled for next Tuesday against Portland at the Galen Center.
https://sports.yahoo.com/article/women-troy-suffer-first-loss-050445134.html
