No. 2 South Carolina proved why they call themselves the Real SC, overpowering No. 8 Southern Cal with a dominant second half in a 69–52 win. After a messy, defensive first half, the Gamecocks flipped the game in the third quarter and never looked back.
Southern Cal relies heavily on a four-guard lineup, and its post players offer little scoring or rebounding threat. South Carolina didn’t fully exploit the mismatch early, but everything changed after halftime. The Gamecocks crushed the Trojans on the boards in the third quarter, winning the rebound battle 18–6 and grabbing 10 offensive boards. Those extra possessions turned into four second-chance points and eight fast-break points, stretching a slim two-point halftime edge into a 10-point cushion.
Once South Carolina built that lead, its defense slammed the door. Just one game removed from holding Clemson to 0-for-17 shooting and only two fourth-quarter points, the Gamecocks shut down Southern Cal with another suffocating finish. The Trojans mustered only seven points on 3-for-14 shooting in the final period.
Southern Cal’s top scorers, Londynn Jones and Jazzy Davidson, came in averaging 17.5 points each. South Carolina locked them down, limiting the pair to a combined 12 points on 6-for-21 shooting with no made threes.
Joyce Edwards powered South Carolina’s offense with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
The Gamecocks opened strong, jumping to an 18–8 lead in the first quarter. But foul trouble complicated the rhythm. Ta’Niya Latson picked up two early fouls, forcing Dawn Staley to turn to her bench sooner than expected. Later, when Edwards needed rest, the offense hit another lull.
Southern Cal didn’t capitalize much, though they had their own foul issues. Freshman standout Jazzy Davidson collected two fouls in the opening three minutes and spent long stretches on the bench. She returned but never settled into her usual workload.
With Davidson limited, the Trojans managed to trim the gap and briefly pulled ahead 28–27. But they couldn’t sustain the push, and South Carolina seized full control after halftime to close out another complete performance.
