Dawn Staley’s Take on Facing the No. 3 Southern Cal on Sunday in Greenville; Trojans Delayed by FAA Ground Stop
Two undefeated teams ranked in the AP Top 5 meet Sunday at 1 p.m. at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C. The game is the second leg of the “Real SC” series. Southern Cal’s cross-country trip was delayed by a rare nationwide ground stop ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration on Friday. That evening, the Trojans’ official women’s basketball X account said the team was still in Los Angeles.
“We will remain in Los Angeles tonight and are set to depart for Greenville (Saturday),” the Trojans team reported via social media.
How to Watch
- Matchup: No. 1 South Carolina (3-0) vs. No. 3 Southern Cal (3-0)
- Date and time: Sunday, Nov. 15, 1 p.m.
- Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, S.C.
- TV: ABC
- Streaming: ESPN app or ESPN.com
- Broadcast crew: Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo, Holly Rowe and Dee Kantner
- Local radio: 107.5 FM (Brad Muller)
- Satellite radio: SiriusXM Channel 84
Series History
South Carolina leads the all-time series 5-0 and has won by an average of 19.2 points. The “Real SC” series is a two-game, neutral-site set that began last season. The Gamecocks won that opener at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. They also eliminated the Trojans from the NCAA Tournament in the second round last season. That means South Carolina currently holds the bragging rights to the “USC” name in women’s basketball.
Staley on Southern Cal
Coach Dawn Staley’s scouting report was short. “They’re good,” Staley told reporters Friday. “They got a lot of offensive firepower. They’re complementary players, play their role to a T. They’re big and athletic, and fast and like playing transition.”
The Trojans are tougher this year with JuJu Watkins back and freshman Saniyah Hall added to the lineup.
“We have to impose our will of being able to defend, and being able to disrupt, and cut down the amount of easy looks that they get, especially in transition,” Staley said. “In the half court we gotta make sure that we just make it just difficult. If they want to catch it in this spot, we got to make them catch it outside of that spot. Little details like that will help our half court defense.”
Trojans Motivated by Last Year’s Loss
South Carolina won last year’s NCAA Tournament second-round game 101-61. Southern Cal played without Watkins and got 20 points off the bench from Londynn Jones. Five Gamecocks scored in double figures, and Joyce Edwards and Madina Okot each had a double-double. Jazzy Davidson scored 16 points for the Trojans.
Davidson told ESPN’s Malika Andrews this week that the game has been circled on the calendar since that loss.
“I think this game especially is super easy to get up for,” Davidson said. “They knocked us out of the tournament last season, so that stings a little bit. I think, honestly, ever since we lost that game, we’ve all been ready to play this game. So we’re super excited. They’re a great team. They’re really well-coached. They have great players, and we’re just excited to go out and compete.”
“I think it’s been a huge motivator for all of us, and just having something like that in the back of our minds will definitely help us throughout this season,” Davidson said.
Players to Watch
- South Carolina forward Joyce Edwards: The junior had a double-double in both games against Southern Cal last season, averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds. Her scoring has dipped slightly as teammates have returned, but she is averaging 15.3 points and six rebounds.
- South Carolina guard Jordan Lee: Her defense will matter against Southern Cal’s deep group of guards and wings. Staley said in the preseason that Lee’s defense would help replace some of Raven Johnson’s production. Lee has five steals and two blocks, and is averaging 9.3 points and 3.3 rebounds.
- Southern Cal guard JuJu Watkins: The junior is arguably the best player in women’s college basketball. She is a multi-time All-American, won the 2024 Naismith Trophy and averages 25 points for her career. She is putting up 24.3 points per game after missing last season with a torn ACL.
- Southern Cal guard Jazzy Davidson: The former No. 1 overall recruit was Freshman of the Year from the USBWA, WBCA, The Athletic and the Big Ten. She led the Trojans last season with 17.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, two steals and two blocks per game. She is averaging 19.7 points through three games this season.
Source: thestate.com
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