On Monday, March 23, coach Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks beat Lindsay Gottlieb’s USC Trojans 101-61 in the second round of the 2026 Big Dance on the former’s home court, the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina.
South Carolina vs USC Box Score
South Carolina
| Player | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF |
| J. Edwards | 23 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| M. Okot | 15 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| T. Johnson | 10 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| T. Latson | 12 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
| R. Johnson | 7 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| A. Tournebize | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| M. Dauda | 10 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| A. Makeer | 15 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| A. McDowell | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| M. McDaniel | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
USC
| Player | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF |
| L. Williams | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| J. Davidson | 16 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| K. Smith | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| M. Samuels | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| K. Dunn | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| G. Raulusaityte | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| D. Mendes | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| V. Iwuchukwu | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Y. Milton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| B. Shamblin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| R. Forestier | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| L. Jones | 29 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
South Carolina vs USC Game Summary
With them playing a mighty opponent without their best player, JuJu Watkins, coach Lindsay Gottlieb and her team knew they had a chance if they started the game strongly. Unfortunately, the exact opposite happened, as the South Carolina Gamecocks popped off for a 13-0 run to open the first quarter. The Trojans’ first score of the game came at the 4:13 mark, as South Carolina stayed ahead for a 26-8 advantage after one period.
Facing a sizeable deficit against a formidable foe in coach Dawn Staley‘s squad, the Trojans opened the second period with a couple of baskets to slowly catch up to the Gamecocks’ lead. But South Carolina continued to put pressure on USC with their own charge. Defense and transition buckets became the story down the stretch of the frame, with Staley and team extending their lead at halftime to 51-21, despite USC’s adjustments.
Heading into the third period, coach Gottlieb was hoping for some sort of resiliency from her squad as they tried to keep the game competitive. However, Gamecocks veteran Raven Johnson and her teammates had an answer for every USC bucket that was made. From here, the Gamecocks kept their intensity up, as the Trojans scrambled for another adjustment. To close the third period, Staley and team led by 40 points, 78-38.
The fourth and final quarter of the game had more of the same moments throughout, with South Carolina finding an answer every time USC scored. It seems the Trojans desperately need Watkins back, as Jazzy Davidson and company struggled mightily against the Gamecocks. With this, South Carolina moves on to the Sweet 16 with a dominant 101-61 triumph.
Read More: Did Jazzy Davidson Pick USC Over South Carolina? All We Know About 5-Star Recruit’s Dawn Staley Ties
Also Read: Did Dawn Staley Suffer Body Shaming? Gamecocks Boss Opens Up on Struggles With Current Star in Spotlight
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