USC women, held scoreless for almost a full quarter, rally to win Big Ten opener

Jazzy Davidson glanced at the basket with less than two minutes left in USC’s Big Ten opener and considered her options. Nothing had fallen from three-point range for the Trojans. It took 25 minutes Sunday just to see one three-pointer drop, and the Trojans had made only two.

But the mere threat of the freshman pulling up from range, even on a night defined by defensive struggle, was enough to give Davidson the space she needed. She raced past her defender and toward the basket, lifting for a finger roll that propelled USC past Washington in a 59-50 victory.

It was coach Lindsay Gottlieb's 100th win with the Trojans.

No. 16 USC (7-2 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) and No. 21 Washington (8-1, 0-1) had battled, neither team managing to mount a double-digit lead. The Trojans seized the lead in the third quarter, but every effort to pull away was squashed by the Huskies.

A late flurry from a familiar face in former Trojans guard Avery Howell, who scored 11 points after halftime, kept Washington within striking distance until the final minutes.

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But USC refused to back down. With less than five minutes left, Londynn Jones forced a turnover, dove for a loose ball and started a fast break that was finished by Kara Dunn. Kennedy Smith hit a turnaround jumper in the paint on the next trip down. And then with less than two minutes left, Davidson took off through the lane, extending the lead to five.

It was a furious end to what had otherwise been an ugly night offensively. USC finished 23 for 60 from the field after starting two for 17. The Trojans never quite found their stride from deep either, hitting just two of 17 threes.

Davidson led the way with 22 points, while Smith was the only other Trojan in double figures with 13.

Nothing fell for USC early on, setting the tone for a tough defensive battle. For the first 8:31, the Trojans were held scoreless. They missed their first 11 shots. Davidson missed her first five.

But as its offense struggled early, USC’s stifling defense did its part to muddy up the game. After one quarter, neither team was shooting better than 16%. They combined to score just 12 points in the first 10 minutes.

USC finally shook off the slow start in the second, as Davidson and Smith found their stride, shooting five for six in the quarter. The Trojans climbed back accordingly and tied the score just before halftime.

They flew out into the lead a few minutes after that, never quite letting Washington catch up.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.