USC loses heartbreaking weekend games

After cracking the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2016, USC faced off against Stanford and UC Berkeley in physical affairs that saw both opponents narrowly escape with 3-point victories over the Trojans. The Cardinal’s staunch defense proved the winning formula on Friday in their 50-47 victory, while the Golden Bears’ late-game heroics in overtime helped them edge out the Trojans 81-78. 

The No. 3-ranked Cardinal were 14-point favorites coming into Friday’s matchup. This was partly due to a torso injury suffered by star sophomore forward Rayah Marshall in USC’s previous game against Oregon State, which forced her to sit out. This clearly impacted the offensive prowess of the Trojans, who shot just 22% from the field. 

The inability to score the ball can also be attributed to USC’s difficulties scoring in the paint. The Trojans only had one bucket come from down low, which forced them to settle for difficult jump shots. 

When asked about their struggles scoring inside, Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb had a straightforward answer. 

“They’re gigantic,” Gottlieb said. “They were clearly trying to take away the paint in numerous ways.” 

Stanford junior forward Cameron Brink showcased why she is ranked second in the country in blocks, racking up 6 for the Cardinal. 

“Any chance I got, I tried to attack and, you know, [Brink] was there,” said graduate guard Destiny Littleton. “She’s huge and she’s a really good defender.” 

The pesky Trojans’ defense, combined with some clutch offensive rebounds late in the fourth, was able to cut Stanford’s lead to 3 points with 1:40 remaining in the fourth quarter. A last-ditch inbounds play with 2.7 seconds remaining for the Trojans saw Littleton launch a desperation 3-point shot, which fell short of its mark and sealed the loss for USC.  

“We were trying to get the ball out… but it just wasn’t there. So, you know, at the end of day, you just got to get a shot up,” Littleton said. “We didn’t want to get a clock violation or a turnover and just try to get a shot up.”

Although USC did not pull off the upset, Gottlieb was happy with how her team played. 

“I’m really proud of the way this team fights. I think it’s become part of our identity. It wasn’t pretty,” Gottlieb said. “We obviously want to make more shots, but we keep ourselves in games because of the character and who we are.”

USC followed up their loss with a trip north to play the California Golden Bears on Sunday. This game was extra special for Head Coach Gottlieb, who led Cal to their first Final Four appearance in school history a decade prior. 

This game also saw Marshall return to the starting lineup after missing Friday’s matchup against Stanford. She provided a strong contribution of 14 points and 9 rebounds. 

“It feels great to play with Rayah,” said graduate forward Kadi Sissoko. “We missed her a lot against Stanford, so it’s always a good thing to have all of our players back.”

The offense was on full display in the first quarter, with both teams shooting above 60% from the field, leading to a stalemate of 24-24 heading into the second quarter. 

The second quarter featured an offensive duel between Sissoko and Cal sophomore guard Jayda Curry. Sissoko racked up 14 points in the first half and Curry 12, with both teams tied up once more at 36 to end the first half. 

Sissoko had a hot hand all game and carried the offensive load for the Trojans in the second half, ending with a season-high 30 points. 

“I think defensively, they gave me the space to play my game,” Sissoko said. “My teammates were reading the plays perfectly and just trying to find me on offense.”

The teams were going back-and-forth, leading to an extra period of basketball. Overtime proved to be too much for the Trojans, who scored only 5 points in the 5 minutes of play. A last-second three by Littleton clanked off the rim, giving the Golden Bears a three-point win.

“I think it was really a tale of two different games,” Gottlieb said. “The first one was we couldn’t score in Stanford and this one is we couldn’t get enough stops. So I think it’s just understanding that at this time of year, a lot of games are possession games.” 

The Trojans will hit the court next Thursday against Washington at 8 p.m. at Galen Center.