The clash between USC and South Carolina to be “The Real SC” is a long, storied battle that will persist for generations to come; for today, however, the Gamecocks have claimed the title.

No. 8 USC women’s basketball (2-1) fell to No. 2 South Carolina (4-0) 69-52 at the inaugural “Real SC” matchup at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday night, sealing the debate until the teams meet for the second round of the event next year in South Carolina.

The Trojans managed to keep the game close early on, going into halftime with a mere 2-point deficit, but the Gamecocks opened the second half on a 10-2 run to quickly gain a healthy lead — one they would maintain for the rest of the night.

After being called for two fouls early in the first quarter, freshman guard Jazzy Davidson spent most of the first half on the bench, picking up just 2 points on a second-quarter layup; while she stayed out of foul trouble in the second half, she finished the game with just 8 points on 36% shooting, a far cry from her 21-point performance against No. 10 NC State (2-1) to lead USC to a come-from-behind victory on Sunday.

Sophomore guard Kennedy Smith racked up 12 points and four assists, leading the Trojans in both categories, to continue an impressive start to her second collegiate season. Right behind her in scoring was senior guard Kara Dunn, who recorded 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting.

Senior guard Londynn Jones was a force off the bench in USC’s first two games, combining for 35 points across both, but she could only muster 4 points on nine shots against South Carolina’s dominant defense.

While junior guard Malia Samuels only notched 6 points on the night, she certainly made them count, scoring a layup in the second quarter to give the Trojans their only lead of the night and ending the half with a buzzer-beating jumper to cut the lead to 2.

After being heavily out-rebounded by NC State last week, USC once again struggled on the glass, recording just 32 to South Carolina’s 56. Offensive rebounds in particular were a serious issue, as the Gamecocks showed off their physicality with 21 second-chance boards to the Trojans’ 10.

Among a powerhouse roster from top to bottom, South Carolina sophomore forward Joyce Edwards stood out as a constant threat on both ends, notching a double-double with a game-high 17 points and 10 rebounds. In total, four different Gamecocks scored double-digit points, combining for more points than the Trojans’ entire roster.

USC’s shooting woes continued as well, as the team hit just 33% of its total shots and a brutal 1-for-14 on 3-point attempts after entering the night with the lowest field goal percentage in the Big Ten.

Next up, the Trojans will be back at Galen Center as they take on the University of Portland (2-1) on Tuesday at 7 p.m.