USC women’s basketball can’t seem to catch a break.

In the midst of a season plagued by losses to top-level teams — blowouts and heartbreakers alike — it looked like the Trojans (11-9, 3-6 Big Ten) were finally within reach of a resume-boosting win against No. 13 Michigan State (18-2, 7-2) on Thursday night. 

Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb’s squad had overcome a 22-8 first-quarter deficit to take the lead at halftime, and after allowing the Spartans to go up by 12 with five minutes left, a 10-point outburst in just 41 seconds seemed to give USC all the momentum it needed.

However, despite those furious comeback attempts, it wasn’t meant to be. The Trojans couldn’t quite close the gap in the final minutes of a wild, back-and-forth affair, falling 74-68 to the Spartans for their fifth loss in the past six games.

“We were not at our best in the first quarter, and your best is necessary on the road against a top 10-ish — whatever they’re ranked — team,” Gottlieb said in a postgame news conference. “Just couldn’t get over that hump.”

The defeat dropped USC to 0-5 against teams currently ranked in the top 20, with several such matchups still to go, including a road trip to No. 12 Ohio State (18-3, 7-2) and a rematch with No. 3 UCLA (18-1, 8-0). The Trojans have little room for error going forward if they want to keep their postseason dreams afloat.

Dunn’s run continues

For the fifth game in a row, senior guard Kara Dunn scored over 20 points, notching a game-high 23 on 10-of-18 shooting to go along with six rebounds. Dunn has emerged as USC’s main offensive weapon as of late, with freshman guard Jazzy Davidson struggling with efficiency and sophomore guard Kennedy Smith missing time due to a leg injury.

“We knew we were getting, with Kara, an established veteran player,” Gottlieb said. “She just worked, and now she’s really caught a rhythm.”

Dunn’s 3-point shooting ability — including three makes Thursday — is invaluable for a squad that has otherwise struggled to connect from deep; her 39% clip on the season is by far the highest among all Trojans, with no other starter shooting above 30%.

That issue remains a sore spot for Davidson, whose season mark sits at 26.8% after shooting 1-for-7 on 3s against the Spartans, but she has otherwise played like one of the best freshmen in the country. After a rough stretch of shooting in the two games leading up to Thursday, Davidson bounced back with an 8-for-16 performance against the Spartans, racking up 21 points, four rebounds and three assists.

Perhaps Davidson’s most impressive stat, however, was her five blocks — the third time she’s accomplished said feat this season. The freshman guard’s 2.6 blocks per game lead the Big Ten and rank eighth among all Division I players.

“She puts so much pressure on a defense,” Gottlieb said of Davidson. “She moves so well, shoots it well. … Her value in how she impacts the basketball game is really high.”

After taking just four shots in her first game back from injury, Smith returned to her role as one of Gottlieb’s primary shooters, making 7-of-13 attempts while grabbing six rebounds and a game-high four steals.

Error-prone defense proves fatal

Though Smith was able to generate four steals, they came at a price: She also committed a career-high seven turnovers, as well as five fouls, the last of which took her out of the game late in the fourth quarter.

Smith’s struggles weren’t isolated, either; in total, the Trojans gave the ball up 24 times — their most in a game this season — and committed 22 fouls, as opposed to 12 and 15, respectively, for Michigan State.

USC’s foul trouble was particularly decisive, resulting in the Spartans attempting three times as many free throws as the Trojans and making 12 more — more than enough to account for the 6-point difference in the final score.

“We made too many mistakes, turned the ball over too many times,” Gottlieb said. “[We] weren’t sharp enough.”

The Trojans can’t afford to stay dull for long; following the loss, ESPN’s Charlie Creme projected them as a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament, a number that has steadily dropped after reaching as high as No. 2 at the beginning of the season. 

USC continues to get the job done when faced with weaker competition, but Gottlieb and company have consistently come up short against ranked opponents. What seemed like an early statement win against then-No. 9 NC State (14-6, 7-2 ACC) lost its luster after the Wolfpack fell out of the top 25 altogether, and the Trojans are still looking for another victory that would carry the same weight.

After taking yet another ranked loss to No. 7 Michigan (17-3, 8-1 Big Ten) on Friday morning, the Trojans are set for a two-game homestand as they reach the halfway point of Big Ten play. USC will face off with No. 10 Iowa (18-2, 9-0) on Thursday at 6 p.m., before a bout with Rutgers (9-10, 1-7) on Sunday at 2 p.m.