Following an enthralling victory over No. 7 Ohio State Monday, No. 21 USC will host Florida Gulf Coast University Friday in its home-opener.

The Trojans’ (1-0) upset win over the Buckeyes (0-1) — a team that reached the Elite Eight last season — marked their first season-opening victory over a ranked opponent since 1990. 

Daily headlines, sent straight to your inbox.

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up with the latest at and around USC.

Thirty-three years ago, USC legend Lisa Leslie made her freshman debut and posted 30 points to carry the Trojans over No. 7 Texas. In the same vein, USC freshman guard JuJu Watkins put up 32 points, six rebounds and five assists to guide the Trojans over Ohio State. 

Although Watkins’ performance was crucial, she didn’t take Ohio State down alone. The physicality of 2022-23 All Pac-12 junior center Rayah Marshall was felt in all corners of the court. Marshall supported her team with 18 points, 17 rebounds and six steals.

“We really invested in an incredible performance coach, Kelly Dormandy, in the offseason,” said Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb in an interview with the Daily Trojan. “Physical fitness, strength and mentality are all huge X-factors in women’s basketball and I do think that’s a strength of ours right now.”

The Trojans showcased their ability to score when they ended the game 50.8% shooting as a collective. After a rebound by graduate forward Kaitlyn Davis, Watkins closed out the Trojans win with a layup in the paint. 

“One of the reasons why we shot a high percentage was [because] we handled their press really well … and we got high-percentage shots,” Gottlieb said. “Some of it was our ability to get to our spots and knock down shots.”

The FGCU (1-0) starting five may not have a household name like Watkins, but its new lineup and positionless style of basketball makes for compelling opposition. 

After winning the Atlantic Sun Conference championship last season, the Eagles witnessed the departure of nine transfers, including all five starters, who accounted for 77.5% of their shooting.

“Systematically … [Head Coach Karl Smesko] has been super successful with a five out,” Gottlieb said. “We know how they want to play, even if we don’t necessarily have as many clips on every single individual player that is new this year.”

Under Smesko, the Eagles have instilled a high-scoring culture. FGCU has led the nation in successful 3-pointers per game for the last four seasons and set the NCAA single-season record for triples with 431 in their 2017-18 season. Fittingly, each player on the Eagles’ roster is listed as the same position — shooter — and nothing else. 

“They have shooters across the board, which I think just speaks to their mentality,” Gottlieb said. “We have a defensive game plan that’s not just defending the 3-point line. [We] need to defend penetration so they don’t get wide open, kick out threes.”

On Monday, USC limited Ohio State to zero 3-pointers in the second half. 

In FGCU’s season-opener against Brown, the Eagles attempted 42 triples and converted on 16. Fifth-year shooter Uju Ezeudu led the Eagles’ 80-point onslaught with 24 points and 13 rebounds in fewer than 30 minutes on the court. Senior shooter Casey Santoro surprised the Bears with 15 points off the bench. 

The Eagles’ ability to get set in transition and score quickly could pose a challenge for the Trojans. USC struggled to limit turnovers against the Buckeyes as they allowed 20 TOs and forced 14. 

“Our main focus even before the game was to just take care of the ball,” redshirt sophomore guard Taylor Bigby said. “So, we’re still doing a lot of the same thing.”

FGCU is USC’s second opponent, but notching early wins over respected programs such as Ohio State and FGCU is essential to building the Trojans’ confidence and chemistry heading into the bulk of the 28-game regular season. 

“Even if [FGCU is] not the number seven team in the country, it’s giving them equal attention and focus,” graduate guard Kayla Padilla said. “It’s preparing like we still have a chip on our shoulder [and] still have something to prove. That’s the mindset: we’re going to take every single game.”

On their return from Vegas, the Trojans will welcome FGCU to Galen Center Friday at 7 p.m.