The Nebraska Cornhuskers entered Pinnacle Bank Arena with a perfect 12–0 record to face the USC Trojans. They had been one of the best offensive teams in the country, ranking 10th nationally. But, against the USC Trojans coming off a 9-3 record, nothing really worked! 

As usual, the Cornhuskers entered explosively and set the tone early. They attacked the rim. They capitalized at the free-throw line. These efforts resulted in eight of their first 20 points coming from FT. Meanwhile, the Trojans struggled, shooting just 5-of-15 from the field and trailing 20–12 after one.

And that’s exactly where the momentum began to shift. USC tightened its defense and found success inside in the second quarter. They were led by Jazzy Davidson, who opened the period with a basket, sparked a 6-0 run. That was enough to tie the game at 22-22.

Then, with a pull-up jumper from Dayana Mendes, USC was in the lead for the first time in the quarter. After that, they never looked back.

They outscored Nebraska 24–18 in the second quarter and went into halftime trailing by just two, 38–36. Even in the second half, they kept firing back. As Londynn Jones drilled three straight three-pointers, USC was now at 47–38, and by the third quarter, they were at 29–14. 

But, despite losing, Nebraska didn’t go quietly. The Cornhuskers made a final push in the fourth quarter. But, despite trimming the deficit to six, they were shut down by USC's defence and timely execution.

Smith scored six points down the stretch. Dunn added a jumper with 2:22 remaining and a free throw in the final minutes. Then Samuels went 2-for-2 at the line. Helping the three were the Trojans' defense, as it held the opponent scoreless until the team scored an eight-point victory.

Now the Lady Trojans improved to 10–3 overall while snapping Nebraska’s 12-game winning streak. So yes, it was a statement road win. But did it come easy? 

What Lindsay Gottlieb Said About USC’s Road Win?

USC knew exactly what kind of challenge awaited them. Nebraska had scored at least 80 points in each of its first 12 games. Sophomore Britt Prince had been one of the Big Ten’s best players, averaging 18.6 points per game while shooting 48.6% from three. So, analyzing their opponents, head coach Gottlieb understood the risk. And then she adjusted accordingly.

“So we tried to pressure the point of attack,” Gottlieb said in the postgame press conference. “We tried to make sure Britt [Prince] couldn’t just pick us apart seamlessly. She still ended up with 18 points and seven assists, so obviously she’s elite, but we tried to make it difficult.”

And the Trojans did exactly what was required. They made tough catches. They limited easy transition opportunities. They held Nebraska scoreless from the field over the final 2:42.

They even won the battle in the paint, 44–28. They outscored Nebraska in points off turnovers, 27–18, and second-chance points, 19–13. And all this was enough to slow down their opponents. Now Trojans turn their attention to No. 4 UCLA. 

Written by

Yashika Dutta

Edited by

Joyita Das