Usc Views Its Comeback Win Over Clemson As A Key, Culture-building Moment

COLUMBIA, S.C. — When you look astatine nan USC Trojans, 1 mightiness deliberation they’re mounting nan array for adjacent year.

Buying clip until JuJu Watkins returns. Keeping nan vessel afloat until nan talented recruiting people that includes Saniyah Hall makes its measurement to campus.

But nan Trojans showed Saturday that’s not nan case. They’re making a sheet and eating now.

The No. 9 seed Trojans gutted retired a 71-67 overtime triumph complete No. 8 seed Clemson successful what USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb described arsenic “a civilization win.”

That crippled featured galore tests for a young squad successful March and nan Trojans responded good to nan challenges. They are advancing connected nan backmost of freshman Jazzy Davidson’s 31 points and elder Kara Dunn’s 22.

Davidson, who appeared to beryllium connected nan verge of tears arsenic nan referees reviewed nan last play of regularisation to find whether she had committed a foul that would person group Clemson up for game-winning free throws, said connected Sunday there’s a modular that this year’s Trojans consciousness they are responsible for meeting.

“I deliberation our expectations, you cognize cipher wanted to suffer JuJu, we each emotion her, but we person to support going arsenic you said and conscionable holding that aforesaid anticipation that they had past season. Just nan programme standard,” Davidson said. “And conscionable resiliency and making judge that we’re doing our champion each game.”

Dunn said nan platform has been stacked against nan Trojans each play and it’s forced them to turn stronger arsenic a unit.

USC defender Kara Dunn drives to nan handbasket successful beforehand of Clemson defender Taylor Johnson-Matthews during nan first information of nan NCAA tourney connected Saturday successful Columbia, S.C.

(Nell Redmond / Associated Press)

“I deliberation this twelvemonth has conscionable been astir focusing connected going against each odds,” Dunn said. “A batch of group didn’t expect overmuch from this squad and they mightiness person turned distant astatine definite times erstwhile we had little moments this play and I deliberation that it built our ain civilization for this play specifically. I consciousness for illustration we had to travel together, we had to support each different erstwhile it didn’t consciousness for illustration we had overmuch support and I deliberation that that’s been really important.”

She added that moving done nan play pinch conscionable nan support of each different and their die-hard fans useful successful their favour arsenic they hole to return connected powerhouse South Carolina connected nan Gamecocks’ formidable location floor.

“We person everything to gain, thing to suffer going into this game, truthful I consciousness for illustration this has really helped us,” Dunn said.

The NCAA tourney crippled against nan No. 1 seed connected nan Trojans’ broadside of nan bracket will beryllium a rematch of nan unofficial “Battle of nan Real USC” successful November. The Gamecocks claimed a 69-52 win during that meeting.

USC defender Jazzy Davidson drives nether unit from Clemson defender Rachael Rose Saturday successful Columbia, S.C.

(Nell Redmond / Associated Press)

Gottlieb said Sunday she scheduled that crippled to hole her squad for moments for illustration Monday’s reliable matchup.

“Maybe if we hadn’t played Notre Dame, UConn and South Carolina, possibly our grounds would beryllium a small amended coming in, but it doesn’t make you a amended program,” she said. “Our goals stay nan same; which is to triumph a nationalist championship. So if you’re skipping those group successful nonconference hoping to manipulate it, it doesn’t activity that way. You person to spot nan best. You person to elevate your programme to beryllium nan best, past ultimately, you person to hit nan champion to get to wherever you want to be.”

South Carolina is trying to avenge past season’s title nonaccomplishment to UConn and unafraid its 4th nationalist title successful programme history and nan 3rd successful 5 years. USC, meanwhile, is trying to lucifer nan Cheryl Miller era erstwhile she led nan Trojans to back-to-back nationalist titles successful 1983 and 1984.

Trojan civilization will beryllium tested much than ever, but Dunn feels bully astir wherever nan squad is heading.

“Obviously that was nan opening of nan season, now it’s towards nan extremity and we’re 2 very different teams,” she said of nan erstwhile nonaccomplishment to South Carolina. “We’ve grown successful a batch of ways, but we’re utilizing that scout conscionable to spot what we did good and what we could’ve done better. We conscionable want to make judge that we power those things first and past adjust.”

Davidson will person nan chance to play successful different bequest defining crippled during her 2nd NCAA tourney appearance.

“I consciousness for illustration I person nerves a small spot earlier each game, [Monday] particularly because it’s a large game,” she said. “My teammates are ever conscionable making judge I’m calm and successful nan moment. The assurance that they instill successful maine each time really helps.”