Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks made it look easy on Monday, defeating the No. 9 seed USC Trojans with a blowout 101-61 to advance to their 12th consecutive Sweet 16.
The Gamecocks controlled the game from the jump, ending the first quarter with a 26–8 lead. Freshman Joyce Edwards led the way with 23 points and 10 rebounds and left Lindsay Gottlieb’s squad with no real answers all night.
Entering the game, their main concern was USC freshman star Jazzy Davidson, but they held her to 16 points, well below the 31 she scored against the Clemson Tigers in the first round.
Senior Londynn Jones helped USC in scoring with 20 points off the bench, including a game-high five 3-pointers. But their overall effort wasn’t close to keeping pace against a Gamecocks attacking blueprint.
© Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Davidson was heartbroken following the loss, mostly because her partnership with Jones had officially ended. At the postgame press conference, a reporter asked what Jones’ last season meant to her after their one year together, as she got emotional when the 21-year-old was talking about coming to USC.
The freshman broke down again and said, “Oh my god, they mean everything to me. They’ve gotten me through some really hard times this season. And I’m just so grateful to have been teammates with them, even if it was only for one season. They’re just genuinely amazing people. And I have no doubt that they’re going to crush whatever they do next.”
Jazzy 💔💔💔 pic.twitter.com/dgo4d52K6k
— Vanessa 🫶🏾 (@Hereforwbb) March 24, 2026
Just to recap, Jones exhausted her eligibility after transferring to the Trojans from the UCLA Bruins for her graduate year, after playing there for three seasons.
Davidson, meanwhile, wraps up her freshman season having recorded 30 double-figure scoring performances with 18 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. The milestone it represented made her one of only six freshmen in women’s college basketball history to record at least 500 points, 150 rebounds, 100 assists, 50 steals, and 50 blocks.
With Jones graduating and JuJu Watkins returning from an ACL injury after missing the entire 2025–26 season, USC enters the offseason with Davidson as their core player.
In addition to this healthy duo, the Trojans are bringing in the No. 1 recruit in the 2026 class, Saniyah Hall, reinforcing their potential as a top contender next March.
Related: USC Announces Jazzy Davidson Update Ahead of NCAA Tournament
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Basketball section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
