The “Real SC” is still South Carolina.
The No. 1 Gamecocks held off the resurgent No. 3 Southern Cal Trojans, 89-85, in the second installment of “The Real SC” series between schools with the same acronym on opposite coasts. The game was played at Bons Secours Wellness Arena in Greensville, South Carolina, as the Gamecocks’ home game. South Carolina won 69-52 last year in Los Angeles and ousted USC 101-61 in the second round of the NCAA tournament. They are 6-0 all-time in the series.
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“Now you guys can stop saying who the real SC is, because we are,” Gamecocks fifth-year forward Chloe Kitts said to finish off her post-game press conference.
The third matchup within a calendar year was closer than either of the other two with the return of former National Player of the Year JuJu Watkins for the Trojans. She nearly tied the game in the final seconds, bouncing back with a strong fourth quarter that led USC’s comeback. But Jordan Lee, a reserve transfer from two-time Final Four participant Texas, recovered from turning the ball over at halfcourt to block the shot, showcasing how the Gamecocks have a roster of riches poised to make a seventh consecutive Final Four.
There is nothing set for future regular-season matchups between the two programs, though Sunday’s early season thriller — complete with a special one-off court design — highlighted how spicy it can become with more years behind it.
The Gamecocks may meet the “other” USC there in what would be the Trojans’ first Final Four berth since 1986. Here’s more from the early matchup of Associated Press top-five teams.
Jordan Lee of South Carolina blocks a shot from Juju Watkins of USC in the second half during their game at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Nov. 15, 2026, in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
(Jacob Kupferman via Getty Images)
South Carolina’s game plan wins out
South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley wasn’t concerned about Trojans junior guard Kennedy Smith hitting her groove in the first half with a team-high 15 points on eight shot attempts. That was the game plan. Sophomore Jazzy Davidson and freshman Saniyah Hall are the most talented teammates Watkins has had at USC, and against most teams relying on the 3 will lead to wins.
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Three-time champion Staley and an experienced, deep, defensively stout roster absorbed the Trojans’ initial punch, but didn’t break further while keeping the trio of No. 1-ranked recruits at bay in a 49-45 first half. This is a group that has regularly faced such top talent and walked out victorious. It wasn’t shocked.
Watkins eventually found her way to the basket with a strong 11-point fourth quarter that matched her first-half total. She finished with 25 points, but shot 8 of 20 and turned it over five times. Davidson, the 2025 top recruit, had 14 points on a similarly rough shooting line (4 of 14, including 4 of 10 from 3-point range). And Hall finished with 17 points, all but 6 she scored in the second half, and shot 5 of 14. Smith didn’t score in the second half and attempted only two field goals.
Late coaching decision is key
The Trojans’ late offensive push wasn’t enough, and even when they thought they were in position to tie or go ahead, Staley pulled out the rug.
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Southern Cal coach Lindsay Gottlieb called a timeout after Lee’s block with 14 seconds on the clock under the belief the Trojans would have the ball back because it was off Lee. It gave time for Staley, who praised Lee’s “spectacular” play, and her coaching staff to quickly review the play and appeal the call.
Video showed the ball going out of bounds off Watkins, which gave South Carolina the ball with a two-point lead. It successfully inbounded, the Trojans were forced to foul Tessa Johnson, and she hit both free throws. Hall missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds.
The “true MVP,” Staley said, was video coordinator Hudson Jacob’s wife, Rita. She is recovering from surgery, Staley said, and let Jacob drive up to the game.
“He really made the call,” Staley said. “It was truly the play of the game. The play of the game. If they would have got the shot up, I’m thinking seeing the 3 go in and then we lose the lead. So shoutout to Rita and Hudson for making a big play for us.”
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Gottlieb said afterward it wasn’t conclusive enough to overrule the call on the floor and questioned how South Carolina could initiate a review, but the Trojans still lost a timeout.
‘Tournament Tessa’ Johnson in November
It took a while for Johnson to embrace the “Tournament Tessa” moniker bestowed during the 2024 championship run. She didn’t like that she wasn’t consistent during the regular season, becoming that version of herself only once the calendar flipped.
The small sample size of the 2026-27 season is evidence that lack of consistent aggressiveness is a thing of the past. The senior guard moved into lead ball-handling duties for the Gamecocks and sparked the first quarter punch that brought them back from an 8-point deficit. She finished with a career-high 28 points with tough finishes at the rim and typical sharp shooting from beyond the arc. She was 9 of 16 overall, 3 of 4 from 3-point range and 7 of 9 from the free-throw line in a game-high 39 minutes.
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Johnson averaged career-bests as a junior, moving into the starting lineup and playing all but two games through the national championship loss. Through three games ahead of the USC game, all against ranked opponents, Johnson’s averaging a career-high 13.3 points and 4 rebounds with the same 3-point production north of 40% she’s had every year of her collegiate career.
Gamecocks hierarchy
Staley is still puzzling together the best combinations of another deep roster, and there is an entire season ahead. Early it’s falling on Johnson, junior forward Joyce Edwards and sophomore guard Agot Makeer to lead the way. Edwards had 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Makeer had 9 points on the most efficient performance of the day (4 of 7) with 5 assists.
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The Gamecocks rattled off a 10-0 run when Makeer subbed back into the game following Watkins’ free throws at 7:01 of the fourth that cut it to 74-72. Makeer fouled out with 2:10 to play and an 86-77 Gamecocks lead. Watkins cut it back down to two, 87-85, with 46 seconds remaining, and Johnson hit both free throws to ice it in the final 13 seconds.
Even with Makeer and freshman guard Jerzy Robinson (11 points off the bench) fouling out, there are options for Staley. Kitts is back from an ACL tear and scored 15 points with 12 rebounds and 3 assists. She was 4 of 8 and successfully got to the line, where she went 7 of 8. Ashlyn Watkins played 11 minutes, also returning from an ACL. They will both steadily improve as the season wears on.
The Gamecocks were a collective 55.4% and 5 of 10 from 3-point range.
Trojans’ shooting struggles sink chances
The block by Lee is going to earn the praise for winning the game, but it might not have come down to it if the Trojans offense put it together earlier. They haven’t shot well from the perimeter in any of their four games and hit a season-worst 29.6% against the Gamecocks (8 of 27). It was their least efficient game overall by 16%, shooting 29 of 69 overall. Strong first and third quarters ticked up the mark. And they had only eight points from the bench, though the duo of Pania Davis and Laura Williams went 4 of 5 combined.
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The free throws are the big ones Southern Cal will want back. They were 19 of 29 from line, which isn’t an anomaly in the early part of their season. They’re shooting 67.7% (39th percentile in Division I).
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
