Clemson women’s basketball falls in overtime to USC in NCAA Tournament
The Clemson women’s basketball team fought hard until the end, but fell in overtime to the USC Trojans.
Clemson women’s basketball’s return to the NCAA Tournament ended in a tight one, falling 71-67 to USC in overtime on Saturday in Columbia. The Tigers were right there at the end, tied at 64 in the extra period, but Jazzy Davidson changed everything in a hurry. She buried two straight threes to give USC control, and Clemson couldn’t answer, missing five of its final six shots down the stretch.
Early on, Clemson looked like the sharper team. The Tigers knocked down shots right away and jumped out to a 12-5 lead, with Raven Thompson connecting twice from deep to set the tone. That rhythm didn’t last, though, as a scoring drought let USC climb back in.
The game turned into a back-and-forth battle before halftime. Morgan Lee gave Clemson a boost off the bench, scoring seven late points, including a three that helped the Tigers carry a narrow 28-26 lead into the break. Clemson created separation in the third quarter with its defense, forcing turnovers and turning them into points to go up four entering the final period.
Taylor Johnson-Matthews led the way late, scoring most of her 16 points after halftime. In the fourth, Clemson had chances to close it out. Moore, after struggling most of the night, came alive with eight points in the quarter.