Maryland Women’s Basketball Barely Snatches A 62-55 Win From USC
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No. 12 Maryland women's basketball persevered and pulled out a hard-fought 62-55 road victory over USC at Galen Center. This win gives a much-needed positive momentum to an upcoming tough West Coast trip.
In a slow defensive game, Maryland overcame a sluggish start, foul trouble, and an injury to secure its 17th win while handing the Trojans their fourth straight loss.
Maryland Out Perseveres USC In A Grindfest
Maryland entered averaging 87 points per game, but facing USC's physical, stingy defense, they were forced to play at a deliberate pace. The Terps shot just 20-of-24 from the line in the second half, accounting for 57 percent of their points there, despite making only seven field goals after halftime.
Head coach Brenda Frese praised the defensive effort that carried the day. The Terps held USC to 55 points, with standout freshman Jazzy Davidson scoring 12 in the first quarter before going 0-for-14 the rest of the way. Frese noted the impressive containment of Davidson during the post-game.
Early physicality from USC disrupted Maryland, leading to 13 first-half turnovers and just two free-throw attempts. The Trojans built leads of up to eight, taking a 20-16 edge after one and 28-27 at halftime despite poor shooting (5-of-32 from three overall).
Key Moments
The third quarter stayed tight, with neither team pulling away. Fouls limited Oluchi Okananwa to eight first-half minutes (two points total, finishing with seven), almost the same as her limitations in the Ohio State loss.
Rainey Welson, fresh off back-to-back 12-point games, went down after a collision and did not return. Nevertheless, Maryland made a comeback late in the game. A 6-0 run on back-to-back and-ones built the momentum they needed, and with Davidson sidelined briefly for knee issues, the Terps forced USC into a four-minute field-goal drought.
Thursday night starting 5️⃣! #faMily 🐢 pic.twitter.com/KiWMugUVl6
— Maryland Women’s Basketball (@TerpsWBB) January 16, 2026
The Trojans countered with a 7-0 spurt for a slim fourth-quarter lead, but Yarden Garzon's deep three with 2:38 left broke a 54-54 tie. Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu followed with a putback off offensive rebounds for a 59-55 lead. Ozzy-Momodu's block on Malia Samuels with 33 seconds left preserved the lead.
Addi Mack led Maryland with 12 points, while Garzon and Ozzy-Momodu added 10 each. Five Terps scored nine or more in a collective effort after relying heavily on Okananwa and Garzon recently.
Kara Dunn paced USC with 21 points (15 in the fourth), but the Trojans' perimeter troubles (15.6 percent from three) and 21 extra shot attempts wasted by inefficiency proved costly.
The bounce-back sets up a massive Sunday showdown at No. 4 UCLA. With injuries mounting but hope still growing, Maryland showed that, despite not being perfect, the Terps can still snatch a win on the road.
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Rituraj Halder is a football junkie. He covers everything from clutch game-day moments to the stories that offer a glimpse into the locker room. Over the years, he’s written for outlets like Pro Sports and Football Network, Esports on Sports Illustrated, Sportskeeda, and EssentiallySports, carving out a voice that blends sharp analysis with genuine passion. Whether it’s breaking down a Big Ten rivalry, highlighting rising stars, or capturing the emotion that fuels the game, Rituraj writes football the way fans feel it: loud, proud, and all in.