Lindsay Gottlieb Doesn't Hold Back After USC’s Road Win at Nebraska

The USC Women's Basketball team erased an early deficit behind a pivotal third quarter from Londynn Jones, who scored all 13 of her points in the frame, while Jazzy Davidson and Kennedy Smith led the Trojans with 17 points apiece.

Davidson added eight rebounds and five blocks despite battling calf cramps in the second half, while Smith finished with nine rebounds and six assists. USC also became the first team this season to hold Nebraska below 80 points, a notable defensive benchmark against one of the nation’s most explosive offenses.

What USC Coach Lindsay Gottlieb Said

On the Big Ten Atmosphere and Physicality

“This was a big-time arena, big-time atmosphere, just awesome fans. They were here early. This was a great top-20 battle. This is what the Big Ten is going to be every night. And to get a road win against a top team like this, I’m really impressed with their team.

USC Trojans coach Lindsay Gottlieb guard Jazzy Davidson Londynn Jones Kennedy Smith Nebraska Cornhuskers Big Ten basketball — Mar 29, 2025; Spokane, WA, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lindsay Gottlieb looks on against the Kansas State Wildcats during the first half of a Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament basketball game at Spokane Arena. at Spokane Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | James Snook-Imagn Images

“Credit to Nebraska. Just watching film on them all Christmas break was tough because their offense is so good. They put up video game numbers. It was fun to watch as a basketball person, knowing it was going to be a real challenge for us. But I’m super proud of our team for holding a team that averages 90 to 66, for battling back, for finding our offense, for creating the tempo we needed. We’ll take it. Big road win and head back to LA.

“It’s part of basketball. I think the Big Ten is one of the best conferences, so we’re prepared for hard-fought battles and the competitiveness. We’ve had about three or four top-25 games and top-10 games as well. We’re here for the moment, taking on the challenge. We’re here for it, and we’re going to step up to that level.”

On What USC Did Defensively to Disrupt Nebraska’s Offense

“I think we have a really good defensive team. I think we have good individual defenders who take pride in it, and we really worked this week on our team defense. We wanted to put them under duress. Their offense is too good if you let them be comfortable.

“So we tried to pressure the point of attack. We tried to make sure Britt [Prince] couldn’t just pick us apart seamlessly. She still ended up with 18 points and seven assists, so obviously she’s elite, but I think we tried to make it difficult for them. We tried to make catches tough. We tried not to let them get anything easy in transition. Overall, I thought we did a pretty good job of that.”

On Momentum Swings and the Turning Points in the Game

“I’m trying to get our players to really understand that in a 40-minute game there’s a lot of lives. There’s a lot of runs and momentum. I told them at halftime that I thought we really battled to be down two, and that’s critical. When you can cut a lead quickly and feel like you’re in it, that matters.

“At the same time, I got on them for how everything felt too easy for them in the first quarter. I felt like the baskets they were making were too open. I was trying to tell them, ‘We’re good. We’re here,’ but also to make it tougher. Coming out with that energy in the second half kickstarted it, and I knew the threes would drop. Londynn went on a heater, which was incredible for us, and we fed off of that.”

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On Jazzy Davidson’s Calf Cramps and Managing Her Minutes

“I think it was a hard-fought, tough game. We try to keep everyone hydrated, but cramps are a part of basketball when a kid is expending that much energy. We’ll make sure we get it figured out, but I’m pretty sure it was just a cramping issue in her calf.”

On USC’s Confidence in its Three-Point Shooting

“Nothing magical. I know our threes will drop. I didn’t get very many shots off for Londynn in the first half, so we tried to get her in a little more space, but really it was just the pace of our offense and the ball moving. She found her way to it.

“I do know that we have a team that’s capable of making threes, and we tried to get the ball flowing so we could get open ones. Ken hit a huge one off great ball movement later in the quarter. When we’re hunting the right shot, enough shots are going to fall.”