No. 2 South Carolina Beats No. 8 USC 69-52 in Series Debut

No. 2 South Carolina secured a decisive victory over No. 8 USC, 69-52, on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, claiming the first installment of the "The Real SC" neutral-site series between the two programs sharing similar initials.

The Gamecocks improved to 4-0 with the win, showcasing their depth and physicality against a Trojans team now 2-1. Joyce Edwards led South Carolina with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Raven Johnson recorded 14 points and 11 rebounds in a double-double performance. Tessa Johnson added 14 points, including two 3-pointers in the third quarter, and TaNiya Latson contributed 12 points. Madina Okot grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds off the bench, helping South Carolina dominate the boards 56-32 overall, including 21 offensive rebounds that fueled second-chance opportunities.

For USC, Kennedy Smith topped the scoring with 12 points and three assists, and Kara Dunn added 10 points and three rebounds. Freshman Jazzy Davidson, fresh off a 21-point outing against then-No. 9 North Carolina State, managed eight points on 4-of-11 shooting but was hampered by early foul trouble and four turnovers. The Trojans struggled offensively, shooting 36...