Jazzy Davidson’s 31 Points Lift USC Past Clemson 71-67 in Overtime NCAA Tournament Thriller

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Freshman guard Jazzy Davidson erupted for 31 points, including a game-winning 3-pointer with 1:03 remaining in overtime, to lift ninth-seeded USC Trojans women's basketball past No. 8 seed Clemson Tigers women's basketball 71-67 in a dramatic first-round NCAA Tournament matchup on Saturday. The victory sends USC into a second-round contest against top-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball on Monday.

The game initially seemed to favor Clemson after Mia Moore appeared to score a running basket at the regulation buzzer, prompting the Tigers to celebrate. However, officials reviewed the play and determined the shot clock had not properly started with 4.4 seconds left. The basket was waved off, sending the game into overtime and forcing USC to reset mentally.

“Those are the things that happen in March,” Davidson said. “None of us want our season to be over, so it was a little crushing, but when we found out we were going into overtime, we just reset and came together.”

USC dominated the extra period behind Davidson and senior Kara Dunn, who added 22 points. With 2:34 remaining in overtime, Clemson led 64-61. Davidson responded with a tying 3-pointer, then secured the go-ahead basket after teammate Malia Samuels grabbed a rebound and fed her for the clutch shot. Samuels later added a free throw to seal the win.

The Trojans overcame the absence of star guard JuJu Watkins, who missed the season recovering from a torn ACL sustained in last year’s NCAA Tournament. Davidson played all 45 minutes, finishing just one point shy of her career high, and led USC in scoring throughout the season at 17.6 points per game.

Clemson’s offense was paced by Taylor Johnson-Matthews, who scored 16 points, and Raven Thompson, who recorded 11 points and 12 rebounds. Despite the loss, Tigers coach Shawn Poppie praised his team’s effort in their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019.

The Trojans, who reached the Elite Eight in the previous two tournaments, now face the Gamecocks for a second meeting this season. South Carolina won their November matchup in Los Angeles 69-52. Analysts project that USC will need Davidson to maintain her scoring efficiency and leadership, while Dunn and Samuels provide secondary scoring and defensive stability, to challenge the top seed.

USC’s next steps include focusing on perimeter defense against South Carolina’s shooters, balancing Davidson’s heavy minutes with bench contributions, and exploiting matchup opportunities in transition. With momentum from this overtime victory, the Trojans have positioned themselves as a dangerous underdog capable of another deep March run.