Jazzy Davidson's Huge Game Delivers Usc To Thrilling Overtime Win In Ncaa Tournament

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Ninth-seeded USC brought each nan power and strength you would want from a young squad successful March and it paid disconnected pinch a gutsy 71-67 overtime win against No. 8 Clemson successful nan first information of nan NCAA tourney connected Saturday.

Jazzy Davidson‘s heroics were nan quality arsenic she deed back-to-back 3 pointers successful overtime to springiness USC nan lead. Kara Dunn iced nan crippled pinch 2 clutch free throws.

Davidson vanished pinch 31 points, six rebounds and 5 assists. Dunn followed pinch 22 points and 4 rebounds.

USC will look No. 1 South Carolina successful nan 2nd information connected Monday.

Taylor Johnson-Matthews led nan measurement for Clemson pinch 16 points, followed by Morgan Lee pinch 12 points, Raven Thompson pinch 11 points and Demeara Hinds pinch 10 points.

The crippled featured arguably nan astir chaotic decorativeness of nan tourney frankincense far. With conscionable nether a infinitesimal left, Davidson deed nan level to get a bargain and coach Lindsay Gottlieb called a timeout arsenic a accelerated break was developing. It wouldn’t punishment nan Trojans, though. Dunn came retired of nan timeout, attacked nan basket, made a layup and earned a foul. Her three-point play put USC up 61-59 pinch 53 seconds left. Clemson drew a foul and deed 2 free throws to necktie nan game, past forced a USC travel.

With 35 seconds near and nan people tied astatine 61, Clemson struggled to get a changeable disconnected arsenic Davidson forced a jump shot and past Gerda Raulusaityte forced a tie-up of her own. The Trojans sewage nan shot backmost pinch little than 10 seconds, but past Clemson forced a jump ball.

USC defender Jazzy Davidson, right, battles Clemson defender Taylor Johnson-Matthews for a loose shot during nan first half Saturday.

(Nell Redmond / Associated Press)

With 4 seconds left, Clemson’s Mia Moore rushed down nan court, deed a chaotic changeable and seemingly drew a foul astatine nan buzzer. The refs reviewed nan play and waved disconnected nan handbasket and nan foul, saying they took spot aft clip expired, triggering overtime.

In overtime, Clemson tried to propulsion distant pinch Moore hitting a free propulsion earlier Rachael Rose recovered an unfastened lane to nan handbasket and put nan Tigers up 64-61.

Davidson past answered pinch a individual 6-0 tally and Clemson couldn’t travel backmost contempt a precocious 3 from Morgan Lee to make it a one-possession game.

Davidson, who played for nan first clip since sustaining a enarthrosis wounded successful nan Big Ten tournament, struggled early. She missed her first 4 shots and Clemson led astir of nan crippled acknowledgment to basking shooting. A mates of threes precocious successful nan 2nd 4th gave Clemson a 28-26 halftime lead.

The Trojans ramped up their protect strength successful nan 2nd half and it created violative opportunities that yet group up an overtime victory.