[ad_1]
Lindsay Gottlieb needed her USC group to be examined by the perfect. That’s why she put collectively probably the most grueling schedules in all of school basketball, with 4 video games in opposition to groups ranked within the prime 4.
With three of these checks accomplished, the outcomes haven’t been what she or any of the Trojans hoped for.
USC misplaced by 17 to No. 2 South Carolina and 28 to No. 1 Connecticut. However neither of these losses was as demoralizing as Saturday night time’s setback, as No. 4 UCLA took No. 17 USC to the woodshed in an 80-46 loss that will go down as the biggest margin of defeat in Gottlieb’s tenure with the Trojans.
“We acquired it handed to us,” Gottlieb mentioned. “We might be trustworthy and say that is an embarrassing loss.”
UCLA middle Lauren Betts smothers USC ahead Yakiya Milton within the paint Saturday at Pauley Pavilion.
(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Occasions)
That may be understating it. USC was outshot 53% to 27% by its rival, outrebounded 46 to 26 and outworked in just about each sense of the phrase. The offense was out of kinds. The protection was disastrous, with UCLA recurrently blowing previous USC within the submit on its method to 46 factors within the paint.
It was an eye-opening collapse from a group that got here into the season nonetheless clinging to nationwide title aspirations. To a annoyed Gottlieb it was “a tough lesson that’s painful and never enjoyable” — however one USC (10-4, 2-1 Huge Ten) maybe wanted to be taught to take the following step.
“I’ve seen proper now in three video games that we’re not as aggressive as we needed to be with the highest 5 groups within the nation,” Gottlieb mentioned. “However I’m not sorry we’ve got them on our schedule. We’re not attempting to be a top-25 or top-15 group. We’re attempting to be the nationwide champions. We’re attempting to be the perfect program within the nation.”
Whether or not that’s potential this season, with out injured star JuJu Watkins, was in severe doubt after Saturday night time.
Within the frontcourt, the Trojans are particularly susceptible. By no means was that extra clear than in watching UCLA middle Lauren Betts dominate whomever was in her path Saturday. She completed with 18 factors and 12 rebounds, 4 on offense, just by overpowering the Trojans.
Final season USC had veteran bigs in Kiki Iriafen and Rayah Marshall to depend on in opposition to Betts and Co. On Saturday, USC forwards Gerda Raulusaityte, Yakiya Milton, Dayana Mendes, Vivian Iwuchukwu and Laura Williams completed a mixed one for 13 from the sphere.
USC guard Londynn Jones tries to dive previous UCLA ahead Gabriela Jaquez at Pauley Pavilion on Saturday.
(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Occasions)
Whereas USC has managed to get by with out a lot from its frontcourt earlier than, UCLA exploited that weak point from the beginning. The Trojans have been 5 for twenty-four contained in the arc via one half, left to rely as an alternative on their long-range capturing, which principally has been hit and miss.
That was sufficient to maintain up for one quarter, as USC hit its first 4 three-point makes an attempt to offset its points inside. Kara Dunn hit a 3 within the second quarter after which assisted on one by Jazzy Davidson, and with 5 minutes left within the half, the Trojans have been down by only one.
However from that time these pictures stopped falling. UCLA fired off a 14-0 run as USC went scoreless for 5 minutes. The Trojans by no means recovered.
Dunn completed with a team-high 11 factors. Davidson, the Trojans’ prime scorer this season, had 10.
“We need to be pretty much as good as we might be, however I believe you be taught tougher classes if you don’t play in addition to you may or we’re undisciplined or we aren’t as targeted as we have to be,” Gottlieb mentioned. “Perhaps there’s groups we will win in opposition to that means, however the ones that punish you if you do it’s going to make you higher, and that’s in the end the lesson.”
[ad_2]
