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It was smooth sailing for No. 18 USC, beating Pepperdine 82-52 at home. The Trojans are now 4-0 at the Galen Cener and improved to 5-2 on the season.
For USC, Kara Dunn had another great game, scoring 19 points with incredible efficiency. She shot 80 percent from the field. Jazzy Davidson also played well. The freshman scored 18 points, had four rebounds and five assists. For the Waves, Ellison Guiney had a team-high 12 points, and Meghan Fiso had 11. No other players for Pepperdine were in double figures.
The Trojans will face Saint Mary’s Gaels next on Tuesday before meeting their next ranked team, the No. 22. Washington Huskies, on Dec. 7.
For a brief period of time, Pepperdine was in this game. Lina Falk, Fiso and Shorna Preston scored during the opening minutes to even the score at six points. Then, after another two points from Bella Green, Pepperdine’s offense came to a halt.
USC got going with Davidson and Dunn hitting 3-pointers. Seleh Harmon ended the scoring drought for Pepperdine during the closing seconds of the first, but by then, the Trojans had full control. After one, the Trojans led 21-10.
USC blew the game wide open during the second quarter. They scored 13-unanswered points to start the period. The dominance came from a heavy dose of Dunn and Davidson, mixed with some defensive pressure that forced turnovers.
After a Londynn Jones layup midway through the quarter, USC went ahead by 43-17, and it was clear the result was in hand. At the half, the Trojans were up 47-26.
In the third quarter, Gerda Raulusaityte took advantage of her opportunities for the Trojans. She went on her own 5-0 scoring run midway through the period to help push USC’s lead to 24. Pepperdine was unable to put points on the board, scoring just 13 in the quarter.
Despite being ahead by more than 20 points, USC continued to apply pressure. They kept their top rotation players in the game to start the final quarter, and after another Dunn 3, USC was ahead by 30 points, their largest lead of the night. With 3:22 left in the contest, the Trojans emptied the bench and cruised to victory.
Davidson, Dunn are driving the Trojans
It’s still early here for USC, but Davidson has looked really great as of late. She’s quickly getting comfortable, helping USC earn some dominant wins.
Dunn had another great game, and when her offense is going, it unlocks a new level of success and potential for USC. The Trojans need both Dunn and Davidson to keep this type of production up. If they get that, along with a resurgence from Jones, they’ll be a threat in the Big Ten.
