Trojans taking lessons from recent loss into the Big Dance
USC women's basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb said there's been many highs this season and also some painful lessons, but none more painful than the Trojans' most recent experience in the Pac-12 tournament.
“Because all the other ones, we had a chance to bounce back. And we haven't had a chance to bounce back yet,” the second-year coach said of the loss to Oregon State in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament.
The eighth-seeded Trojans have a chance to redeem themselves today when they play ninth-seeded South Dakota State at 5 p.m. at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va., in their first appearance in the NCAA tournament since 2014.
“That loss was definitely a mentally draining one,” USC guard Destiny Littleton, a graduate student, said of the Oregon State game. “The deficiencies that we had in that game, we've learned from it. We've taken extra steps to try and get better at those things and make sure they never happen again.”
Three USC players — transfers Koi Love, Kadi Sissoko and Littleton — have experience in the NCAA tournament. The latter is coming off a national championship with South Carolina, and also went to the tournament with Texas.
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Today: USC vs. South Dakota State, at Blacksburg, Va., 5 p.m., ESPNews
With each team in each tournament, there have been different emotions surrounding the experience. USC is totally different, though, because of the excitement of making the cut after so many years.
“At South Carolina and Texas, it's just kind of a normal thing,” Littleton said. “Here, we're trying to make it a normal thing. The first year is always the hardest, but we made it so we gotta make a stand.”
The 5-foot-9 Littleton has stressed to her team that details matter, like 50-50 balls and rebounds as well as playing together and defense. USC (21-9) ranks 18th nationally in scoring defense and fourth in blocks per game, which could work in the Trojans' favor.
There are also additional external factors like media attention and travel. The cross-country trip to Virginia is the longest road trip of the season for USC.
“Nothing too atypical. It's a direct flight,” Gottlieb said. “It's maybe two hours longer than what we're used to, but nothing that we won't be ready for.”
It'll be the third meeting between USC and South Dakota State (28-5). The Jackrabbits, who won the WNIT last season, are riding a 21game win streak.
Summit League Player of the Year Myah Selland has surpassed 2,000 career points and the 6-foot-1 forward is scoring 15.7 points per game. Jackrabbits guard Haleigh Timmer averaged nearly 18 points a game in the conference tournament.
“I've never played them, but if you follow them in basketball, you know their success,” Gottlieb said. “I know what a good coach Aaron (Johnston) is. They have teams that have made Sweet 16s before.”
USC, which achieved its best conference record since 2014, could have an edge inside with 6-foot-4 sophomore Rayah Marshall. The former Lynwood High star is second in the nation with 3.37 blocks per game and eighth with 11.4 rebounds per game.
Sissoko and Littleton are the Trojans' top scorers with respective averages of 15.6 and 13.8.
If USC beats South Dakota State, it'll play either No. 1 Virginia Tech or No. 16 Chattanooga in the second round Sunday.
“I think we're all understanding of how important the tournament is,” Littleton said. “And how far we've come as a team.”