USC shows Lindsay Gottlieb something ‘special’ in loss to UCLA

Lindsay Gottlieb was looking for a fight.

At the end of a season that stretched and challenged her in ways USC’s coach had never been stretched and challenged before, the Trojans trailed No. 2 UCLA at halftime by nearly twice their score.

Not much had gone right for USC, just as not much had gone right when these teams first met. The Bruins were already well on their way to a 73-50 victory, comfortably securing their 18-0 conference record. But in the midst of their crosstown rival’s crowning achievement, Gottlieb was looking for anything that would tell him this Trojans team could take some hits and also give some back in March.

“We just wanted to… make sure that we were able to do what we’re capable of doing,” Gottlieb said.

And for a brief moment, early in the second half, she got a glimpse of it. Kara Dunn hit a three-pointer. Jazzy Davidson made a fast break, fouled out and made the free throw. Then Dunn scored another three-pointer. Within 31 seconds, USC had cut a seemingly insurmountable lead to single digits.

It didn’t last. UCLA’s firepower proved far too much for USC — despite the fact that Bruins star center Lauren Betts scored just five points, her fewest in more than two years.

Still, Gottlieb called the surge “special,” if only for the fact that it showed USC still has some life left as it opens the postseason Thursday against Washington in the Big Ten tournament.

In some ways, this has been the story of the season for USC. Doomed to playing without their superstar, JuJu Watkins, the Trojans still managed to claw their way to a 17-12 record and a certain berth in the NCAA tournament.

USC guard Jazzy Davidson (9) reacts to a call while standing next to guard Kennedy Smith during a 73-50 loss to UCLA at the Galen Center on Sunday.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

They won their fewest games since Gottlieb’s first season. But along the way, she said, she saw a lot of fighting from her team.

Enough, at least, to be satisfied with the result of a sometimes frustrating season.

“We are generally very happy with where our program is,” Gottlieb said. “What we’re trying to build here and what we’ve built goes beyond one or two good seasons. I think that’s going to be the meaning of this era for a very long time. We haven’t won as many games as I would like to win, and we’ve had some really good wins and we’ve had some tough stretches. But I think we’re ready to do what this team can do in March.”

It remains to be seen how high this ceiling is. The Trojans lost three in a row to close out their schedule, but won six in a row before that.

At times, they have shown a propensity for high-powered offense. In the previous two games, USC made 25 three-pointers combined. But on Sunday afternoon, the Trojans hit just three of 19.

The same inconsistency has generally been noted in defense matters. USC is 12-3 when holding opponents to under 40 percent shooting and 5-9 when opponents are shooting better than that.

USC star JuJu Watkins, left, and USC guard Jazzy Davidson interact on the sideline during the second half Sunday against UCLA at the Galen Center.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

Any best-case scenario for USC this month would likely involve a true star turn for Davidson, who has already proven himself to be a true playmaker as a freshman. Davidson hadn’t scored fewer than 16 points in a game in five weeks until Sunday, when UCLA held her to 12 on four-of-13 shooting.

“She had an incredible first year,” Gottlieb said, “and I think we’re still just tapping into what she’s capable of.”

And maybe, just maybe, as March Madness approaches, the same could be said for these Trojans.