The USC women’s basketball team knows what it does really well. It defends the ball, guards the 3-point line, and avoids shooting fouls. When those components are all in place, USC usually thrives, as it has for most of the season. When one of those cornerstones doesn’t exist, the foundation can crumble, as it did against Oregon State in the Pac-12 Tournament.
USC’s simple formula is to not allow extra possessions or cheap points. That limits opponents’ opportunities and forces teams to go through the Trojans’ rugged halfcourt defense to win games. It’s a sound formula.
However, unlike a lot of Pac-12 teams, South Dakota State has a souped-up offense. If SDSU does get on a roll, this game will be hard to manage for USC. The Trojans have made comebacks against good Pac-12 teams (19 down to win against Washington State in late February) because they know the scouting report and can ride out a hot streak in one quarter. They can be strong for the other 30 minutes of a game and find their way back. It might not be the case with South Dakota State.
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Here are five game keys for Friday evening’s contest: