BLACKSBURG, Va. — Future Littleton’s game-tying three-pointer with seven seconds left in regulation gave USC’s ladies’s basketball crew additional life.However the Trojans squandered it. USC must wait one other 12 months for an opportunity at its first NCAA match victory since 2006.Regardless of a report effort from Rayah Marshall, the eighth-seeded Trojans had been ousted within the first spherical of the NCAA match by No. 9 South Dakota State, shedding 62-57 in extra time at Virginia Tech’s Cassell Coliseum on Friday evening.“Credit score South Dakota State,” second-year USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb stated. “They’re a very good crew. We knew that. They’re poised and skilled and we tried to make it actually onerous for them, and I believed after they wanted to, they made the successful performs. I’m actually proud. I’m happy with our crew and I’m happy with the individuals within the locker room. The journey we went on was an distinctive one. We want it had been longer.”The Trojans (21-10) held the Jackrabbits (29-5) to their fourth-lowest scoring complete of the season, however USC’s defensive efforts weren’t sufficient. South Dakota State has now received 22 straight video games and can face host and No. 1 seed Virginia Tech on Sunday.Along with her double-double of 17 factors and 13 rebounds, Marshall blocked seven pictures, breaking USC’s single-season report for blocks. The mark was set within the 1992-93 season by Corridor of Famer Lisa Leslie, who had 95. Marshall completed this season, her sophomore marketing campaign, with 98.“For me, I similar to to return and compete,” Marshall stated. “I really feel like after I’m blocking pictures on the defensive finish, I’m sparking my crew filled with power. Undoubtedly going to should brag to Lisa a bit of bit about that.”Littleton scored 18 factors and Kadi Sissoko added 10 for USC.South Dakota State was powered by two-time Summit League Participant of the Yr Myah Selland, who ended with 29 factors and 9 rebounds. Paige Meyer chipped in 16 factors.“Shoot, to me she’s a professional. She scores in any respect three ranges,” Gottlieb stated of Selland. “Their system and their offense makes it actually onerous. You’ll be able to’t actually double her proper as a result of they may kick out for threes. She is continually transferring.”USC and South Dakota State had been evenly matched, however the Trojans misplaced the rebounding battle by six, missed 5 free throws, and shot 31% from the ground. The Trojans constructed an early benefit by opening the sport with a 12-2 run. South Dakota State — which entered with the nation’s Tenth-best scoring offense at 79.4 factors per recreation — shot simply two of 12 from the ground within the first quarter.South Dakota State chipped away at that deficit within the second quarter, and led by as many as seven factors within the third.After falling behind, USC put collectively a 9-2 run within the fourth quarter and the 2 sides swapped leads earlier than Littleton’s well timed shot despatched the sport into an additional interval. Selland began extra time by sparking a 9-2 run to present the Jackrabbits a cushion.USC will lose at the least a pair of starters this offseason in Littleton and Sissoko, who’ve exhausted their eligibility. However No. 1 total recruit JuJu Watkins can be arriving subsequent season.“Clearly, we don’t wish to be out within the first spherical, however USC has not been right here in a really very long time,” Littleton stated. “So, that was my No. 1 objective coming right here, to get USC again into the NCAA match, and we checked that off the listing.”
March Madness: USC women lose in overtime to South Dakota State
