Preview: USC Women of Troy Face Clemson Lady Tigers in NCAA Tournament First Round

COLUMBIA, S.C. (Interstat) — The Clemson Lady Tigers, riding the momentum of their best season in years, will host the Southern California Women of Troy in a first-round NCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament game Saturday at Carolina Coliseum.

The No. 7-seeded Lady Tigers (21-11) enter the postseason having won five of their last seven games, including a key 53-51 victory over Duke on Feb. 22. Their defense has been a hallmark, holding opponents to an average of 58.2 points during that stretch. A focal point will be guard Taylor Johnson-Matthews, who averaged 10.4 points over the final five regular-season games and scored 17 in the Feb. 22 win over the Blue Devils.

Clemson’s tournament berth is a product of consistency, having avoided any prolonged losing skids. They concluded the regular season with a 46-60 loss at Duke on March 6, where Mia Moore led the team with 17 points.

The No. 10-seeded Women of Troy (17-13) arrive in Columbia looking to rebound from a tough close to their season, having dropped their final two games. They fell 76-64 at Washington on March 5 despite 19 points from Londynn Jones and a 13-rebound performance from Laura Williams. USC’s season has been marked by offensive firepower but defensive lapses, as seen in recent high-scoring losses to Penn State (85-82) and Ohio State (88-83).

The matchup pits Clemson’s structured defense against a USC team capable of explosive scoring runs. The over/under for the game is set at 121 points, suggesting a potentially tight, defensive-minded contest.

This will be the first meeting between the programs in over a decade. The winner will advance to face either seed South Carolina or seed Fairleigh Dickinson in the second round on Monday.

Tipoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.