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Women of Troy wipe out No. 8 Iowa’s league win streak, 81-69

By
Charle' Moore
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USC Trojan's Kara Dunn #25 (Photo by Jason Purisima)

Los Angeles, CA-  Kara “KD” Dunn does it all with a decorative double-double, 25 points and 12 rebounds for USC to upset No. 8 Iowa in a rollercoaster game with USC winning the odd quarters and game despite Iowa winning the even quarters but losing their first league match of the season, 81-69.

Women of Troy returned to the Galen Center in hunt for a home victory after falling twice on a two-game road trip to Michigan and Michigan State. Both Dunn and freshman Jazzy Davidson came out aggressive scoring the first two baskets for USC and setting the tone for their team’s plan of attack.

“A win for us on so many levels,” USC Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “I’m just so proud of our team. I think, you know, I’d felt confident because of the way we approached the Michigan trip, the way we approached when we came back we battled. I think we came out, the aggressors and carried it through and had great performances across the board.”

USC outscored Iowa 28 to 15 behind Dunn’s 11 points in the first period. Iowa came back blazing in second period, closing in on the Women of Troy, and entering halftime, only down by six, 43-37. 

USC Trojan’s Jazzy Davidson #9 with Coach Lindsay Gottlieb (Photo by Jason Purisima)

“All of my assistant coaches do an incredible job at their scouts,” Coach Gottlieb said. “This one was coach Nikki Blue’s and we were very specific that they have a great interior game, you know, so we wanted to battle the bigs, not let them get deep position and help big to big, but really take their guards out of it with pressure. And I thought Kennedy and Jazzy and London and Diana who came in did a really good job of that. I really got on them about the six made threes for Iowa in the first half…”

USC’s response to coach Gottlieb’s halftime pep talk was evident in her returning sophomore guard Smith’s, whom put on layup clinic with a series of right hand downhill drives against Iowa, rallying up 10 points in the third period, helping her team post over 25 points. Iowa went 0 for 3 from deep range and only tallied 14 points, ending the quarter, 51-70.  

“I’m here for everything that Kennedy Smith brings and that comes with growth, too, right?” Coach Gottlieb said. “I thought Kennedy’s second half response today was incredibly important for us. She always sets the tone defensively, right…I know she didn’t have the offensive half in the first half that she wanted. I didn’t say much. I just literally went up to her at halftime and said, “Keep attacking. Keep being aggressive.” And…if they’re going to double KD, Jazzy’s going to get a mid-range jumper. If they’re going to sell out on Jazzy, Ken’s going to go to the rim. And this was one really good game for us.”

USC had four starters to finish in double digits led by Dunn. Davidson added 21 points and eight assists. Londynn Jones poured in 15 and Smith finished with 12.

Both teams are dealing with multiple injured players and constant adjustments to their rosters.

Hawkeyes struggled all game with infrequent flashes of why they are a top ten ranked team.

However, USC usual suspects, Dunn and Davidson killed any notion of their season being over or counting out their team for the hunt of a league and NCAA tournament run.  

“I feel like our focus like Jazzy and me after every single game I’ve said it before we talk about what happened, how we can do better moving forward, Dunn said. “And every time before the game we look at each other before we run out we’re like are you ready? And she’s like yeah I’m ready. “And we like clap hands or something and we go out and we know

that we need to handle business.”

USC handled their business and closed shop on Iowa undefeated conference play holding on to final buzzer to end the month on an encouraging note.

Meanwhile, Iowa who could not figure out how to unclog the paint of USC swarming interior defense, slowing down Hannah Stuelke and Ava Heiden from getting easy touches in a Jan Jensen’s signature post initiated offense.

The Hawkeyes were led by Journey Houston’s 16 points and eight rebounds, while Stuelke had a snoozing 10 points and one board. Heiden added 13 points and eight boards. While Taylor Stremlow came off the bench and scored 11.

Iowa is now 18-3 on the season and 9-1 in conference. 

“We really felt like we needed this win and I feel like we’ve had a lot of great practices and I feel like just the team morale is really good right now despite the losses,” coach Gottlieb said.  “It’s just good for us to have this win and moving forward into February building on it.”

USC (12-9, 4-6) will return home to the Galen Center on Sunday late in the afternoon to face Rutgers in hope to begin a winning streak against another league opponent.

Rams Season Ends With Seahawks Loss In NFC Championship

By
Christopher Floch
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Photo by Jevone Moore

SEATTLE, WA– A career day from Sam Darnold and costly miscues proved too much for the Los Angeles Rams, who lost a 31-27 heartbreaker to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday, January 25th at Lumen Field.

With Los Angeles facing fourth-and-4 at the Seattle 6 with 4:59 remaining, coach Sean McVay elected to go for it and Matthew Stafford’s pass was broken up in the end zone by Devon Witherspoon. The Rams didn’t get the ball back until there were 25 seconds left, and Puka Nacua was tackled inbounds near midfield on the final play.

The Seattle Seahawks will face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XL in Santa Clara on Sunday, February 8th. Seahawks Quarterback, and former USC Trojan Sam Darnold had his signature performance against the hapless Rams secondary.

Coming in, Darnold hated facing the Rams, never earning a win until tonight. Completing 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards with no turnovers. Seahawks Wide Receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 153 yards receiving — the second-most in a playoff game in franchise history — and a touchdown on 10 catches.

Former Ram and Super Bowl XLI MVP Cooper Kupp got revenge against his old team. Catching 4 passes for 53 yards and a touchdown in the win.

“It’s amazing,” Darnold said. “To be able to do it with these guys in this locker room, though, with this coaching staff, that’s why it means the world to me.”

Quarterback Matthew Stafford finished 22 of 35 passing for 374 yards and three touchdowns in the loss.

Untimely defensive and special teams miscues at other points in the game cost the Rams a trip to the Super Bowl.

For instance, a muffed punt by Xavier Smith in the third quarter was recovered by the Seahawks deep in Rams territory. On the next play, Darnold connected with Jake Bobo for a 17-yard touchdown and a 24-13 lead.

The Seahawks led 31-20 late in the third quarter on Darnold’s 13-yard TD pass to Cooper Kupp, but the Rams got back into the game when Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen was flagged for taunting after breaking up a pass to Nacua on third-and-12, giving Los Angeles a first down.

Scoring a TD with 2:06 left in the third quarter and the Rams trailing 31-26, pundits and fans believed L A. should have gone for the two-point conversion to make it a three-point difference at 31-28.

Rams Coach Sean Mcvay chose instead to kick the extra point to make the score 31-27. The final points the Rams would score this season.

Plain and simple the wrong choice. but that decision directly led to a fourth-down call late in game rather than a game tying field goal that effectively ended the Rams’ comeback attempt.

McVay was emotional speaking to reporters at the podium. He said this year’s squad was “as special of a group top to bottom as I’ve ever been around” and expressed his gratitude for the team. He wanted two more weeks to work with them, and that won’t happen now, which only added to the postgame disappointment.

The Rams’ defense had forced at least two turnovers in each of the past three games, but didn’t have one against the Seahawks.

It’s obvious the Rams Secondary was awful in the NFC Title. Constantly allowing the Seahawks to convert time and time again on critical third downs.

The secondary looked good enough at times this year despite no star in the defensive backfield. Over the course of the year however, erosion set in   before the Seahawks busted open in the most important game of the year.

The Seahawks are in the Super Bowl in only the second year of head coach Mike Macdonald’s tenure. For the first time since the 2014 season, the Seahawks are back in the Super Bowl. They will play the Patriots in a rematch of Super Bowl 49.

UCLA Upsets Fourth-Ranked Purdue on A Sparkling John Wooden Night

By
Tony Jones
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Photo credit: Jan Kim Lim, UCLA Athletics

Westwood, CA –It’s clear that the UCLA men’s basketball program has gone through many, many changes since the pre-Transfer Portal/pre-NIL era. 

  Could one imagine if there were NO NIL? NO Transfer Portal? There’s a good chance that UCLA would- let alone could – have won a few more national championships, based on quality players that stayed at one school. 

  As far as last night’s game against   visiting fourth-ranked Purdue is concerned, UCLA showed flashes of a championship team, especially deep in the second half. 

  Even the spirit of legendary College Basketball Hall of Fame and UCLA Coach John Wooden, a proud Purdue alumni icon himself, would agree, while watching the game with wife Nell from a very big screen TV via a Heavenly-sized satellite. 

  Tyler Bilodeau’s jumper with eight seconds left in the game, helped by a final team defensive stop that led to a missed Purdue shot attempt at the buzzer, sealed a 69-67 victory for the survival-minded Bruins, who gave themselves a positive checkmark in the eyes of the 2026 NCAA Tournament Selection Committee. 

  The victory snapped a nine-game winning streak by Purdue. Donovan Dent led UCLA with 23 points and 13 assists, but he and his teammates took the reins on both sides of the court to rally from a 27-15 deficit in the first half.

  Using a defensive effort worthy of Wooden’s famed Pyramid of Success, the Bruins mixed in a series of blocked shots, steals and key rebounding efforts despite lacking a true old school center, à la Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) or Bill Walton. 

  Purdue appeared to have made a statement that they were on its way to a 10th straight easy win, but Dent, Bilodeau, Eric Dailey, Jr., Trent Perry, and Xavier Booker had other plans for the Boilermakers. 

  The result was perhaps the best Wooden-like defensive effort by a UCLA basketball team against a ranked opponent in recent memory. 

  Someone close by in the media seating area even cleverly suggested that Coach Wooden was somewhere smiling on a night when he was honored, mostly by a giveaway of bobblehead figurines in his image to those among the 10,235 fans in attendance. 

  A smiling Grant Walters, assistant sports editor at the award winning Daily Bruin campus newspaper, agreed with the Wooden reference. 

  Meanwhile, UCLA (5-3 in the Big 10 conference, 13-6 overall), also remains undefeated at home (11-0). The Bruins are currently holding on to the eighth spot in the conference. 

  But even if the Bruins can patch together a winning record from now until the end of the regular season (12 games), there is a realistic chance that it would have to travel to another region besides the West Region if it squeezes into the tournament.

  That means UCLA would need to go undefeated, or close to it, 10-2 at the least, to be marginally considered. Otherwise the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) would probably be a guaranteed destination at the estimation of a 23-8 regular season finish. 

  All estimates considered, the reaction from the happy UCLA fans was all the Bruins needed as they walked off the court victorious. But only for one night. A gauntlet of Big 10 powerhouses led by Michigan and Michigan State await them -both on the road- until the season ends March 7.

Dynamo Duo Dunn and Davidson dominate Purdue to diverge USC four game losing streak into a win, 83-57

By
Charle' Moore
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Photo by Jason Purisima

Los Angeles, CA- Freshman Jazzy Davidson and Senior Kara “KD” Dunn both open the game with draining deep jumpers that would later open the paint for USC the remaining of the game to drive thru Purdue into a decisive victory, 83-57, Sunday afternoon at the Galen Center.

“It was really fun that it was also our alumni day. There’s nothing like the women of Troy in the history of this program, USC Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “…I thought it was a team effort and I thought obviously it was incredible to have Kennedy back. She’s a winning player and impacts winning. But I think what we’re going to see going forward here is that the time without Ken, while it’s been hard, has led to growth. And I think these two in particular, probably it showcases the most, you know, Jazzy just continues to get better, sharper, her impact on winning the defensive end…And you know, I’ve said it all year, Kara’s been an incredible leader and that’s more important to me than the stats.“

Women of Troy went on a 19-4 run led by Dunn, closing the first period and then Senior Londynn Jones came off the bench racking up a quick seven points along with Freshman Laura Williams making her presence known in the middle to give solid bench production in limited minutes while continuing to dominate Boilermakers into halftime, 42-27.  

“I feel like me and Jazzy like through all of this, we’ve gotten like really close just talking on the court, off the court about things that we need to do for this team, things we can say to other people, things we need to do on the court for our team,” Dunn said. “And so through all this, I feel like, we’re really starting to like bond together and I just really wanted to keep pushing.”

USC starters played unselfish from beginning to end led by Malia Samuels, Kennedy Smith and Davidson six assists apiece whereas a team dished out 25 dimes and committed only 12 turnovers. In addition, despite losing the battle in rebounds, Women of Troy rallied 40 points inside the lane, including 18 layups.  

“I think the last three games have been tough because they were possession games and we’re not talking about bad teams,” coach Gottlieb said. “anything could have shifted on possessions. I mean, gosh, a couple of them we had, you know, double digit leads. And so, I think just attention to detail, that every possession really matters, that games aren’t, you know, won the first quarter, second quarter, like you got to finish things that you know, we can do one thing well, but then we can’t be deficient in another area. Just real time lessons.“

Dunn balled out again for another 20+ game under her belt, scoring 29 points off efficient shooting, hitting 12-of-17 from the field and 4-of-6 from three-point range. Jones added 15 points and Davidson, 13.

“Kara, she’s a great leader,” Davidson said. “She has all of our backs and she’s super experienced. So, it’s just been really nice having that kind of voice for me as a freshman and navigating through things and obviously losing is not fun but I feel like just with her leadership, it’s really helped us get through that and I think our best days are ahead of us.

Purdue was led by Junior Guard Tara Daye, finishing with 21 points after carrying her team in the first half with 14. Junior Guard Kiki Smith came off the bench and gave Boilermakers much needed support, pouring in 15 points including three triples behind the arc off 50 percent shooting. 

“Winning is always more fun, right? But we’re going to keep the foot on the gas…I had to strike a balance with what is our standard and what’s acceptable, but also getting to know we really believe we can do it,” coach Gottlieb said. “The day off is going to feel better. But I think they’re going to be highly motivated to do what we’re capable of doing going forward. And there’s the Big 10 is so hard and so good. You have opportunities all the time. And I want to see it, you know, I want to see them, you know, looking at it that way.”

USC travels back on the road to the Midwest to face Michigan State and Michigan, respectively, before returning home for a showdown with Iowa.

Rams Advance To NFC Championship

By
Christopher Floch
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Photo by Jevone Moore

CHICAGO, ILL– The Los Angeles Rams are headed to the NFC title game. In the snow an extreme cold , they prevailed over the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field by a score of  20-17 on Sunday, January 18th.  It was a seesaw battle and the key play was in overtime, when Bears quarterback Caleb Williams thew an interception to breathe life into the Rams.

Williams had just thrown a desperation 4th down heave to Bears tight end Cole Kmet for a touchdown that tied the game with just 18 seconds left in regulation time.

The Rams defense came up huge, time and time again. Stopping Chicago on three out of four fourth down attempts. Both of the Rams key wide receivers came up big on the last drive, Davante Adams and Puka Nacua.

Rams running back Kyren Williams added two touchdowns on the ground, and the offense did just enough by scoring 20 points to secure a date with the Seattle Seahawks next week for the right to play in Super Bowl XL.

This was the second straight road playoff. victory for the Rams, and they will need one more victory on the road against the Seahawks to secure their third Super Bowl appearance in the last 10 years.

“I’m just really proud of this football team and the resolve.” said Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay.

Rams kicker, Harrison Mevis summed up the feelings of the Rams,  by stating “shoot, that’s why we do it”. The 42-yard  winning field goal was by no means a chip shot,  especially in the snowy and cold conditions that prevailed.

Meanwhile, the Bears finished the season with a 12 and 7 record. USC product and Bears QB Caleb Williams continued his progression as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL despite the fact that he threw three interceptions.

Next Sunday the Rams and Seahawks will play at 3:30 PM on Fox with a Super Bowl berth on the line. They split the previous two games, and obviously this will be the most important one. Congratulations to the Los Angeles Rams, with two more games to win for a Super Bowl Championship.

USC unable to upset No. 12 Maryland at home to snap losing streak

By
Charle' Moore
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Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs / fi360 News

Los Angeles, CA- Freshman sensation Jazzy Davidson came out hot, scoring the first seven points for USC and then teammate Kara Dunn caught a fire from behind the arc, which an upside for USC but the downside is they went down in the end to No. 12 Maryland, after putting together perhaps one of their best starts this season, to lose 62-55.

“I thought our team played their [bleep] off tonight…And just because you do

that doesn’t guarantee you an outcome, ”USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said.

Kara Dunn wanted all the smoke to make turtle soup out of the Lady Terps’ defense, scoring all over the court, and making it rain from three, to lead both teams with game high 21 points.

“For me, when my number was called, it’s not something that I’m not

used to, Dunn said. “I’ve been in scoring positions on other teams as

 well. So, just stepping up and being the player that I know that I can be. Knowing that Coach Lindsay trusts me for that and my team trusts me for that. I’ve enjoyed it.”

Such celebration of Dunn and Davidson displaying their elite scoring skills to give USC the lead in the first period, 20-16 against an elite defensive team was cut short though both teams began to struggle on offense.

“…credit Maryland, coach Gottlieb added. “I have so much respect for Brenda. You know, it’s just no matter what goes on with her team, and she’s had injuries, they always show up and are ready to play. And you know, credit to them for getting a big win on the road and we didn’t do enough to win the game… they made the big ones down the stretch.”

Yarden Garzon hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:38 remaining. Addi Mack led the Terrapins with 12 points and hit some clutch free throws. Garzon and Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu added 10 points apiece.

Both teams battling with team injuries and inexperienced key contributors to help sustain their teams through the competitiveness of Big 10.

USC’s Davidson finished with 12 points, after scoring 9 of her team’s 11 points plus assisted on the other bucket, yet went a dismal 0 for 14 in the second half.

“A lot of people are playing in positions that they haven’t played in before. We’re obviously still a brand new team. So I think everyone’s kind of growing into their roles and kind of getting more comfortable,” Malia Samuels said. “So I think

this is a rough patch, but I think I believe in our team and I know we’re going to be 10 times better than what we have been.”

Women of Troy (10-7, 2-4) still look to snap their losing streak after fourth straight loss. While the Terrapins (17-2, 5-2) are riding a four game win streak after a disappointing 89-76 loss to No. 19 Ohio State.

Both teams return to action on Sunday, with USC hosting Purdue while Maryland travels across town to face No. 3 UCLA

USC’s second-half switch flips the game on Maryland

By
Vaaron Watts
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Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs / fi360 News

Los Angeles, CA- Sometimes a game turns not on a timeout board, but on a feel for the moment. USC Trojans men’s basketball found that moment early in the second half and never gave it back, pulling away from the Maryland Terrapins men’s basketball for an 88-71 Big Ten Conference win at Galen Center, Tuesday, Jan. 13.

The separation came through adjustments on both ends of the floor.

USC clung to a 42-41 halftime lead when Ausar pushed the pace at the 15:05 mark of the second half, finishing a fast-break hook shot through contact and converting the three-point play. That sequence flipped the energy. The Trojans didn’t look back.

Photo by DeAngelo Scruggs / fi360 News

Jordan Marsh was the tone-setter. Subbed in early after halftime, Marsh applied downhill pressure, sped up the game and delivered shot-making when it mattered. He finished with 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including 4 of 9 from beyond the arc, while adding four assists and four rebounds in just over 24 minutes.

Maryland guard David Coit was electric early, scoring 19 of his game-high 30 points in the first half. USC coach Eric Musselman adjusted defensively, assigning Jerry Easter to Coit coming out of the locker room. The coverage tightened, forcing tougher looks and disrupting Maryland’s offensive rhythm.

The decisive moments came above the rim. Gabe Dynes finished an alley-oop dunk off a Marsh assist at the 11:38 mark of the second half, then followed with a tip jam at 16:46 — momentum plays that stretched the margin and lifted the building.

Musselman praised his depth, calling it “the most bench points we’ve had all year,” and said he was “super proud of this group.” USC logged 235 passes, its highest total of the season, a reflection of the ball movement that broke the game open.

USC (14-3) next hosts Purdue, while Maryland (7-10) returns home to face Penn State.

Rams Knock Off Panthers in Final Minute of Playoffs 

By
Christopher Floch
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NFL Preseason Dallas Cowboys vs Los Angeles Rams 2nf Half action at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, Ca on August 13 , 2016. (Photographer Jevone Moore)

CHARLOTTE, N.C.– The heavily favored Los Angeles Rams survived a major scare on the road, barely beating the Carolina Panthers 34–31 in a thrilling Wild Card showdown on January, 10th exceeded the hype. What many expected to be a comfortable Los Angeles win turned into a back-and-forth playoff classic, decided only in the final minute by Matthew Stafford’s late-game heroics.

Stafford threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns, delivering his biggest strike with 38 seconds left, when he hit Colby Parkinson for a 19-yard go-ahead touchdown after Carolina had just taken the lead. It capped a calm, surgical two-minute drill that featured clutch completions to Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, and it sent the Rams to the Divisional Round.

Nacua once again proved to be Stafford’s most trusted target, finishing with 10 catches for 111 yards and a touchdown, while also adding a rushing score. Adams chipped in 72 yards, and Kyren Williams helped seal the win with 57 rushing yards and a critical 13-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Carolina refused to go quietly. Bryce Young shook off early mistakes to engineer a resilient performance, throwing for 264 yards and a touchdown while adding a rushing score.

The Panthers leaned on explosive plays, led by Jalen Coker, who had a breakout night with nine catches for 134 yards and a touchdown, including a pivotal 52-yard grab that helped swing momentum late.

Chuba Hubbard powered the ground game with two rushing touchdowns, and Carolina briefly stunned the crowd by taking a 31–27 lead with just over two minutes remaining after a blocked punt set up a short-field score.

In the end, turnovers and experience told the story. Stafford was intercepted once, but the Rams capitalized on key opportunities and answered every Carolina punch down the stretch. Young’s final drive ended under heavy pressure, with the Rams’ defense forcing a turnover on downs to seal it.

This instant classic was a ratings bonanza. 28 million people were glued to this thrilling matchup, Carolina was a 10.5 point underdog for some unknown reason, despite defeating the Rams earlier in the season.

The 34-31 shootout, with four leads changes in the fourth quarter alone, and the biggest audience for the Saturday afternoon wild-card game since Saints-Seahawks in January 2011.

Los Angeles advances after escaping one of the weekend’s most dramatic games, while the Panthers’ season ends with a performance that showed how close they are to becoming a true postseason threat.

Awaiting the Rams is former USC Heisman winner, Quarterback Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears. Da Bears have home field advantage in this Divisional Playoff matchup.

Its the Rams going to frigid Soldier Field in a classic NFL Playoff game filled with history and tradition. At stake: a trip to the NFC Championship.

Chicago Bears vs. Los Angeles Rams NFC Divisional game is slated for Sunday, January 18th at 3:30 PM. It will air on NBC, and streaming on Peacock.

Miami’s Road Back to the Top Could Run Through a Familiar Foe at CFP Title Game

By
Jevone Moore
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Miami head coach Mario Cristobal hoists the Championship trophy at the conclusion of the 2025 Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Jeff Dahlia / fi360 News)

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The College Football Playoff National Championship on Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium could feature a matchup years in the making — and one rooted in a coaching decision that reshaped two programs.

The Miami Hurricanes are one win away from playing for the national title in their home state after edging Ole Miss 31-27 in the Fiesta Bowl, a gritty semifinal victory that underscored the program’s long-awaited return to the sport’s elite. Now the Hurricanes await the outcome of Friday night’s Peach Bowl, where Oregon faces Indiana. A Ducks victory would set up a championship game with layered history: Miami vs. Oregon, coached by Mario Cristobal against the program he once led.

Cristobal, who left Oregon after the 2021 season, has engineered Miami’s rise with a physical brand of football that mirrors the Hurricanes teams of old. He was named Miami’s head coach on Dec. 6, 2021, replacing Manny Diaz and signing a 10-year, $80 million contract that signaled the university’s commitment to reclaiming national relevance.

Sebastian the Ibis rallies the crowd after a score the second quarter of the 2025 Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Jeff Dahlia / fi360 News)

“It’s about standards,” Cristobal said after the Fiesta Bowl. “This program has them, and our players believe in them.”

The Hurricanes (14-1) leaned on a punishing running game and timely defense to survive Ole Miss, stopping a late Rebels drive inside the red zone. Miami’s balance — controlling the line of scrimmage while limiting mistakes — has been a season-long theme under Cristobal, whose teams are known for discipline and toughness.

Hard Rock Stadium, just miles from Miami’s campus, would offer a de facto home-field advantage in the championship game. The Hurricanes have not played for a national title since the 2002 season and have not won one since 2001.

Photo by Ben Amon / fi360 News

If Oregon advances, the storyline writes itself. Cristobal led the Ducks from 2018 to 2021, winning two Pac-12 titles before departing for his alma mater. Oregon quickly turned to Dan Lanning, the former Georgia defensive coordinator, who has since kept the Ducks among the nation’s elite with an aggressive, fast-paced style.

Lanning has often acknowledged Cristobal’s role in building Oregon’s foundation, but a title game matchup would be less about sentiment and more about contrasting identities — Miami’s bruising efficiency versus Oregon’s speed and versatility.

Indiana, however, stands in the way. The Hoosiers have already shattered expectations this season and would bring their own underdog narrative to the championship if they upset Oregon.

Photo by Ben Ammon / fi360 News

For Miami, the focus remains narrow. The Hurricanes took the one step they needed to play in college football’s biggest game on familiar turf, with a chance to complete a resurgence years in the making — and perhaps do it against the coach’s former team, under the lights, with a national title at stake.

Dunn delivers despite No. 21 USC dropping to Oregon, 71-66

By
Charle' Moore
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USC Trojan's Jazzy Davidson #9 with the left handed scoop shot. (Photo by Jason Purisima)

Los Angeles, CA- Kara Dunn came out Tuesday night returning home at the Galen Center with a vengeance or hunger after that disastrous 34-point loss to crosstown rival UCLA on Saturday, scoring a game high 21 points though not enough to fight off a late fourth quarter surge by Oregon to steal a critical league game on the road, 71–66.

“Credit to Oregon…I’m not surprised that they hung in there when they were down. I’ve seen them do it. Obviously, the Michigan game was an example that was fresh in my mind,” USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “From my standpoint it’s about as upsetting loss that we’ve had in this building. I told the players that’s on me, that’s on us. It was gross in every way.”

Oregon Ducks, Ehis Elute #35 bullies her way into the paint. (Photo by Jason Purisima)

Women of Troy led most of the way with Dunn and freshmen Jazzy Davidson both scoring in double digits, 12 and 10, respectively at intermission while leading 37-21.

Women of Troy had a stretch in the first half with their largest lead at 17 before the Ducks constructed a couple of runs in the second half to begin chipping away gradually in the third quarter that forced coach Gottlieb into calling a quick timeout.

“I had to use a couple timeouts that I didn’t have at the end,” coach Gottlieb said. “I thought that we were not disciplined enough on the offensive end, which allowed them to play in transition. They’re really good in transition.”

Oregon Ducks, #2 Katie Fiso with the ball calling for the play. (Photo by Jason Purisima)

Once the momentum seemed to shift towards Oregon, USC went cold turkey from the field.  Davidson whom finished with a double-double, 14 points and 13 rebounds plus five assists, shot 1-of-9 in the second half.

“From the very beginning, we weren’t hitting as many shots as we wanted to and then we started to heat up, Dunn said. “But I think it was our energy with each other, like the more that we play with each other, the more we read the ball and the way we dictate the other team. I think that was what we needed to make sure that we were doing in the second half, just slow down and make sure that we were doing the right stuff and not just jacking up anything.”

Women of Troy were dominated by the Ducks in the fourth quarter despite entering up 13 points. Davidson wasn’t able to have a heroic nite for her team when they needed a basket as Oregon swarmed her and her teammates to force them into contested shots.

USC Trojan’s Jazzy Davidson #9 attacks the rim. (Photo by Jason Purisima)

“I think if that’s one thing that I’ve learned is there’s ups and downs of basketball and this is a part of basketball and you just kind of have to do whatever it takes to fix it, Londynn Jones said. “I mean it’s going to be game by game. This is an amazing conference. We have another good team coming up that we have to pay focus for. So you can only dwell on it so long. But the practices that we do have, we do have to really lock in to what it is that the coaches are we have to buy in to what the coaches need us to buy into. So from my perspective, it’s really just locking in to what’s being asked and doing anything that I possibly can to do what’s being asked, but this is a part of basketball, so we just kind of have to figure it out, feel it, go through every emotion of it, and come out stronger.”

USC Trojan’s Londynn Jones #3 looks to drive into the lane. (Photo by Jason Purisima)

Oregon tallied up 50 points in the second half and Ehis Etute led the Ducks with 17 points, while Katie Fiso added 14. Ari Long sank three consecutive 3-pointers, including the go-ahead dagger with 0:31 to play. Oregon finished the game, scoring the final 14 points to steal the victory. 

USC (10-5,2-2) travels to take on Minnesota, Sunday while Oregon returns home to host another ranked league opponent, No. 15 Michigan State on Sunday.

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