After suffering its first Big Ten loss of the season on Sunday at Iowa, it was critical that USC women’s basketball bounce back. With top-10 matchups on the horizon against Ohio State and UCLA, the Trojans really needed a nice and easy victory against a Wisconsin team near the bottom of the Big Ten standings.
On Wednesday evening, that is exactly what they got. Playing their sixth road game in the past eight contests, the Women of Troy went into Madison and easily handled the Badgers, 86-64.
It was a very balanced offensive effort for USC. While no player had more than 15 points, five Trojans finished in double figures. Head coach Lindsay Gottlieb was also able to rest her starters a bit in the second half, with no one playing more than 29 minutes.
That was especially important because up next, USC will enter a two-game stretch that could ultimately determine the Big Ten regular season title. The No. 7 Trojans will welcome No. 8 Ohio State to the Galen Center on Saturday evening, before hosting No. 1 UCLA the following week in what will be one of the biggest Crosstown Showdowns in a long time.
Fortunately for USC, after a travel-heavy January and early February, the Trojans will not have to leave the West Coast again until the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis next month. Four of the Trojans’ final six regular season games are at home, with the two road contests being at Washington next week and at UCLA to close out the regular season on March 1.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC restores order, beats Wisconsin with offensive balance
