The Nebraska Cornhuskers lost to the USC Trojans on Monday at the Pinnacle Bank Arena with a final score of 74-66. For coach Amy Williams and her team, it wasn’t just about their first loss of the season, but it also ended their 12-game winning streak. It was a major setback as the Cornhuskers lost the game on their home turf, where they were accustomed to winning.

The loss has now put them in an emotional territory owing to the high standards set by their past performances. Williams’ post-match address reflected the team’s emotional state after the loss.

Amy Williams stated, “Yeah, I mean, they’re disappointed. That’s not a feeling we want to feel and particularly not here at Pinnacle Bank Arena. It’s something we take a lot of pride in trying to take care of business right here at home, and we had a chance.”

The coach’s statements put forward a harsh reality that the team had to accept. She was equally direct with her game analysis. She mentioned that Nebraska was not as sharp as it needed to be against a ranked opponent. Williams credited the Trojans for outbounding her team 38 to 25 with their physical movements on the court.

With an average of more than 80 points per game and a shooting rate reaching over 50 per cent from the field this season, Amy Williams still found her team struggling to maintain their usual performance against the USC. After having an 8-point lead in the first quarter (20-12), they lost momentum from the second quarter (18-24).

The turning point of the game came when the USC Trojans went on an 11-0 scoring run in a brief stint in the third quarter (29-14). After the end of the quarter, the Huskers were trailing far behind as the scoreboard read 52 to 65 in favor of the Trojans.

The Huskers dropped to 1-1 in the Big Tens, which could impact their chances in the postseason play. As for the USC Trojans, they improved 10-3 on the season with 2-0 in the Big Ten play. Their coach Lindsay Gottlieb was pleased with the team’s performance.

Lindsay Gottlieb analyzed what helped them against Amy Williams’ team

The Trojans started slow but were able to build their pace up as the game progressed. For USC, Londynn Jones dominated the most important third quarter of the match, scoring all of her 13 points for the Trojans in the same quarter. Jazzy Davidson [17 points] and Kennedy Smith [17 points] were the top scorers for the team. Their defense played an important role in cutting down the points gap between the teams not allowing the Huskers to score easily.

The USC Trojans’ coach discussed the importance of tackling Britt Prince to stop the Huskers’ momentum. Even though Britt ended up scoring 18 points and 7 assists, the Trojans’ strategy worked.

Gottlieb stated, “Obviously, she’s [Britt Prince] elite. But I think we tried to make it difficult for them [Nebraska Cornhuskers]. We tried to make catches tough. We tried to not to let them get anything in transition.”

The USC Trojans’ head coach also removed concerns surrounding Jazzy Davidson. After Davidson was subbed with 3:38 left in the third quarter, it immediately raised questions about a possible injury. Gottlieb, in her press address, explained that Davidson was subbed because of a cramping issue in her calf.

The USC Trojans will lock horns against the number 4-ranked UCLA Bruins on Sunday, January 3, 2026. On the other hand, the Cornhuskers will now face challenging opponents in their upcoming game. They will face the No. 14 Iowa Hawkeyes on January 1, 2026.