Clemson women win Shot Wave, USC wins in March Madness thriller.

Clemson's Mia Moore attempted a game-winning 3-pointer, but it was blocked and Clemson lost in overtime to USC.

Clemson-Winning Shot Blown USC Women Win in Overtime

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Clemson guard Mia Moore's march was short-lived.

With No. 8 Clemson and No. 9 USC tied at 61 with four seconds left in regulation, Clemson's Raven Thompson passed the ball to Moore for the final possession.Moore took the ball down the court in the final seconds to run down the clock and made a desperate shot beyond the three-point line.

Moore's long 3-pointer went wide as the final buzzer sounded.Moore's teammates took the court and hugged when they thought momentarily Moore's buzzer-beater punched his ticket to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Women's NCAA tournament.

But the Tigers' celebration was cut short.

The refs went to the spotter to see if Moore had taken the shot before time expired.The refs also looked to see if Moore was fouled on USC guard Jazzy Davidson's shot.Moore collided with Davidson during the shooting attempt after she jumped to her feet.

In the end, Moore's shot was cleared and there was no foul.The referee ruled that the ball was still in Moore's hands at the buzzer and that he had been fouled after the game ended.Clemson fans booed wildly at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina, when the news was delivered.

"Tough, tough day for the Tigers," Clemson coach Shawn Poppy said after the game."Unfortunately today, Southern Cal owned one or .1 seconds better than us."

The first round NCAA Tournament game ended in overtime.USC outscored Clemson 10-6 in overtime to record its third straight first-round victory, 71-67.Davidson scored 31 points on 13-28 shooting from the field and 4-10 from the 3-point line in his first game in March Madness.

Moore finished with nine points in the loss, shooting 2-12 from the field and 2-5 from the 3-point line.

"I feel like we definitely shocked the world this season," said Moore, one of six transfers on the Tigers' roster this season."A lot of people doubted us, but we set the standard, and that's who Clemson is going to be moving forward."

Davidson said USC went into overtime with the mindset of "doing what our coaches tell us to the best of our ability. They made great plays and you're going to be executed really well."

Davidson added that the "motivation from my teammates and coaches every day at practice" helped her start March Madness."I mean, I have great people around me, and it's true. Honestly, I couldn't have done it without them," she said.

No. 9 USC will face No. 1 South Carolina in the second round.

Contact USA TODAY national women's sports correspondent Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at @CydHenderson.

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