University Southern California Trojans
Women's Basketball Travels to Long Beach State
June 21, 1999 | Women's Basketball
December 1, 1998
Next Game - The Women of Troy travels to Long Beach State (2-2) on Saturday at 1 p.m. USC is looking to improve upon their 18-26 all-time series record and has a six match winning streak over the 49ers.
Last week - USC traveled to Cancun, Mexico to play in the Torneo Cancun de Basquetbol. On Friday (Nov. 27), USC fell to No. 9 Old Dominion, 73-61. Leading the battle for the Women of Troy was senior center Adrain Williams, who posted 17 points and 13 rebounds, while senior guard Kristin Clark and junior forward Tiffany Washington both scored 12 points. The team continued on to play Southwest Missouri State on Saturday (Nov. 28), losing 80-69. Clark contributed 21 points and sophomore guard Tiffany Elmore added 16 points. Williams collected 12 points and 15 rebounds.
1997-98 Recap - The women's basketball team, under head coach Chris Gobrecht, finished 12-15 overall and 7-11 in the Pacific-10 Conference in 1997-98. The team returns nine letterwinners, including four starters. The Women of Troy will look to senior guard Kristin Clark and senior center Adrain Williams to lead the team. Clark earned All-Pac-10 first team honors in 1997-98 and was USC's leading scorer. Williams earned All-Pac-10 honorable mention honors and was the team's leading rebounder and was second in scoring.
NCAA Women's Basketball West Regionals - The way to San Jose is through L.A. See who marches on to the Women's Basketball Final Four at the 1999 NCAA West Regional hosted by USC, March 20 & 22 at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.
Notes - USC returns nine players from last years squad that finished (12-15 overall, 7-11 sixth in the Pac-10). Junior guard Erica Mashia will not be returning to play due to a ACL injury. Mashia was expected make a miracle comeback this season after being forced to miss the 1997 and 1998 seasons with a career-threatening hip injury, was a Pac-10 freshman team selection in 1996 and is known for her abilities behind the three-point arc and free throw line. Junior guard Kim Clark, a midfielder for USC's soccer team, broke her leg in a soccer game (Nov. 1) and will be out indefinitely. Junior guard Kiyoko Miller, who underwent reconstructive surgery on her right shoulder, was expected to redshirt this season, but has joined the team and has appeared in three games already this season.
Chris Gobrecht - Twenty years after graduating from USC in 1977 to embark on a coaching career, Gobrecht returned to campus to take the helm of the Women of Troy basketball program. On May 8, 1997, she replaced Fred Williams, who left after two years as USC's coach.
Gobrecht, 42, who played basketball and volleyball while at USC, has been a head coach at the Division I level for 20 years, having guided programs at Cal State Fullerton (six years), Washington (11) and Florida State (one). She was a two-time Pacific-10 Coach of the Year (1987-88) with the Huskies and has amassed a 347-220 career mark.
She reached the 300-victory plateau on Jan. 19, 1995, at the age of 39, making her one of the youngest coaches to do so in America. Gobrecht is the second winningest coach in the Pac-10 after 12 years in the conference with a record of 149-77. She has also coached at the national and international levels. She was an assistant for a 1990 USA Basketball select team which traveled to Czechoslovakia and Italy.
In 1989, she led the East Team to a silver medal in the U.S. Olympic Festival. Under her maiden name of Chris Geiger, she was a three-year starter on USC's basketball team. She also played volleyball for the Women of Troy for two years. She received her bachelor's degree in public affairs from USC in 1977. Gobrecht has also had success sending her players to the next level.
Five of her former players at Washington are competing professionally in the United States. Four are in the ABL: Traci Thirdgill (1990), Colorado Xplosion; Karen Deden (1991), New England Blizzard; Rhonda Smith (1995) and Tara Davis (1994), Seattle Reign. Laure Savasta (1997) played for the Sacramento Monarchs of the WNBA.
Gobrecht's thoughts - "My years of experience tell me there is something there. The question is, how long it will take to find it. We have a lot of excitement about having a full squad this year. At this point everything is relative. Compared to a year ago, it's heaven."
Long Beach State - Long Beach State (2-2) is led by junior center Rhonda Smith, who is averaging 11.5 points per game and seven rebounds per game and junior forward Kesha Wade, who has 11.3 points per game and three rebounds per game. Head coach Dallas Boychuk is in her fourth season with the 49ers.
