University Southern California Trojans
Women's Hoops Hosts Santa Barbara
June 21, 1999 | Women's Basketball
December 23, 1998
LOS ANGELES
The Women of Troy (4-4) will host Santa Barbara (6-3) on
Tuesday (Dec. 29) at 5:30 p.m. The Women of Troy are 8-9 in the
all-time series with the Gauchos.
Santa Barbara
The Gauchos, under 12th-year coach Mark French, are 6-3
overall and have not started Big West conference play. Santa Barbara is
led by sophomore guard Erin Buescher, who is a averaging a team-high
16.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. Junior forward Kristi Rohr is
scoring 16.2 per game. Last year, USC took a 61-79 loss in Santa
Barbara, ending a seven game Women of Troy streak over the Gauchos.
LAST GAME
Senior point guard Kristin Clark had a team-high 17 points,
including 12 in the second half and freshman guard Tiffany Elmore
contributed 16 points in the 86-76 loss to Western Kentucky. Junior
forward Tiffany Washington added 12 points and six rebounds, while
senior center Adrain Williams scored 15 points.
Notes
Junior forward Aimee Copp will suit up for the Dec. 29 game
against UC Santa Barbara. She has transferred to USC from Fullerton
College where she earned 1998 Orange Empire Conference first-team honors
and averaged 16.4 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Copp figures to add
a strong rebounding and inside scoring presence for the Women of Troy.
MISSING IN ACTION
The Women of Troy have been shorthanded since the
preseason began, for a variety of reasons. Junior guard Kiyoko Miller
sprained her right shoulder in practice, her status is uncertain for the
season. Junior guard Erica Mashia will not be returning to play due to
an ACL injury. Mashia was expected to make a miracle comeback this
season after being forced to miss the 1997 and 1998 seasons with a
career-threatening hip injury. She 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.
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 USCs 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 348-222 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 153-81. 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.
KRISTIN CLARK
Senior guard Kristin Clark is off to a quick start this
season averaging 17.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg and 3.38 apg. She is fifth in the
Pac-10 in scoring and fourth in steals. Clark had 17 points against
Western Kentucky (12/20). She collected 21 points, four assists and four
steals against Cal State Northridge. She scored a game-high 24 points
and had three assists and three steals in USC's 86-71 victory over Drake
(Nov. 25). Clark had 21 points against Southwest Missouri State (Nov.
28). Clark was USC's leading scorer in the 1997-98 season, averaging
16.0 ppg. She is currently second on the Women of Troy's career
three-point chart, needing only two three-pointers to takethe top spot
currently held by Tammy Story. Clark was a 1998 All-Pac-10 selection.
Adrain Williams
Senior center Adrain Williams is USC's second leading
scorer this season with 110 points. She is averaging 15.7 ppg, 11.1 rpg
and 2.29 apg. Williams is second in the Pac-10 in rebounds. Williams is
11th in the nation in rebounding. She had her fifth double-double of the
season against Cal State Northridge (Dec. 12) with 11 points and 14
rebounds. Williams had a game-high 22 points and seven rebounds against
her hometown school Fresno State (Nov. 22). She posted a team-high 16
points and collected 11 rebounds against Long Beach State (Dec. 5).
Williams earned All-Pac-10 honorable mention honors during the 1997-98
season.
Tiffany Washington
Junior forward Tiffany Washington is a force in the
paint at both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. She has 8.7
ppg and 6.1 rpg this season. Washington collected 10 points and seven
rebounds in the victory over Cal State Northridge (Dec. 12). Against
Drake (Nov. 25), Washington had 11 points, five rebounds and five
steals. She had 12 points and four rebounds in the game against
Southwest Missouri State (Nov. 28). Washington started in 24 games for
the Women of Troy in the 1997-98 season and collected 8.9 ppg and 6.1
rpg.
Tashara Carter
Sophomore forward Tashara Carter continues to hold the
starting position she earned as a freshman last season. She is averaging
6.9 ppg and 5.0 rpg this season. In the victory over Cal State
Northridge (Dec. 12), Carter had six points and five rebounds. Carter
had 14 points and 11 rebounds in USC's victory over Boise State (Nov.
19) and had 10 points and six rebounds against Fresno State (Nov. 22).
Carter was a 1998 All-Pac-10 freshman team honorable mention selection.
Tiffany Elmore
Freshman Tiffany Elmore has earned a starting guard
position for the Women of Troy this season. Elmore is the teams leading
scorer with 13.0 points per game and has 4.0 rebounds per game. She
scored 10 points and had four rebounds against Cal State Northridge
(Dec. 12). In her opening game for USC she scored 11 points against
Boise State (Nov. 19). Elmore had a career-high 24 points and five
rebounds in the game against Drake (Nov. 25). As a 1998 senior, Elmore
was a Student Sports All-State first team selection and the Sacramento
Bee's All-Area Player of the Year.
Kiyoko Miller
Junior guard Kiyoko Miller sprained her right shoulder
in practice last week, her status for the rest of the season is
questionable. She has been averaging 3.8 ppg for USC this season. Miller
started in 21 games for USC last season, averaging 7.5 ppg. Carmen
Krause Freshman forward Carmen Krause adds depth to the USC roster,
providing size and quickness in the paint and a knack for rebounding.
Krause is averaging 3.3 ppg and 2.5 rpg. Krause had nine points against
Cal State Northridge (Dec. 12). She collected nine points and nine
rebounds against Long Beach State (Dec. 5). Krause comes to USC from
Prescott, Arizona where she was a 1998 All-State second team selection
and All-Area Player of the Year.
Camille Norwood
Freshman guard Camille Norwood adds good ball handling
skills and a nice offensive touch. Norwood has played in all seven games
this season and has eight points and seven rebounds. Norwood was a
All-City Section 4-A first team selection and was named 1998 L.A. Times
Central City Player of the Year. She averaged 24.5 ppg as a senior at
Washington HS (Los Angeles, Calif.).
Whitney Houser
Sophomore forward Whitney Houser add depth to the Women
of Troy roster with her quickness and hustle on the court. She is
averaging 3.2 ppg and 1.7 rpg this season. Houser posted six points and
four rebounds against Cal State Northridge (Dec. 12). She had nine
points and five rebounds in the game against Boise State (Nov. 19). In
the 1997-98 season, Houser averaged 5.1 ppg and 3.0 rpg.
Adria Sneed
Senior forward Adria Sneed continues to serve as a reserve
and is a solid rebounding force. In her junior season with the Women of
Troy, Sneed averaged 2.0 ppg and 1.7 rpg.
SCHEDULE
USC will face 5 schools that were either ranked or received
votes in the Preseason AP Top 25. They are Stanford, Arizona, Oregon,
UCLA and Washington.
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.
