USC
Washington St
Women of Troy Defeat Cougars In Pac-10 Opener
January 07, 2000 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 7, 2000
Los Angeles -- Led by a record-breaking performance from three-point range by senior Erica Mashia, USC defeated Washington State, 71-61, tonight at the USC Lyon Center in front of 603. The win broke a six-game Pac-10 losing streak for the Women of Troy (dating back to Feb. 14, 1999), and a three-game losing streak for this season.
The Women of Troy improve to 6-5 overall and kick-off conference play with a 1-0 mark. The Cougars fall to 3-8 overall, 0-1 in the Pac-10, and drop their third-straight game.
Mashia had a career-best performance with six three-pointers (6-of-9), tieing USC's all-time program record and breaking the Pac-10 record for the 1999-2000 season. Senior forward Tiffany Washington, in her fifth start this season, led a nearly perfect Trojan display at the line. She accounted for 11-of-14 free throws, while tallying her first (and the Trojans' first) double-double this year (11 points, 11 rebounds). Erin Young, a freshman walk-on, made significant contributions for the Women of Troy, adding nine points in a season-high 21 minutes.
Washington State was led by a career-best performance from guard Jennifer Kerns who posted 25 points and added five assists. USC's defense held the Cougars to a season-low 19 points and 26.9 percent (7-of-26) shooting in the first half, as the Trojans entered the break with a 34-19 advantage. Sparked by Mashia's shooting performance from behind the arch, the Women of Troy were able to maintain control of the game, despite allowing Washington State to come within seven (44-37) with 12:28 remaining on the clock. After forcing 14 turnovers in the first half, USC was fell victim to 24 of their own in the game.
"Turnovers were our biggest indicator tonight that we weren't very sharp, especially in the second half," said head coach Chris Gobrecht. "We came out with a lot of fire in the game, but halfway through the game, we began to show how worn down we were after this week."
The Trojans have dedicated the 1999-2000 season to the memory of Barbara Williams, the program's administrative assistant for the past eight years, and will wear patches in her memory. Williams passed away on December 30, 1999. The Women of Troy will face Washington on Sunday (Jan. 9) at 2 p.m. at the USC Lyon Center.
-- GO SC --
