University Southern California Trojans
Women Of Troy Upset No. 5 Stanford, 75-72
January 26, 2003 | Women's Basketball
Jan 26, 2003
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Rometra Craig scored nine of her 19 points in the final six minutes as the USC women's basketball team upset No. 5 Stanford 75-72 Sunday, ending the Cardinal's 28-game Pac-10 Conference winning streak.
Nicole Powell scored a season-high 34 points and Chelsea Trotter added 10 for Stanford (15-2, 7-1), which had won 10 straight overall.
Jessica Cheeks had 15 points, Meghan Gnekow 12 and Kim Gipson and Ebony Hoffman 10 each for the Women of Troy, who had lost 16 of their last 17 against Stanford.
The Trojans (9-11, 4-5) trailed only once, 60-58, then took the lead for good on Craig's 3-point basket with 5:56 to play.
Susan King's 3-pointer pulled the Cardinal to 66-64 with 3:41 left. But Craig made another 3-point shot and two free throws to give USC a 71-64 lead with 1:07 to play.
Ebony Hoffman's free throw completed a 6-0 run that put the Trojans ahead 72-66 with 45.3 seconds left. Stanford scored the game's final six points on Sebnem Kimyacioglu's 3-pointer with nine seconds left and Kelley Suminski's three free throws with four-tenths of a second remaining.
The Women of Troy led 49-35 at halftime, then were outscored 15-1 over the first 5:21 of the second half as the Cardinal moved into its first tie, 50-50, with 14:19 to play. Powell had three 3-point baskets and 11 points during the run.
Stanford tied the score twice more before taking its first lead on Powell's two free throws with 6:12 remaining.
USC scored the game's first 10 points and the Trojans shot a season-best 61 percent in the first half, making 20 of 33 shots. The 49 points were the most the Trojans had scored in a half this season and the most allowed by Stanford.
The Women of Troy pulled off the upset without starting guard Aisha Hollans. Hollans suffered a sprain to her right knee against Cal on Friday, Jan. 24, and was held out of today's game.
With its first Pac-10 sweep this season, USC now travels to face Washington and Washington State this Thursday, Jan. 30, and Saturday, Feb. 1.
