University Southern California Trojans
USC Travels To Face Washington State And Washington
February 03, 2004 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 3, 2004
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THIS WEEK
Thursday, Feb. 5 - USC at Washington State
7 p.m. - Pullman, Wash.
GAMETRACKER: Follow the game at www.wsucougars.com
Saturday, Feb. 7 - USC at Washington
1 p.m. - Seattle, Wash.
INTERNET: Listen to the game at www.gohuskies.com
The Facts
The USC women's basketball team (11-8, 8-3 Pac-10) - looking to maintain its position among the top teams in the Pac-10 -- travels to the Pacific Northwest this week for games at Washington State (5-15, 1-10 Pac-10) and Washington (12-8, 5-6 Pac-10). The Women of Troy face the Cougars on Thursday, Feb. 5, at 7 p.m. in Pullman. Fans can follow the game online at www.wsucougars.com. USC travels to Seattle on Saturday, Feb. 7, for a 1 p.m. match-up against the Huskies. The game can be heard at www.gohuskies.com.
The Women of Troy are coming off a split against the Oregon schools last week. USC fell to Oregon State, 73-66, on Jan. 29, then bounced back to defeat Oregon, 71-56, on Jan. 31. Ebony Hoffman led the team with an average of 15.5 points per game thanks to a 61.1 shooting percentage from the field, 80.0 percent from three-point range (5-8) and 62.5 percent effort at the line in the two games. With the split, the Women of Troy remain in third place in the conference race - a half game ahead of second place and two games out of first.
Life on The Road
USC will play five of its final seven conference games on the road in the month of February. The Trojans travel to Washington State and Washington this week, return home to host Arizona State and Arizona next week, then finish the Pac-10 season with games at Stanford, California and UCLA.
The Last Time...
* The last time USC won a game in Seattle was on March 9, 2000. It is also the only win head coach Chris Gobrecht has garnered in Seattle since leaving the Huskies' program in 1996.
* The 2000 season also marked the last time USC swept both Washington State and Washington on the road.
* The last time USC dropped no more than three games this far into the conference season was in 1997. Under then-head coach Fred Williams, the Women of Troy finished 13-5 in the Pac-10 for third place. This is the best conference start for USC under Chris Gobrecht.
* Prior to USC's win over Stanford on Jan. 25, the last time USC defeated a ranked opponent was last season when the Trojans beat fifth-ranked Stanford 75-72 on Jan. 26, 2003. Ironically, the game was also played at the Sports Arena, the final margin of victory was also three points and the game was played exactly one year ago to the day.
In The Running
A loss to Oregon State was not the way USC intended to start the second half of the Pac-10 season, but the Trojans are not out of the race yet. USC is currently in third place with a 8-3 Pac-10 record - two games behind first-place Stanford (10-1), a half game behind second-place Arizona (8-2) and a half game ahead of fourth-place Arizona State (7-3).
Getting Some Attention
The Women of Troy have warranted some attention with their recent victories. USC received two votes in this week's USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll.
The Revolving Door
USC has 11 players that average more than 11 minutes per game and Ebony Hoffman is the only player who averages more than 25 minutes (Hoffman averages 29.1 mpg). So far this season, the Women of Troy have also utilized 10 different staring lineups.
Last Woman Standing
With 10 different starting lineups utilized this season, the only player to survive the rotations is sophomore forward/guard Meghan Gnekow. Gnekow has started all 19 games and ranks second on the team in rebounding (5.6 rpg) and third in scoring (7.1 ppg).
Against Ranked Opponents
USC's win over Stanford on Jan. 25 was its first over a ranked opponent this season. The Women of Troy are now 1-3 against top-25 teams, including the win over No. 6 Stanford (Jan. 25) and losses to No. 11 Minnesota (Nov. 29), No. 1 UConn (Dec. 7) and No. 14 Colorado (Dec. 20).
USC's strength of schedule is currently ranked No. 25 according to the Jan. 18 WBCA/Summerville RPI report, which also lists the Trojans as 44th in the RPI.
Game Recaps
vs. Oregon State -- USC fell to Oregon State, 73-66, on Jan. 29, putting an end to its three-game win streak. The Beavers shot 53.4 percent from the field, including a 75.0 percent (6-8) effort from three-point range. USC was held to 40.0 percent shooting from the field and a dismal 27.8 percent (5-18) from beyond the arch. USC trailed 38-35 at the half and was never able to put together a solid run in the second half to surpass the Beavers. OSU extended its lead to 12 points, 56-44, thanks to a series of shots by Leilani Estevan. Estevan hit a driving layup with 7:34 remaining to give Oregon State its largest lead of the game, 60-47. The two teams alternated shots on the following possessions until USC embarked on its strongest effort of the night. Ebony Hoffman hit back-to-back three-pointers and Meghan Gnekow answered with a lay-in to bring USC within four points, 70-66, with just under two minutes left on the clock. But that was as close as the Women of Troy would get. The Beavers continued to hit their shots down the stretch as USC struggled to make up for lost time. USC missed four three-point attempts in the final minute. Hoffman led with 19 points, Rometra Craig finished with 12 points and Gnekow added 10 points and led with nine rebounds.
vs. Oregon -- Jamie Funn posted her first career double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds as USC used a second-half surge to defeat Oregon, 71-56, on Jan. 31 in front of 4,078 at the Sports Arena. Rometra Craig led the Women of Troy with 18 points. The Women of Troy struggled to pull away from the Ducks in the first half, largely due to the absence of Ebony Hoffman. Hoffman was suspended for the first half of play for a violation of team policy. The two teams knotted the score seven times in the first 20 minutes, as USC entered the break with a one-point lead, 35-34. Oregon took a brief four-point lead at the start of the second half (38-42), but a jumper by Hoffman, who returned to the starting lineup after the break, turned things around for good. With 12:06 remaining, USC embarked on a 28-7 scoring spree that saw the Ducks go scoreless for more than four minutes at a time. Funn collected eight of her final 11 rebounds and 10 of her 13 points during the run. USC led by as much as 18 points, 69-51, at 1:27 en route to the final 71-56 victory.
Washington State Connections
* Washington State has two California natives on its roster - sophomore guard Charmaine Jones, who hails from Rolling Hills Prep in Los Angeles, and senior transfer Bianca McCall, a forward who attended Santa Rosa (Calif.) Junior College.
* Cougar head coach Sherri Murrell spent four seasons at Pacific prior to moving to Pullman, Wash. Murrell graduated from Pepperdine in 1991 and played two seasons for the Waves.
Washington Connections
* Washington and USC both faced Colorado and Notre Dame during the nonconference season. The Huskies beat Notre Dame 85-74 at home, but fell to the Buffaloes, 78-64, on the road.
* Freshman forward Katie Henderson hails from the state of Washington. Henderson was a standout at Redmond (Wash.) High.
* From 1986 to 1996, USC head coach Chris Gobrecht "put Washington women's basketball on the map. In 11 years (as Washington's head coach), she created a product that the city of Seattle embraced...," according to the Husky faithful. Gobrecht was the first women's basketball coach to lead the Huskies for five consecutive seasons, win 100 games, and reach the 300-win milestone in her career. She also became the winningest coach in Washington history in just her fourth season, and in 10 of the 11 years, her teams posted 17 or more wins.
* Washington also has two Southern California natives on its roster - Giuliana and Gioconda Mendiola who hail from Lake Forest and prepped at El Toro HS.
Youth Takes Over
Three freshmen - Eshaya Murphy, Jamie Funn and Jamie Hagiya - made the start against Arizona State on Jan. 17. For Murphy and Funn it marked the first start of their careers. It was Hagiya's second start this season. USC beat the Sun Devils that afternoon with three freshmen, one sophomore (Meghan Gnekow) and a senior (Ebony Hoffman). USC has maintained at least one freshman in the starting lineup since then. Funn and Murphy started against California (Jan. 23), Funn started against Stanford (Jan. 25) and Fun and Kerr got the nod against Oregon (Jan. 31).
A Narrow Gap Between Wins and Losses
Four of USC's five nonconference losses were by a total of 11 points (that's 2.7 points per game). More impressive is the fact that three of the four opponents - New Mexico, UConn, Colorado - have been ranked this season.
Win And Win Big
Nine of USC's 11 victories this season have come by an average of 17.3 points. USC's losses have come by an average of 8.0 points and five of the eight were lost by no more than five points. USC has earned all 11 victories by an average of 14.7 points per game.
Player News N' Notes
* Jamie Funn collected her first career double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds against Oregon on Jan. 31.
* Ebony Hoffman was named Pac-10 Player of the Week after guiding the Women of Troy to wins over Cal and Stanford on Jan. 23 and 25. She averaged a team-leading 15.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game, in addition to shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 92.3 percent at the line.
* Ebony Hoffman tied her career high with four blocks against Cal on Jan. 23.
* Eshaya Murphy posted eight steals at Arizona on Jan. 15 - the mark ties for eighth place among USC all-time game records.
* Jessica Cheeks tied her career high with eight assists against Washington State (Jan. 11).
* Meghan Gnekow collected a career-high 20 points at Notre Dame (Dec. 22).
* Kim Gipson collected a career-high four steals against Colorado on Dec. 20.
* Ebony Hoffman had her first double-double of the year with 18 points, 13 rebounds against SMU on Dec. 17.
* Meghan Gnekow tied her career-high with 10 rebounds against UConn (Dec. 7) and set a new career-high with five assists.
* Meghan Gnekow surpassed her career high with 10 rebounds and tied her career high with two blocks at New Mexico (Nov. 21).
* Tiffany Hicks collected a career-high five rebounds at New Mexico (Nov. 21).
Team News N' Notes
* With its win on Jan. 31, USC completed a season sweep of Oregon for the first time since the 2000 season and only the second time in the last 10 years.
* The Trojans held Cal to only 10 points in the first half on Jan. 23, marking the lowest first-half total ever for a USC opponent.
* Arizona's 65.9 field goal shooting percentage in the game on Jan. 15 marks the second-highest ever for a USC opponent. The Wildcats' 36 turnovers tied the eighth-most in Trojan history.
* USC's 49 points at the half, 29-point halftime margin, 65.6 first-half field goal percentage, 82 final points and 30-point margin of victory were all season highs against WSU on Jan. 11.
* The Women of Troy also shot over 50.0 percent from the field against the Cougars (Jan. 11) for only the second time this season.
* The Trojans held Washington (Jan. 9) to a season-low point total (50) and season-worst shooting percentage (39.2), in addition to forcing the Huskies into a season-high 22 turnovers. The USC win also broke the Trojans' six-game losing streak to Washington.
* USC shot above 50 percent for the first time this season with a 50.8 percent effort at Oregon in a 69-55 victory on Jan. 2.
* The Women of Troy earned the first five-of-10 women's basketball points towards the Lexus Gauntlet with a win over UCLA on Dec. 28.
* The win over San Diego on Dec. 13 marked the 800th game in USC program history.
* USC's loss to UConn in its home opener (Dec. 7) was only its third-ever home-opening loss.
* UConn's 15-point deficit (37-22) to USC during the first half was the largest disadvantage Connecticut has been in this season.
* A total of 6,172 fans were in attendance for the USC-UConn game on Dec. 7, marking the largest Trojan crowd since 1985 and the seventh-highest in program history. It also marked USC's largest women's-only crowd, due to the fact that the top six attended games listed were played as double headers with men's basketball.
* USC's five assists against Minnesota tie for seventh among program records for fewest assists in a game, and its 28 personal fouls tie for seventh-most. Minnesota's 29 fouls tie for 10th among opponent game records and its 38 free throws attempted rank 10th.
* Multiple marks were set in the USC record books against New Mexico (11/21): USC's 33 personal fouls tie for second-most and New Mexico's 33 free throws made and 43 free throw attempts rank fourth and second among opponent game records.
Opponent Notes
Washington State (5-15, 1-10 Pac-10) -- The Cougars are coming off their first conference victory, winning at California on Jan. 29, 64-59. WSU also fell to Stanford, 91-67, in last week's Bay Area series. After a promising nonconference season, in which the team posted a 4-5 overall record, Washington State has since gone 1-10 in conference play. The team is led by senior forward Bianca McCall, who was averaging 11.2 points per game off the bench. Freshman forward Kate Benz has emerged as the team rebounding leader in the last few games. She is averaging 6.4 boards per outing.
Head coach Sherri Murrell is in her second season at Washington State. She returned all five starters and eight total letterwinners from the 2002-03 squad that completed the year with a 2-26 overall record and 1-17 mark in the Pac-10 to finish last. The Cougars welcomed five newcomers this season.
USC-Washington State Series Record -- Thursday's game will mark the 38th meeting between these two teams. The first was in 1981-82 in a preseason game before the Cougars had joined the Pac-10. USC owns a 26-11 overall record against WSU and has won the last nine of 10 meetings. The Women of Troy defeated the Cougars three times last season, including a 53-46 win in the opening round of the 2003 Pac-10 Tournament. USC won the first meeting of 2004, 82-52 in Los Angeles. USC owns a 10-7 record when playing in Pullman.
Team ComparisonsTeam Ppg Margin FG% 3-FG% FT% Rpg Apg TOpg Spg BpgUSC 68.3 +5.2 39.8 30.0 69.2 39.1 14.1 20.2 11.6 2.5Washington St 57.5 -10.9 37.3 29.8 73.2 36.3 11.1 21.1 8.7 3.1Washington (12-8, 5-6 Pac-10) -- After earning a 7-2 record in nonconference games, the Huskies enters Friday's match-up with a 5-6 mark in the Pac-10. UW split last week's games in the Bay Area with a loss to Stanford, 85-59, and a win over California, 72-67. Its Pac-10 wins have come against Cal, Oregon, Oregon State and Washington State. The team is led on all fronts by senior guard Giuliana Mendiola who is averaging 19.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Center Andrea Lalum is the only other player averaging double-digits with 16.2 points per game, in addition to contributing 5.6 boards per outing.
Washington State Probable StartersNo. Name Pos. Ht. ppg rpg apg spg24 Adriane Ferguson Forward 6-0 5.1 3.5 1.0 0.932 Kate Benz Forward 6-2 8.5 6.4 1.3 1.344 Candace Fields Center 6-2 5.1 4.6 0.8 0.521 Lindsey Egeland Guard 5-9 5.9 2.3 1.4 1.110 Stephanie Singer Guard 5-7 3.7 1.4 2.1 0.8
Eighth-year head coach June Daugherty returned three starters and seven total letterwinners this season, in addition to welcoming three newcomers. The Huskies advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2002-03 and completed the season with a 22-8 overall record and 13-5 mark in the Pac-10 to tie for second place.
USC-Washington Series Record -- Washington is one of two Pac-10 schools (Stanford is the other) to own a winning record against USC. Since their first meeting in 1986-87, the Trojans have posted a 14-23 mark against the Huskies. USC owns a 4-14 record in Seattle. USC defeated Washington, 70-50, on Jan. 9, breaking a six-game losing streak to the Huskies.
Team ComparisonsTeam Ppg Margin FG% 3-FG% FT% Rpg Apg TOpg Spg BpgUSC 68.3 +5.2 39.8 30.0 69.2 39.1 14.1 20.2 11.6 2.5Washington 74.0 +6.8 44.8 36.9 69.2 37.6 18.1 15.2 8.1 3.4Player Profiles
Washington Probable StartersNo. Name Pos. Ht. ppg rpg apg spg3 Breanne Watson Forward 6-1 6.9 4.2 0.9 1.25 Andrea Lalum Center 6-4 16.2 5.6 1.2 0.813 Giuliana Mendiola Guard 5-11 19.5 6.2 5.8 1.831 Gioconda Mendiola Guard 5-6 8.2 2.5 3.9 1.555 Cameo Hicks Guard 5-10 6.4 3.3 1.5 0.6
#2 Jamie Hagiya (Point Guard * Freshman)
Jamie Hagiya enters her first season at USC... A much-needed player at the point guard position whose leadership capabilities and work ethic may give her an active role in the lineup this season... As a senior at South Torrance (Calif.) High, she led all Southern California prepsters with an 87.7 free throw percentage... One of four USC freshman who served as student body president or vice president in 2003.
This Season (2 games started, 19 games played):
at New Mexico (11/21): 5 points (2-4), 1 rebound, 2 steals... vs. Seton Hall (11/28): 3 points (1-1), 3 assists... vs. Minn. (11/29): 12 points (4-18), 1 rebound, 2 assists, 3 steals, hit halfcourt shot as clock ran down in the first half... vs. UConn (12/7): 7 points (2-5), 4 assists, 1 steal... vs. San Diego (12/13): 9 points (4-7), 2 assists, 3 steals... vs. SMU (12/17): made first career start, 8 points (4-9), 1 rebound, 4 assists, 3 steals... vs. Colorado (12/20): 4 points (2-5), 1 rebound, 3 assists, 2 steals... at Notre Dame (12/22): 2 points (1-5), 2 rebounds, 3 assists... vs. UCLA (12/28): 2 points (1-5), 3 rebounds, 3 assists... at Oregon (1/2): 7 points (3-5), 1 assist, 1 steal... at OSU (12/4): 4 points (0-4), 3 assists, 2 steals... vs. Wash (1/9): 12 points (3-7), 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal... vs. WSU (1/11): 10 points (4-5), 1 rebound, 6 assists, 2 steals... at Arizona (1/15): 3 rebounds, 1 assist... at ASU (1/17): started, 10 points (1-3), 4 assists, 3 steals... vs. Cal (1/23): 5 points (1-1), 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal... vs. Stanford (1/25): 2 points (0-2), 1 assist... vs. OSU (1/29): 6 points (1-2), 1 rebound, 1 assist... vs. Oregon (1/31): 8 points (3-5), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals...
#3 Rometra Craig (Guard * Senior)
Rometra Craig begins her second season with the Women of Troy... A 2003 All-Pac-10 honorable mention pick... Averaged 13.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.4 steals last season, while leading the team with 34 three-pointers... A returning starter.
This Season (15 games started, 19 games played):
at New Mexico (11/21): started, 11 points (3-13), 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals... vs. Seton Hall (11/28): started, 18 points (7-13), 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals... vs. Minn. (11/29): started, 11 points (4-11), 1 rebound, 3 steals, 1 block... Named to Junkanoo Jam All-Tournament team... vs. UConn (12/7): started, 8 points (4-11), 1 steal... vs. San Diego (12/13): 7 poinst (2-7), 1 rebound, 2 assists, 2 steals... vs. SMU (12/17): 15 points (6-12), 2 rebounds, 4 steals... vs. Colorado (12/20): started, 9 points (2-6), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal... at Notre Dame (12/22): started, 10 points (4-13), 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals... vs. UCLA (12/28): started, 8 points (3-8), 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals... at Oregon (1/2): started, 15 points (7-11), 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals... at OSU (12/4): started, 8 points (3-9), 1 rebound, 2 assists, 4 steals... vs. Wash (1/9): started, 13 points (3-10), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 steal... vs. WSU (1/11): started, 11 points (5-10), 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 steals... at Arizona (1/15): started, 6 points (2-13), 5 rebounds, 1 assists, 3 steals... at ASU (1/17): 11 points (4-7), 2 rebounds, 2 steals... vs. Cal (1/23): 19 points (7-14), 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 5 steals... vs. Stanford (1/25): started, 8 points (3-10), 1 rebound, 1 assist... vs. OSU (1/29): started, 12 points (5-12), 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal... vs. Oregon (1/31): started, 18 points (7-19), 2 rebounds, 5 assists...
#5 Meghan Gnekow (Guard * Sophomore)
Meghan Gnekow enters her second season at USC... Played mainly at off the bench last season at the shooting guard and small forward positions... Averaged 6.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.4 blocks per game in 2002-03.
This Season (19 games started, 19 games played):
at New Mexico (11/21): started, 14 points (1-5), career-high 10 rebounds, 3 assists, tied career high 2 blocks... vs. Seton Hall (11/28): started, 7 points (2-7), 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 steal... vs. Minn. (11/29): started, 5 points (2-6), 7 rebounds, 2 steals.. vs. UConn (12/7): started, 7 points (3-7), tied career-high 10 rebounds, career-high 5 assists, 2 steals... vs. San Diego (12/13): started, 14 points (5-9), 6 rebounds, 2 assists... vs. SMU (12/17): started, 14 points (5-8), 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal... vs. Colorado (12/20): started, 2 points (1-4), 5 rebounds, 1 assist... at Notre Dame (12/22): started, career-high 20 points (8-11), 1 rebound... vs. UCLA (12/28): started, 5 points (2-9), 3 rebounds, 2 steals... at Oregon (1/2): started, 7 points (3-7), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal... at OSU (12/4): started, 1 rebound... vs. Wash (1/9): started, 9 points (4-8), 8 rebounds, 1 steal... vs. WSU (1/11): started, 2 points (1-4), 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block... at Arizona (1/15): started, 7 points (3-6), 5 rebounds... at ASU (1/17): started, 10 points (3-8), 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 1 steal... vs. Cal (1/23): started, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal... vs. Stanford (1/25): started, 3 points (1-2), 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal... vs. OSU (1/29): started, 10 points (3-6), 9 rebounds, 1 assist... vs. Oregon (1/31): started, 9 points (4-10), 6 rebounds, 1 assist...
#10 Jessica Cheeks (Guard * Junior)
Jessica Cheeks enters her fourth season with the Women of Troy, but will not join the team until the conclusion of the fall semester as an extension of her 10-game hiatus from the 2003 season... Played 22 games last season and averaged 8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.0 steals per game... A returning starter.
This Season (1 game started, 13 games played):
Missed first six games due to suspension granted in 2003 season... vs. Colorado (12/20): made first appearance of season, 7 points (2-4), 3 rebounds, 1 steal... at Notre Dame (12/22): 11 points (4-8), 4 assists... vs. UCLA (12/28): started, 17 points (6-11), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal... at Oregon (1/2): 5 points (2-3), 2 rebounds... at OSU (12/4): 5 points (2-7), 2 rebounds, 1 assist... vs. Wash (1/9): 8 points (3-6), 3 steals... vs. WSU (1/11): 9 points (4-4), tied career high with 8 assists, 2 steals... at Arizona (1/15): 7 points (3-16), 5 rebounds... at ASU (1/17): 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal... vs. Cal (1/23): 5 points (2-4), 2 rebounds, 1 block, 2 steals... vs. Stanford (1/25): 8 points (3-6), 3 rebounds, 3 assists... vs. OSU (1/29): 3 points (0-8), 1 rebound, 3 assists, 1 block, 4 steals... vs. Oregon (1/31): 2 points (1-6), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal......
#14 Eshaya Murphy (Guard * Freshman)
Eshaya Murphy enters her first season with the Women of Troy... Also goes by "Shay"... As a senior at Montclair Prep in Van Nuys, she finished among the CIF Southern Section's top 25 in scoring, rebounding and steals... She was a two-time Street & Smith All-American honorable mention and the 2003 CIF Southern Section Player of the Year... One of four USC freshman who served as student body president or vice president in 2003.
This Season (2 games started, 19 games played):
at New Mexico (11/21): 5 points (2-6), 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal... vs. Seton Hall (11/28): 8 points (2-5), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal... vs. Minn. (11/29): 5 points (1-5), 1 rebound, 1 steal... vs. UConn (12/7): 13 points (5-10), 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal... vs. San Diego (12/13): DNP (flu)... vs. SMU (12/17): 2 points (1-7), 5 rebounds... vs. Colorado (12/20): 13 points (5-14), 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 steals... at Notre Dame (12/22): 2 points (0-7), 2 assists, 1 steal... vs. UCLA (12/28): 1 rebound... at Oregon (1/2): played four minutes... at OSU (12/4): 10 points (4-6), 1 rebound, 3 steals... vs. Wash (1/9): 11 points (4-9), 4 rebounds, 4 steals... vs. WSU (1/11): 5 points (1-6), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal... at Arizona (1/15): 15 points (3-11), 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 8 steals (ties for eighth among USC's single game records)... at ASU (1/17): made first career start, 11 points (5-11), 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals... vs. Cal (1/23): started, 6 points (3-6), 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals... vs. Stanford (1/25): 7 points (3-9), 9 rebounds, 1 steal... vs. OSU (1/29): 1 rebound, 1 steal... vs. Oregon (1/31): 4 points (2-4), 1 rebound, 1 assist...
#15 Markisha Lea (Center * Freshman)
Markisha Lea enters her first season with the Women of Troy... A Street & Smith honorable mention pick... One of four USC freshman who served as student body president or vice president in 2003... Her brother, Marvin, is currently a redshirt freshman on the Pepperdine men's basketball team.
This Season (2 games played):
at New Mexico (11/21): DNP... vs. Seton Hall (11/28): DNP... vs. Minn. (11/29): DNP... vs. UConn (12/7): DNP... vs. San Diego (12/13): 2 points... vs. SMU (12/17): DNP... vs. Colorado (12/20): DNP... at Notre Dame (12/22): DNP... vs. UCLA (12/28): DNP... at Oregon (1/2): DNP... at OSU (12/4): DNP... vs. Wash (1/9): DNP... vs. WSU (1/11): scored 8 points (4-5) in the final 3 minutes, 1 rebound... at Arizona (1/15): DNP... at ASU (1/17): DNP... vs. Cal (1/23): DNP... vs. Stanford (1/25): DNP... vs. OSU (1/29): DNP... vs. Oregon (1/31): DNP...
#22 Allison Jaskowiak (Guard/Forward * Freshman)
Allison Jaskowiak begins her first season at USC... A player capable of playing at the 2, 3 and 4 positions... One of four USC freshman who served as student body president or vice president in 2003... Comes from a long-line of athletes: her grandfather played 10 years in the NBA, father played football at Missouri, brother played football at Navy and sister, Emily, is currently a junior forward at Tulsa.
This Season (1 game played):
at New Mexico (11/21): DNP... vs. Seton Hall (11/28): DNP... vs. Minn. (11/29): DNP... vs. UConn (12/7): DNP... vs. San Diego (12/13): 3 minutes played... vs. SMU (12/17): DNP... vs. Colorado (12/20): DNP... at Notre Dame (12/22): DNP... vs. UCLA (12/28): DNP... at Oregon (1/2):DNP... at OSU (12/4): DNP... injured Jan. 8 through Jan. 17... vs. Cal (1/23): DNP... vs. Stanford (1/25): DNP... vs. OSU (1/29): DNP... vs. Oregon (1/31): DNP...
#24 Tiffany Hicks (Point Guard * Senior)
Tiffany Hicks begins her fourth season at USC... A 2002 junior college transfer... The only true returning point guard... Made 15 starts last season and averaged 2.0 points, 2.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
This Season (17 games started, 19 games played):
at New Mexico (11/21): started, 4 points (1-4), career-high 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal... vs. Seton Hall (11/28): started, 4 points (1-1), 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal... vs. Minn. (11/29): started, 2 points (1-1), 1 rebound, 1 assist... vs. UConn (12/7): started, 3 points (1-2), 1 assist, 1 steal... vs. San Diego (12/13): started, 3 points (1-2), 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 steals... vs. SMU (12/17): did not start due to mildly sprained right knee, played 11 minutes... vs. Colorado (12/20): started, 8 points (3-3), 1 rebound, 1 assist... at Notre Dame (12/22): started, 2 assists, 1 steal... vs. UCLA (12/28): started, 1 point (0-0), 1 rebound, 3 assists... at Oregon (1/2): started, 3 rebounds, 2 assists... at OSU (12/4): started, 3 points (1-1), 1 assist... vs. Wash (1/9): started, 2 points (1-2), 1 rebound... vs. WSU (1/11): started, 2 rebounds, 3 steals... at Arizona (1/15): started, 3 points (1-2)... at ASU (1/17): started, 3 points (1-2), 1 rebound, 3 assists, 1 steal... vs. Cal (1/23): started, 9 points (3-5), 2 assists... vs. Stanford (1/25): started, 5 points (1-4), 3 rebounds, 1 assist... vs. OSU (1/29): started, 2 points (1-1), 1 rebound, 3 assists... vs. Oregon (1/31): started, 3 rebounds, 2 assists...
#30 Katie Henderson (Forward * Freshman)
Katie Henderson begins her first season at USC... A multi-sport athlete with good size and shooting ability... Will have the opportunity to contribute off the bench for the Women of Troy this season.
This Season (2 games played):
at New Mexico (11/21): DNP... vs. Seton Hall (11/28): DNP... vs. Minn. (11/29): DNP... vs. UConn (12/7): DNP... vs. San Diego (12/13): 3 minutes played... vs. SMU (12/17): DNP... vs. Colorado (12/20): DNP... at Notre Dame (12/22): DNP... vs. UCLA (12/28): DNP... at Oregon (1/2): DNP... at OSU (12/4): DNP... vs. Wash (1/9): DNP... vs. WSU (1/11): played 3 minutes, 1 rebound... at Arizona (1/15): DNP... at ASU (1/17): DNP... vs. Cal (1/23): DNP... vs. Stanford (1/25): DNP... vs. OSU (1/29): DNP... vs. Oregon (1/31): DNP...
#32 Ebony Hoffman (Forward * Senior)
Ebony Hoffman enters her fourth season with the Women of Troy... One of the most dominating post players in the conference who has already enjoyed three outstanding seasons at USC... Named to the 2003 All-Pac-10 First Team and a WBCA All-District 8 selection after leading the team with 16.3 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.5 steals, 2.3 assists and 1.1 blocks per game last season... Already selected to three Preseason All-America lists for 2004... A returning starter in the post.
This Season (18 games started, 19 games played):
at New Mexico (11/21): started, 19 points (8-14), 3 rebounds, 1 block... vs. Seton Hall (11/28): started, 20 points (5-12), 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 4 steals... vs. Minn. (11/29): started, 10 points (4-15), 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 6 steals... vs. UConn (12/7): DNP... vs. UConn (12/7): started, 15 points (5-13), 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals... vs. San Diego (12/13): started, 14 points (4-9), 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 6 steals... vs. SMU (12/17): started, double-double with 18 points (7-14), 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 3 steals... vs. Colorado (12/20): started, 13 points (4-9), 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal... at Notre Dame (12/22): started, double-double with 14 points (5-8), 16 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal... vs. UCLA (12/28): started, double-double with 17 points (5-14), 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals... at Oregon (1/2): started, double-double with 25 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 1 steal... at OSU (12/4): started, double-double with 14 points (7-20), 16 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks, 1 steal... vs. Wash (1/9): started, 8 points (3-9), 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, 1 steal... vs. WSU (1/11): started, 16 points (6-10), 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal... at Arizona (1/15): started, 17 points (7-10), 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals... at ASU (1/17): started, 9 points (3-11), 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals... vs. Cal (1/23): staretd, 15 points (5-9), 5 rebounds, 1 assists, career-high 4 blocks, 1 steal... vs. Stanford (1/25): started, 16 points (4-12), 9 rebounds, 4 steals... Named Pac-10 Player of the Week (Jan. 26)... vs. OSU (1/29): started, 19 points (6-10), 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 steals... vs. Oregon (1/31): suspended for first half (violation of team policy), 12 points (5-8), 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block...
#33 Rachel Woodward (Forward * Junior)
Rachel Woodward enters her third season with the Women of Troy... A 2002 Pac-10 All-Freshman team selection... Made 29 starts and averaged 10.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game last season... A talented passer who works well in transition and possesses strong rebounding skills... A returning starter.
This Season (3 games started, 19 games played):
at New Mexico (11/21): 9 points (4-9), 2 rebounds, 2 assists... vs. Seton Hall (11/28): 2 points (0-3), 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 steals... vs. Minn. (11/29): 1 point (0-3, 1-2 FT), 2 rebounds... vs. UConn (12/7): started, 8 points (4-7), 3 rebounds, 2 assists... vs. San Diego (12/13): started, 16 points (6-11), 4 rebounds, 3 assists... vs. SMU (12/17): started, 2 points (1-4), 3 rebounds, 2 assists... vs. Colorado (12/20): 3 points (1-6), 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 1 steal... at Notre Dame (12/22): 2 rebounds... vs. UCLA (12/28): 3 points (1-5), 7 rebounds, 1 assist... at Oregon (1/2): 3 rebounds... at OSU (12/4): 4 points (2-3), 5 rebounds... vs. Wash (1/9): 4 points (2-2), 1 rebound... vs. WSU (1/11): 6 points (2-3), 1 assist... at Arizona (1/15): 2 points (0-4), 3 rebounds, 1 steal... at ASU (1/17): 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block... vs. Cal (1/23): 2 points (1-3), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals... vs. Stanford (1/25): played 8 minutes... vs. OSU (1/29): 6 points (3-6), 1 rebound... vs. Oregon (1/31): 2 rebounds, 1 assist...
#41 Jamie Funn (Center * Freshman)
Jamie Funn enters her first season with the Women of Troy... A three-time Street & Smith honorable mention selection... A fellow Narbonne High standout, along with current teammates Ebony Hoffman and Jessica Cheeks... Her sister, Nicole, is currently a senior guard on the Pepperdine women's basketball team... A versatile forward with great reach.
This Season (4 games started, 19 games played):
at New Mexico (11/21): 2 points (1-5), 6 rebounds, 1 assist... vs. Seton Hall (11/28): 4 points (2-5), 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals... vs. Minn. (11/29): 6 points (0-0, 6-8 FT), 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal... vs. UConn (12/7): 2 points (1-3), 2 rebounds... vs. San Diego (12/13): 4 points (2-5), 2 rebounds, 1 assist... vs. SMU (12/17): 1 rebound, 2 assists... vs. Colorado (12/20): 3 rebounds... at Notre Dame (12/22): played 2 minutes... vs. UCLA (12/28): 9 points (4-8), 6 rebounds, 1 steal... at Oregon (1/2): 6 points (3-5), 4 rebounds... at OSU (12/4): 6 points (2-14), 10 rebounds... vs. Wash (1/9): 3 points (1-5), 3 rebounds, 1 steal... vs. WSU (1/11): 5 rebounds... at Arizona (1/15): 2 points (1-2)... at ASU (1/17): made first career start, 6 points (3-7), 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 1 steal... vs. Cal (1/23): started, 5 points (1-1), 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal... vs. Stanford (1/25): started, 8 points (3-7), 5 rebounds... vs. OSU (1/29): 4 points (2-3), 1 rebound... vs. Oregon (1/31): started, first career double-double with 13 points (6-10), 11 rebounds, 1 assist...
#44 Kim Gipson (Center * Junior)
Kim Gipson begins her third season with the Women of Troy... At 6-foot-5, she is the tallest player on the USC roster... A fast and mobile player, who can run the court well... She played in all 31 games last season and averaged 3.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.4 steals and 0.2 blocks per game.
This Season (10 games started, 19 games played):
at New Mexico (11/21): started, 6 points (3-9), 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal... vs. Seton Hall (11/28): started, 1 assist... vs. Minn. (11/29): started, 7 points (3-6), 5 rebounds... vs. UConn (12/7): 3 points (1-2), 1 rebound, 1 assist... vs. San Diego (12/13): started, 2 points (0-1), 2 rebounds, 1 assist... vs. SMU (12/17): started, 4 points (2-4), 1 rebound... vs. Colorado (12/20): started, 2 points (1-3), 1 rebound, career-high 4 steals... at Notre Dame (12/22): started, 3 points (1-3), 4 rebounds... vs. UCLA (12/28): 2 points (1-3), 1 rebound... at Oregon (1/2): started, 2 points (1-5), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal... at OSU (12/4): started, 11 points (4-5), 4 rebounds... vs. Wash (1/9): 2 rebounds, 1 assist... vs. WSU (1/11): 4 points (2-5), 4 rebounds, 1 steal... at Arizona (1/15): 5 points (2-3), 1 rebound, 3 assists, 3 steals... at ASU (1/17): 2 points (1-2), 2 rebounds... vs. Cal (1/23): 2 points (1-2)... vs. Stanford (1/25): 2 points (1-2), 2 rebounds... vs. OSU (1/29): started, 2 points (1-1)... vs. Oregon (1/31): 3 points (0-3), 3 rebounds, 1 steal...
#50 Chlo? Kerr (Center * Freshman)
Chlo? Kerr enters her first season with the Women of Troy... A three-time Street & Smith honorable mention pick, who was ranked 33rd among prep recruits in 2003... Will be looked to for much-needed depth in the post... Her father and uncle both played basketball at Colorado State, one brother played football at Tennessee and another brother played basketball at Loyola-Chicago.
This Season (4 games started, 17 games played):
at New Mexico (11/21): 10 points (4-10), 9 rebounds, 1 block... vs. Seton Hall (11/28): 4 points (1-5), 1 rebound, 1 assist, 3 steals... vs. Minn. (11/29): 2 points (1-3), 1 rebound, 1 steal... vs. UConn (12/7): 3 points (1-6), 3 rebounds... vs. San Diego (12/13): 11 points (5-11), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal... vs. SMU (12/17): 1 point (0-4), 1 rebound... vs. Colorado (12/20): 6 points (3-4), 1 block... at Notre Dame (12/22): 2 rebounds, 3 blocks... vs. UCLA (12/28): played 2 minutes... at Oregon (1/2): 2 points (0-1), 1 assist, 1 block... at OSU (12/4): 2 points (0-1)... vs. Wash (1/9): started, 2 rebounds... vs. WSU (1/11): made career first start, 11 points (5-9), 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 steals... at Arizona (1/15): started, 1 rebound... at ASU (1/17): started, 6 points (3-5), 1 assist, 1 block, 1 steal... vs. Cal (1/23): started, 4 points (2-4), 3 rebounds... vs. Stanford (1/25): 3 rebounds, 1 assist... vs. OSU (1/29): 2 points (0-2), 2 rebounds, 1 assist... vs. Oregon (1/31): started, 2 points (1-2), 1 rebound, 1 assist...
