University Southern California Trojans
USC
Arizona State (Quarterfinals)
Women of Troy Dish Out Upset Of No. 16 ASU
March 13, 2009 | Women's Basketball
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. - The USC women's basketball team moved ahead of No. 16 Arizona State after seven minutes of play and stayed there the rest of the way in the sixth-seeded Trojans' Pac-10 Tournament quarterfinal game against the third-seeded Sun Devils. The 70-65 win over ASU was USC's first win over a ranked team this season and snapped a seven-game losing streak against the Sun Devils. Now 16-14 overall, USC moves into the tournament semifinals against No. 2 seed California at 6 p.m. on Saturday (March 14) at the Galen Center. ASU moves to 23-8 overall with today's loss to USC.
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Leading the victorious charge for the Women of Troy was senior guard Camille LeNoir, who buried a game-high 18 points and dished out eight assists. Meanwhile, junior Heather Oliver knocked down a career-high five 3-pointers - half of USC's team total on the day - on her way to 17 points. Brynn Cameron joined them in doubles figures with 10 points thanks in part to a pair of clutch threes that helped USC build an 11-point lead during the second half.
USC shot 50 percent in the first half to lead ASU's 39 percent and take a 34-28 lead into the locker room. The Sun Devils upped their production in the second half and pulled to within three with 3:45 remaining only to see Oliver knock down her fifth three to make some room for the Trojans in the final stretch. USC finished the game shooting 53 percent from the floor and 56 percent from 3-point range, while ASU shot 47 percent in the game and was 3-of-15 from beyond the arc. ASU was led by 17 points from Danielle Orsillo, 13 from Briann January and 12 from Kayli Murphy.
After ASU got up by five early in the game, USC mounted a 10-2 run to pull into the lead, up 12-9 on a take by Brynn Cameron at 12:35. A 13-0 run by the Trojans came next, with Camille LeNoir having a hand in every point as USC built a 25-11 lead with 7:35 on the clock. LeNoir scored nine of those points and served up assists on scores by Cameron and Briana Gilbreath. ASU stopped the run with a bucket at 6:30, and then got two more to go to make it 25-17 USC with 4:20 to go in the half. The Sun Devils got within seven at 2:20, but USC answered with an Oliver score and an Ashley Corral three to make it 34-22 in the final minute. ASU got the last word in the half, however, converting on a three-point play and then getting a late 3-pointer to go to make it a 34-28 USC advantage for halftime.
USC worked back out and took 11-point leads thanks to threes from Heather Oliver and Brynn Cameron. Cameron's second three made it a 58-47 USC lead at 9:50, but the Sun Devils cut back in to 58-54 next. Corral put a stop to that ASU run with a score in the paint at 5:45, and when ASU cut to within three at 3:45, Oliver answered back with her fifth 3-pointer of the game to match her career high and take USC ahead 66-60 with 3:30 to go. Gilbreath served up a huge block against an ASU 3-point try next, and LeNoir made her way to the line with 1:07 on the clock, sinking the first and seeing Oliver haul in the rebound when her next shot rolled out. ASU would hit a three with 53 seconds to go, only to have LeNoir ramble in for a layup and Gilbreath knock down the front end of her trip to the free-throw line, carrying USC ahead 70-63 with 27 seconds remaining. With six seconds left, ASU's Kate Englebrecht got a score to make it 70-65, but the Women of Troy had the win in hand and emerged with the victory to move into the Pac-10 Tournament semifinals.
GAME NOTES:
- Oliver tied her career high with five three pointers.
- LeNoir scored in double figures for the fifth straight game.
- LaPlante tied her career high with two steals.
