USC
24-12
Illinois State
24-11
USC Women Race Past Redbirds, Into WNIT Title Game
March 30, 2011 | Women's Basketball
March 30, 2011
NORMAL, ILL. - The USC women's basketball team handed Illinois State its first home loss of the year as the road warrior Trojans clamped down defensively, hauled in their fourth straight road win and secured themselves a spot in the WNIT Championship game with a 63-36 win over the Redbirds. Playing in Normal, Illinois, in the WNIT Semifinals, the Women of Troy got out ahead of the Redbirds early and kept them out of reach down the stretch in front of a crowd of over four thousand at Redbird Arena on Wednesday night. USC improves to 24-12 overall with the win, while Illinois State finishes 24-11 after their third straight WNIT Semifinal appearance. USC will face Toledo in the WNIT Championship at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday (April 2) in Toledo, Ohio.
USC silenced Illinois State from the floor for almost 10 full minutes to start the game as the Trojans built up a 16-1 lead on the Redbirds. ISU would pick up the scoring pace by the close of the half, however, improving to 36 percent from the floor in the first half to trail USC's 45 percent effort as the Trojans led 30-22 at halftime thanks in part to 11 first-half points from Jacki Gemelos.
The Trojan defense allowed only 14 second-half points by the Redbirds while pouring in 33 of their own. By the final buzzer, Gemelos led the way with 15 points, with Ashley Corral adding 14 and Briana Gilbreath putting in 11 while Christina Marinacci and Cassie Harberts cleaned up the boards. Marinacci finished with 13 rebounds, and Harberts hauled in 11. ISU had no players finish in double figures, with Emily Hanley scoring nine to lead ISU. USC finished out the game shooting 46 percent to ISU's 36 percent, and USC won out on the boards 47-29.
Jacki Gemelos generated seven points, two assists, three rebounds and a steal for the Trojan in the first six and a half minutes of play as USC opened up a 14-1 lead on its hosts. It took almost 10 minutes for the Redbirds to score from the floor, as Amanda Clifton hit a jumper at 10:11 to make it 16-2 Trojans. USC spread the 3-point love among a trio of Trojans in the first half, as Briana Gilbreath nailed one soon after an ISU three to make it a 21-6 USC advantage with 8:15 on the clock. Gemelos would get to double digits with a hard-working jumper in the lane, and then Corral nailed her second three of the game to push the Trojans up 28-14 as the 5-minute mark came up. The Redbirds would close the gap on some improved shooting, pulling to trail the Trojans 30-22 at the half.
Corral pulled into double digits during an 8-0 USC scoring run to open the second half as USC got out to its largest lead to that point with a 38-22 advantage. Christina Marinacci hauled in her 10th rebound of the game as the 11-minute mark approached with USC leading on the boards 33-21 and up 49-30 on the scoreboard. With 4 minutes to go, USC was up 23 as Briana Gilbreath had joined the double-digit scoring club. Michelle Jenkins would become the eighth Trojan to score in the game with a jumper late, and USC punched its ticket to the WNIT final with a 63-36 final.
