USC Women Kick Off 2015-16 Campaign At Galen Center
November 10, 2015 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 10, 2015
USC Women's Basketball Release 
THIS WEEK
USC puts an official stamp on the start of 2015-16 action as the Women of Troy set up to host two teams at Galen Center. USC's season opener brings Hope International to town for a 12 p.m. contest on Friday (Nov. 13) before the Trojans turn to face Santa Clara in a 4 p.m. matchup on Monday (Nov. 16).
Friday, Nov. 13
USC vs. Hope International
Galen Center -- 12 p.m.
Stream: pac-12.com/live/usc-2
**Free lunch for USC faculty, staff & students!**
Monday, Nov. 16
USC vs. Santa Clara
Galen Center -- 4 p.m.
Stream: pac-12.com/live/usc-2
FOLLOW ALONG
Both games will be streamed live online, with Caroline Diesley and Carey Noakes on the call. Go to pac-12.com/live/usc-2 to access the stream. Live stats also will be available through links on the USC women's basketball schedule page at usctrojans.com.
IN THE NATION
The Trojans are unranked in the USA Today and Associated Press preseason polls. Hope International and Santa Clara also are unranked.
EXHIBITION ACTION
USC put forth a dominating effort in its exhibition matchup against Cal State San Marcos last weekend at the Galen Center. Nine different Women of Troy scored in the hot-handed outing, as USC forged a path to a powerful 89-25 victory over the visiting Cougars. Leading the charge in USC's first work of 2015-16 was newcomer Temi Fagbenle, who eclipsed the team scoring mark of USC's opponents all by herself. The transfer made a statement with a decisive double-double in tallying 28 points along with 11 rebounds. Sophomore Kristen Simon also rang up a double-double in her day's work, delivering 17 points to go with a game-high 15 boards. Also hitting double digits on the day was redshirt junior Jordan Adams with 12 points. For Cal State San Marcos, its scoring effort was topped out with five points apiece from Jasmine Matar and Ashley Jenkins. The only category that USC came up empty in today was from the 3-point line, but the Trojans made up that ground in spades in shooting 52 percent from every other spot on the floor. The Women of Troy also put forth a stifling defensive effort that hauled in a grand total of 29 steals, with Courtney Jaco and Brianna Barrett nabbing six steals apiece. USC got out of the gates with an 8-0 scoring run, but it was a smothering 23-0 scoring rally that put the Trojans decisively in the driver's seat as USC worked out to a 35-5 advantage early in the second quarter. USC would hold a 49-11 lead by halftime, and remained in complete control the rest of the way, up 70-21 at the close of the third before closing things out as an 89-25 final. Today's exhibition action offered Trojan fans their first glimpse of five USC newcomers. In addition to Fagbenle's dominant double-double effort, USC also got significant contributions from true freshmen Khaedin Taito (6 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals), Maguerite Effa (6 points, 3 rebounds), Aliyah Mazyck (9 points, 7 rebounds) and Candela Abejón (3 points, 3 rebounds).
SCOUTING HOPE INTERNATIONAL
The Royals went 17-15 overall last season. Senior Alexis Perry is Hope International's top returning scorer and rebounder having provided 12.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in her junior season. Bill Crammer is in his sixth season as the Royals' head coach. This will be USC's first-ever meeting against Hope International.
SCOUTING SANTA CLARA
The Broncos went 11-18 overall last season. Junior Marie Bertholdt is Santa Clara's top returning scorer and rebounder having provided 9.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in her sophomore season. JR Payne is in his second season as the Broncos' head coach. USC is 2-0 all-time against Santa Clara since first meeting in 1978-79. In their most recent meeting, USC posted a 71-64 win over the Broncos in the 1999-2000 season in Santa Clara.
TROJANS AT A GLANCE
Cynthia Cooper-Dyke and her returning staff of associate head coach Beth Burns and assistants Jualeah Woods and Taja Edwards have constructed a 2015-16 group of Women of Troy with great potential to improve on last year's 15-15 finish. USC graduated its top scorers and rebounders Kaneisha Horn and Alexyz Vaioletama -- who provided 12.0 and 10.3 points per game, respectively, along with 6.9 rebounds per game apiece - from last year's squad. Replacing those veterans may not be easy, but Cooper-Dyke is happy with her new roster of players and expects to fill the statistical void that the departed players have left. In fact, she sees this group of Trojans as decidedly capable of making a strong run in the Pac-12 and beyond. Five Women of Troy return from last year's roster, with Jordan Adams, Brianna Barrett and Courtney Jaco standing out as the only players with at least two seasons of work under their belts at Troy, but they also boast winning experience as members of the 2014 Pac-12 Tournament Championship team. Returners Alexis Lloyd and Kristen Simon played their first seasons as Trojans last year. As the veterans of the bunch, that group is joined by a solid seven new Trojans set to hit the court this season. Two transfers, three international additions, one California product and one North Carolina native will all don Cardinal and Gold for the first time in 2015-16.
WORLDLY WOMEN OF TROY
The international flavor coming to Troy this season adds a new element to the USC gameplan. In the recent past, no more than one international player has been on a USC roster at a time. This year, USC welcomes Candela Abejón from Spain, Dani Milisic from Australia and Khaedin Taito from New Zealand. Two more Trojan newcomers also have strong ties overseas. A 2012 Olympian for Great Britain, Temi Fagbenle was raised in London and her family now lives in Nigeria. She joins the Trojan Family with one year of eligibility left after finishing her degree at Harvard. True freshman Marguerite Effa, meanwhile, also has roots in Africa, having lived in Cameroon before moving to California, where she attended high school.
STICKING STATESIDE
USC's two homegrown newcomers are true freshman Aliyah Mazyck - from Charlotte, N.C. - and Connecticut transfer Sadie Edwards, who joined the Women of Troy in January 2015 and will be eligible for competition after this fall stretch of 2015.
KEY FORCE
Temi Fagbenle will preside over the paint for the Trojans along with returning sophomore post Kristen Simon. Newcomers Marguerite Effa and Dani Milisic also will loom large down low to help deepen the USC inside presence. Milisic is set as a Spring 2016 enrollee, joining the Trojans after the fall semester.
GUARD PLAY
In the backcourt, USC returns a set of three starting guards. Jordan Adams and Brianna Barrett combined forces as USC's assist leaders last season. The redshirt junior and senior, respectively, will both be called upon to help drive the USC offense. Adams boasts the ability to fit in at any spot on the court, while Courtney Jaco will likely be called upon to step back into her sniper position beyond the arc. Jaco was USC's top 3-point shooter last season, and as she enters her junior year she's again primed for her key role in the USC attack. True freshman Aliyah Mazyck can also step in at the point, and Khaedin Taito brings additional power to the plan of attack. Meanwhile, Candela Abejón, Sadie Edwards and Alexis Lloyd add further depth to the USC backcourt.
TUNE IN TO THE TROJANS
The Women of Troy have 14 televised regular-season games this season, with Pac-12 Networks also planning to broadcast games at the Pac-12 Tournament. All of USC's regular-season televised appearances will air on Pac-12 Los Angeles, with some games also airing nationally or in other regions. Check the USC schedule at usctrojans.com for more info. Also check with your local cable provider for channel information. All told, USC will potentially cross paths with seven teams that reached the NCAA Tournament last year. All non-televised USC home games will be streamed live at http://pac-12.com/live/usc-2
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