University Southern California Trojans
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USC Women Set Up Camp In Las Vegas For 2019 Pac-12 Tournament
March 05, 2019 | Women's Basketball, Features
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Women of Troy are the No. 9 seeds, opening up against Arizona on Thursday at MGM Arena.
2019 PAC-12 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
March 7-10 | MGM Grand Garden Arena (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Thursday, March 7 • Pac-12 Network
Game 1: [5] Arizona State vs. [12] Colorado — 11:30 a.m. PT
Game 2: [8] Arizona vs. [9] USC — 2 p.m. PT
Game 3: [7] California vs. [10] Washington State — 6 p.m. PT
Game 4: [6] Utah vs. [11] Washington — 8:30 p.m. PT
Friday, March 8 • Pac-12 Network
Game 5: [4] UCLA vs. 5/12 Winner — 11:30 a.m. PT
Game 6: [1] Oregon vs. 8/9 Winner — 2 p.m.
Game 7: [2] Stanford vs. 7/10 Winner — 6 p.m. PT
Game 8: [3] Oregon State vs. 6/11 Winner — 8:30 p.m. PT
Saturday, March 9 • Pac-12 Network
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner — 6 p.m. PT
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner — 8:30 p.m. PT
Sunday, March 10 • ESPN2
Game 11: Championship game, 5 p.m. PT
THIS WEEK
USC is off to the 2019 Pac-12 Tournament, which has landed in Las Vegas, Nev., for the first time this year. The Trojans (17-12) have taken the No. 9 seed into this year's tourney, which lines them up against No. 8 seeded Arizona (17-12) for a chance to avenge a loss taken to the Wildcats in Tucson during the regular season. USC and Arizona will square off at 2 p.m. on Thursday (March 7) at MGM Arena to fight for a spot in Friday's 2 p.m. quarterfinal against top-seeded Oregon.
IN THE NATION
USC is not ranked in the national polls this week. On Dec. 18, USC climbed into the USA Today Coaches rankings, weighing in at No. 25 in the land that week. It was USC's first time back in the rankings since the final AP poll of the 2013-14 season, which had USC at No. 25. The Trojans' last appearance in the USA Today poll had been Nov. 15, 2011, at No. 22.
THIS TIME LAST YEAR
USC was the No. 7 seed in last year's Pac-12 Tournament, having rounded out the regular season 19-10 overall and 9-9 in Pac-12 play. The Trojans opened up with a 47-44 win over Washington State to square off with No. 2 seeded Stanford in the quarterfinals. The Cardinal got the win there, winning 69-59 to end USC's run at the event. Although USC held a 20-11 overall record, the Trojans just missed the cut for an NCAA berth.
LAST WEEK
USC wrapped the regular season with two home wins, beating Colorado 84-77 and topping Utah 83-77 in overtime at Galen Center last week. First, USC avenged a road loss in style on Friday night, beating visiting Colorado 84-77 with another high-octane offensive performance. Just a game ahead of Senior Day, senior Aliyah Mazyck set a new career high for herself with 30 points to help pace the Trojans to a solid team victory tonight at Galen Center. USC improves to 16-12 overall and to 6-11 in Pac-12 play, while Colorado goes to 12-16, 2-15 with one regular-season game remaining. The teams were going shot-for-shot from 3-point range until USC had Shalexxus Aaron drain back-to-back threes for the Trojan cause to help carry USC along on a 10-0 run to wrap the first half. USC had shot 6-of-11 from 3-point land in the first half to help the Trojans go 46.9 percent overall from the floor in the first 20 minutes to build a 39-30 lead by halftime. Colorado had shot 40 percent from the floor, but had managed only nine points in the second quarter to a 22-point outburst by the Trojans as the hosts took the lead. The teams stayed largely in stride the rest of the way, each knocking down big shots while the Trojans managed to remain just out of reach. By the final buzzer, USC had shot 43.3 percent from the floor and landed nine 3-pointers, while Colorado was at 40.8 percent and also nailed nine threes. The Trojans were more successful in getting to the line in this one, going 23-of-37 to Colorado's 16-of-19 free-throw outing. The Buffs won out on the boards 45-35, but USC forced 15 Colorado turnovers while committing just nine of its own. USC received a game-high and career-high 30 points from senior Aliyah Mazyck, who also nailed five 3-pointers in the Trojan victory. Minyon Moore added 18 points — 12 from the free-throw line — and led on the boards with seven rebounds while tallying five assists and five steals. USC also had Desiree Caldwell and Ja'Tavia Tapley hit double digits with 10 points apiece. Colorado was paced by Mya Hollingshed's 20 points, and received 18 from Kennedy Leonard, 16 from Quinessa Caylao-Do and 11 from Emma Clarke. In the regular-season finale, USC set off some fireworks, fighting back from a seven-point deficit in the final minute to force its first overtime game of the season. The Trojans stayed calm in OT, netting a huge Shalexxus Aaron 3-pointer and cooly going a perfect 12-for-12 from the free-throw line to hold off the Utes for a final 83-77 Trojan victory on Senior Day at Galen Center. It wasn't USC's strongest start of the season as the Trojans shot just 25.8 percent from the floor in the first half to trail Utah 26-23 by halftime. The Utes countered 14 first-half turnovers by shooting 40.8 percent from the floor to work ahead of their hosts by the break. USC finally found its scoring touch in the third, going 4-for-6 from 3-point range as Shalexxus Aaron and Mariya Moore started to heat up and USC turned a seven-point deficit into a three-point hole entering the fourth. The Trojans would trail by six with 25 seconds left in regulation before Moore delivered two 3-pointers in a nine-second span. Down two with 6 seconds left, freshman Desiree Caldwell hit two free throws with 4.5 ticks to go to bring up overtime. In OT the teams opened up 6-for-6 from the stripe before Aaron knocked down her fifth 3-pointer. Utah fired one right back to make it 77-77 with 1:00 left, and then USC's Kayla Overbeck and Caldwell held their ground from the free-throw line to win it for the Trojans. USC finished up the win having shot 31.5 percent from the floor while Utah was at 42.3 percent. The Trojans would end up with 10 threes to Utah's six, and the teams wound up even on the boards with 41 rebounds apiece. USC also forced 23 turnovers out of the Utes. In the end, USC got a turbo boost from senior Mariya Moore, who had just two points at halftime but added 23 more by the final buzzer — including her two enormous 3-pointers in the final 15 seconds of regulation and a 6-for-6 effort from the line in OT. She led the Trojans with 25 points on the day, while Minyon Moore added 18 and Shalexxus Aaron pumped in 17. Utah received a game-high 30 points from Megan Huff along with 13 from Kiana Moore and 12 from Dru Glyten.
INJURY REPORT
Aliyah Mazyck (ankle) and Kayla Overbeck (knee) missed USC's Nov. 23 game vs. Utah State due to injury. Mazyck and Minyon Moore (wrist) were sidelined by injury on Nov. 25 at Nevada. Mazyck also sat out the Dec. 1 game at UNLV. Cheyanne Wallace missed the Jan. 6 game at Cal (knee). Asiah Jones and Minyon Moore missed the Jan. 11 game vs. Oregon with injuries. Wallace also had been sidelined since Jan. 25 with injury but recently was cleared to play.
1,000 POINT CLUB
In a span of two weeks, two Trojans broke the 1,000-point barrier. On Jan. 13, USC senior guard Aliyah Mazyck clocked in with her 1,000th career point. Now with 1,236 points, Mazyck ranks No. 18 all-time in career scoring at USC. USC junior guard Minyon Moore also joined the club this season, notching her 1,000th career point on Jan. 27. She now grips 1,167 points as a Trojan to her name, putting her at No. 22 all-time in career scoring. In all, 28 Women of Troy have scored 1,000 points while at USC.
MORE FOR MINYON
Junior guard Minyon Moore stands out as USC's second leading scorer, top rebounder, assists leader and tops in steals so far this season. She's also on a steady rise on the USC career charts, already in the top-10 for career free throws made, and free-throw percentage. With 217 career steals, she's cracked the top-10 in that category as well. Moore is also in esteemed company on the career assists chart, having passed up Trojan great Cheryl Miller and now standing at No. 5 with 449 assists in her Trojan career to date. She also recently overtook Ebony Hoffman on the USC career free throws list, now having landed 400 to rank No. 7 on that list.
MAZYCK MAKES THE LIST
USC senior Aliyah Mazyck's notable junior season has attracted national attention, as she has been selected as one of the country's top 20 shooting guards recognized on the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Preseason Watch List. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Women's Basketball Coaches Association announced the list today (Oct. 23). A finalist for the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year last year, Mazyck was a 2018 Pac-12 All-Defensive Team and All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention pick as a junior. That year, the Charlotte, N.C., native set a USC single-season record with 86 threes made. A full-time starter, she averaged 16.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game. Now a senior captain for the Women of Troy, Mazyck has stepped into a leadership role that helps the speedster's upward trajectory on the Pac-12 and the national radars this season. Named after the first player, male or female, named to the All-America Team in four straight college seasons, the annual Ann Meyers Drysdale Award — in its second year — recognizes the top shooting guard in women's NCAA Division I college basketball. Hampered a bit by early-season injury, Mazyck has started 22 games this season to date, averaging a team-high 15.6 points along with 2.4 steals and 3.6 rebounds per game. She's also climbed the career 3-point list to now rank No. 5 all-time with 175 to date.
MARIYA ON NAISMITH WATCH LIST
As USC senior Mariya Moore engages in her first and final season of competition with the Women of Troy, the talented guard has earned national acclaim as one of 50 women's basketball players selected to the Citizen Naismith Trophy Watch List. A transfer from Louisville last year, Moore sat out the 2017-18 season due to NCAA transfer rules. At Louisville, Moore earned 2016 WBCA All-America Honorable Mention, was a 2016 All-ACC First Team honoree and a 2015 and 2017 All-ACC Second Team selection. The Citizen Naismith Trophy Watch List was released today (Nov. 12) by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. In February, a midseason 30 list will be release, followed by 10 semifinalists for the award to be named on March 4, 2019. Four finalists will be revealed on March 22, with the winner of the 2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy for Women's Player of the Year to be announced on April 6, 2019. The last USC player to be named to a Naismith Watch List was Cassie Harberts in 2013-14. Prior to Harberts, Jacki Gemelos and Briana Gilbreath were both selected to the Naismith Early Season Watch List at the start of the 2011-12 season. In 2006-07, Shay Murphy was on the preseason watch list, and Ebony Hoffman was a preseason candidate in 2002-03. USC already boasts two Naismith Trophy winners in three-time honoree Cheryl Miller (1984, 1985, 1986) and Lisa Leslie (1994). To date, Moore is USC's third leading scorer with 13.1 points per game, having set a new career high with 36 points scored at Cal on Jan. 6. In that game, Moore matched the USC record with seven 3-pointers made. She is currently averaging 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game as USC's only full-time starter this season.
CULTURE SHIFT
As the Women of Troy progress in this 2018-19 season, the energy and excitement generated by USC's combination of Trojan veterans and fresh faces is palpable. Along with the return of Pac-12 honorees Aliyah Mazyck and Minyon Moore, there are six Women of Troy who have seen their first game action in a USC jersey. Transfers Mariya Moore, Kayla Overbeck and Cheyanne Wallace are three of those six Women of Troy having logged their first minutes at USC. Shalexxus Aaron, meanwhile, is finally off the sidelines and in full force after sitting out the 2017-18 season with injury, and adds a deft shooting hand to the back court. The other two newbies are forward Jillian Archer and guard Desiree Caldwell, who have been USC's two true freshmen this season.
SENIOR STRENGTH
USC's senior class offers a window into the new formula that head coach Mark Trakh is working with this season — a blend of players with diverse talents and diverse experience. Aliyah Mazyck is USC's record-holder for single-season 3-pointers made and is coming off a junior season where she averaged 16.5 points per game. Seniors Mariya Moore and Cheyanne Wallace, meanwhile, bring another angle of experience to the picture. Moore was a decorated player at Louisville, then transferred to USC last season. This year marks her first game action as a Trojan. Wallace also opted to change course to USC, coming across town from Loyola Marymount to get in the mix this season as a grad transfer. Currently, Mazyck, Moore and Wallace currently stand as USC's first, third and seventh leading scorers, respectively.
POWER AT THE POST
USC has two standout juniors lined up for duty as veterans on the post. Ja'Tavia Tapley was the sixth man last year, and her 6-3 frame and incredible athleticism have helped her into a full-time starting role this season. Newly crowned for her junior season at USC is Vanderbilt transfer Kayla Overbeck, whose waiver to compete immediately as a Trojan was granted by the NCAA. An All-SEC honoree as a freshman, Overbeck adds yet another valuable depth charge to the post for USC. Redshirt sophomore Asiah Jones also is back in the lineup after a year sidelined by injury, and the athletic post brings length and serious leaping ability to the paint for the Trojans.
SEASON OPENER
USC's season opener was highlighted by debut performances from six new Trojans. Competing for USC for the first time, all six Trojans scored in a 73-55 win over visiting UC Riverside. A relative veteran at Troy, junior Minyon Moore led the way with a double-double — the fifth of her USC career — on a team-high 16 points and 12 rebounds to go with seven assists, as USC opened the 2018-19 campaign with a 1-0 mark. USC gripped a 12-point lead during the first half, but it would melt away as UC Riverside battled back to level it at 30-30 by halftime. That's when the Trojans turned the tide. USC outscored the Highlanders 27-12 in the third quarter to open things up, and the Trojans finished out the game shooting 44.6 percent from the floor to outpace UC Riverside's 38.3 outing. USC also outrebounded its visitors, 37-30, and went 50 percent from beyond the arc (10-of-20). One rebound shy of double digits at halftime, Minyon Moore collected three more in the second half while pumping out 12 second-half points. The first Trojan to hit double digits in the game, however, was senior transfer Mariya Moore, who shined in her Trojan debut with 11 points with three 3-pointers landed. Joining the 3-point parade for USC were two more Women of Troy hitting the court for the first time. Senior transfer Cheyanne Wallace went 2-for-2 from long distance, while redshirt freshman Shalexxus Aaron also tallied two treys in her first USC action. Junior transfer Kayla Overbeck may not have spotted up from beyond the arc, but she made her presence known down low, dumping in 10 points as she, too, hit the floor as a Trojan for the first time. Another newcomer to the paint at USC was freshman Jillian Archer, who provided five points on the night. True freshman guard Deisree Caldwell, meanwhile, had two points and two steals in her USC debut. In all, every USC player who got in the game would score in the victory. Junior Ja'Tavia Tapley was just short of double digits in finishing with nine points. Back in action after redshirting last season with injury was redshirt sophomore Asiah Jones, who had four points along with five boards.
LAST SEASON
USC finished up the 2017-18 season with a 20-11 overall record in head coach Mark Trakh's return to the helm of the program. In Pac-12 play, USC finished in seventh place at 7-7 and fell in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament. Senior Kristen Simon picked up a place on the All-Pac-12 Team, while junior Aliyah Mazyck earned All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention and was a finalist for Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. She and sophomore Minyon Moore both landed on the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team. Along the way, Mazyck also set a new USC record for single-season 3-pointers made with 86.
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