USC
*UCLA
USC Suffers Narrow Loss To 23rd-Ranked Bruins
December 28, 2004 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 28, 2004
LOS ANGELES - The unranked USC women's basketball fought back from two large deficits to give No. 23 UCLA all it could handle in the Pac-10 season opener on Tuesday night at Pauley Pavilion. Behind 13 points from sophomore Eshaya Murphy and freshman Camille LeNoir, the Women of Troy fell 62-61 to the Bruins in front of 3,501 in the first Lexus Gauntlet match-up of the season.
With the win, UCLA improves to 7-3 overall (1-0 in the Pac-10) and earns the first five of 10 women's basketball Lexus Gauntlet points. The Trojans, still enjoying their best start in six years, drop to 6-4 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
Trailing by as much as 10 points late in the second half, USC used defensive pressure to climb its way back into the game. In the end, the Bruins survived several last-second Trojans shot attempts to walk away with the win.
USC did not hit a field goal for the first seven minutes of the game, trailing 13-2 before senior center Kim Gipson hit a layup to end the drought at 12:53. UCLA extended its lead to as much as 14 points before the Trojans launched their first comeback of the game with 10 minutes left in the half. By taking advantage of nine Bruin turnovers during this span, USC used a 19-7 run to close out the first half and enter halftime down by two, 27-25.
UCLA regained control early in the second half, scoring eight unanswered points for a 35-25 advantage. In the following 12 minutes, the two teams played evenly until Murphy sank back-to-back three pointers to revive the Women of Troy and tie the game at 58 with 5:02 left on the clock. Despite never taking the lead, USC hung on in the final minutes for a shot at the win. Trailing by one with 12 seconds remaining, the Trojans had final possession but were unable to convert on three shot attempts as time ran out.
Murphy and fellow sophomore Jamie Funn led the team with eight rebounds apiece, while LeNoir posted six assists in the effort. Guard Noelle Quinn led the Bruins with 16 points in the game.
USC hosts Oregon and Oregon State this week as it continues Pac-10 play. The Women of Troy host the Ducks on Sunday, Jan. 2, at 2 p.m. at the Sports Arena, then face the Beavers on Tuesday, Jan. 4, at 1 p.m. at the Lyon Center.
