USC
3-2
Princeton
3-1
Trojans Trip Up, Fall 60-59 To Princeton
November 26, 2010 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 26, 2010
NASHVILLE, TENN. - The USC women's basketball team had the game slip away in the final seconds as the Trojans took a 60-59 loss to Princeton tonight in Nashville, Tenn. Playing in the Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tournament, USC had to continuously fight off attacks from the Tigers, and ultimately ran out of fight in the late goings. Missed late free throws by the Trojans were answered by a pair of makes by Princeton to take back the lead for the first time since the first half with five ticks to go. USC was unable to respond to steal back the win, and took the tight loss to move into the consolation game on Sunday (Nov. 28) against Quinnipiac. USC is now 3-2 overall, and Princeton goes to 3-1.
Ashley Corral had worked her way into double digits by halftime for the Trojans to keep USC an important step ahead of Princeton. USC was shooting at a 42 percent clip by the break, leading Princeton's 33 percent effort but still off-kilter in committing untimely turnovers. Princeton's extra push on the boards in the second half left the count even at 45 apiece, but it was the effort at the stripe that turned the tide on the Trojans. USC was 6-of-13 from the line in the second half to finish out at 50 percent (9-of-18), while Princeton heated up and was 80 percent overall (16-of-20) after going 13-of-16 in the second half.
Corral led all players with 21 points, and had Cassie Harberts (12 points) and Christina Marinacci (11 points) alongside her in double figures, while Princeton got a team-high 18 from Niveen Rasheed to go with a double-double from Devona Allgood (12 points, 11 rebounds) and 10 points from Addie Micir. It was Micir's two free throws that clinched the win for the Tigers with 5 seconds to go. USC saw its four-point lead with 2:50 to go melt away after two rare misses from the free-throw line by Marinacci - who had hit 7-of-8 in the game to that point - as Princeton got a steal and scored with 1:35 to go. Rasheed hit the back end of her next trip to the line to make it a one-point game. Princeton had a chance to take the lead with 26 second left, but Rasheed missed on her runner, and Kari LaPlante was sent to the line with 15 ticks remaining. She also came up cold, as Princeton went on the attach next. Harberts looked to block Micir's shot down low, but was tagged with the foul, and Micir made good on her chance to get the Tigers their first lead since the 8-minute mark of the first half.
The game opened up as a slow tug-of-war, with the lead switching hands six times before the Trojans ballooned a one-point edge to an eight-point lead on a bucket from Ashley Corral, a score off a steal by Briana Gilbreath and a 3-point bomb from Corral. Up 32-24 with 2:30 to go in the half, USC saw the Tigers pull back again, converting on a pair of scores in the paint to make it 32-28 USC at halftime.
Corral ran her point total up to 17 as the Trojans climbed ahead 41-33, but USC fumbled on its opportunities to pad the lead further while the Tigers clawed back in with a 6-0 run to cut it to a two-point affair with 13:45 on the clock. Cassie Harberts ended the run with a pair of free throws to bring USC a 43-39 lead and a sense of calm back to the Women of Troy. It was short-lived, however, as a three-point play converted on an inside attack from Megan Bowen pushed it to a one-point game again.
USC managed to sidestep a deficit by finally hauling in a defensive board, and Jacki Gemelos delivered a slick no-look pass to Christina Marinacci for the score and Corral converted on a couple solo strikes to make it a 49-42 USC advantage with 8:00 to go. More Marinacci free throws and a bucket from down low by Harberts had USC holding a six-point lead with 4:25 remaining, but Princeton kept coming. USC's last points came from the hands of Harberts with 2:50 on the clock to make it 59-55 before the Tigers gathered up their last stubborn and successful push to a comeback victory.
USC finishes out action in Nashville with a Sunday (Nov. 28) clash against Quinnipiac at 12 p.m. CT at Vanderbilt's Memorial Gym.
