USC
1-1
Nebraska
3-0
No. 22 USC Women Stall Out At Nebraska
November 18, 2011 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 18, 2011
LINCOLN, NEB. - The No. 22 USC women's basketball team was slow from the floor and overpowered on the boards in its road run to Nebraska, falling 68-50 to the host Huskers on Friday night in Lincoln, Neb. The Trojans go to 1-1 on the year with the loss, while Nebraska improves to 3-0.
USC fell in a 9-0 hole in this one and was behind by 13 at halftime as the Trojans' slow tempo and effort on the boards left them always a step behind. Nebraska shot 42 percent in the first half to USC's cool 20 percent, while the Huskers also dominated the boards to the tune of a 29-18 halftime advantage. The Trojans would get to within six with 10:45 to go, but the Huskers outpaced USC down the stretch, finishing with a 35.5 percent offensive output and outrebounding the Trojans 66-40. USC finished the game shooting 25.4 percent.
Briana Gilbreath led USC with 18 points and a career-high six blocks, while Jacki Gemelos hauled in 12 rebounds. The Huskers got a tag-team effort from Jordan Hooper and Lindsey Moore, who traded big halves to finish with 22 points apiece, while Hooper was one of three Nebraska players with double-digit rebounding nights, closing out a double-double with her game-high 13 rebounds. USC was also hurt by a cold showing from 3-point range, hitting just 3-of-20 on the night.
USC seemed to be up against the shot clock on every possession while the Huskers had a quick response on their ensuing attacks. That slowed effort, coupled with a poor showing on the boards, saw the Trojans dip into a 15-point hole as Nebraska's Jordan Hooper gathered in her 15th points of the night to put the Huskers ahead 30-15 with 5:25 to go in the first half. The Women of Troy made a 7-0 run with scores from Briana Gilbreath and Ashley Corral to cut it to 30-22 with a minute left, but Nebraska got a three from Lindsey Moore and then two last Moore free throws when she was fouled on her late take to the hole to leave USC trailing 35-22 at the half.
USC caught a spark to open the second half, however. Christina Marinacci dumped in two scores in the paint, and Gilbreath converted a layup of her own in the first two minutes of action to make it 35-28. She would become USC's first player in double figures as she also took over as USC's No. 11 all-time rebounder. Nebraska's Hooper, on the other hand, worked her way into a double-double in the game with her 10th board of the night as the Huskers held a 46-25 rebounding lead with 12 minutes to go in the second half.
USC's shooting percentage would slump to 25.5 in the game as the Huskers moved out to their largest lead of the game, up 58-42 with six minutes remaining. Ariya Crook served up a booming block on a Moore 3-point try with 5:30 to go, although Moore would go to the line later after a USC hustle foul notched the 10th of the half for the Trojans and put her on the line. USC shots would refuse to fall in the next stretch as that shooting percentage dipped to 24 percent and Nebraska stretched ahead 62-42 with 3:30 to go while holding a 60-30 domination on the boards to that point. Out of reach, hamstrung by fouls and lacking the firepower to contend on the boards, USC wound up with a 68-50 road loss by the end of the night.
USC now heads to Georgia to take on the No. 11 Bulldogs at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday (Nov. 20) in Athens.
