USC Women Host UTSA, Visit No. 24 Gonzaga
November 29, 2011 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 29, 2011
COMING UP NEXT
The USC women continue to bounce around the country, but are sticking in the Pacific Time Zone this week. The first stop for the Trojans (2-3) is at home for a 7 p.m. game on Wednesday (Nov. 30) against UTSA (2-4) at the Galen Center. Then, USC will skip up to Spokane, Wash., for a Sunday (Dec. 4) matchup against No. 24 Gonzaga at 2 p.m.
FOLLOW ALONG
This week's games will have live audio provided by Jason Schwartz available online through the women's basketball page at usctrojans.com. Wednesday's game vs. UTSA will be streamed live online at usctrojans.com, and live stats will be available on GameTracker.
GET TO GALEN!
USC students receive FREE ADMISSION to all home games! For other Trojan fans, tickets are available online or by calling 213-740-GOSC. Group discounts ($3 per person) are also available for groups of 10 or more. For families, pick up a Family 4-Pack for $40 to receive four tickets, four hot dogs and four drinks. CLICK HERE for more info on promos and tickets.
IN THE NATION
USC opened the year with a spot in the national rankings for the first time since 2006, ranked at No. 23 in both the AP and USA Today/ESPN preseason polls. After the first week, USC moved up to No. 22 in the USA Today/ESPN poll and No. 23 in AP, but fell out of the rankings in week two. USC is currently receiving votes in the AP poll. UTSA is unranked, and Gonzaga ranks No. 24 in the USA Today/ESPN poll and is receiving votes in the AP poll.
LAST WEEK
USC picked up a split at the Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas over the Thanksgiving break, taking an 80-58 loss to No. 3 Notre Dame and then beating Gardner-Webb 82-41. Against the 2011 NCAA finalists, USC closed the gap to nine during the second half of its tropical tangle with the Fighting Irish, but Notre Dame would pull away for the decisive win. USC was paced by Ashley Corral's 17 points, including 11 in the second half. USC trailed by 12 at halftime and cut it to nine on back-to-back 3-pointers from Corral as the teams crossed the 15-minute mark of the second half, only to see Notre Dame outscore the Trojans 20-5 in the next seven minutes to create a winning margin for the Fighting Irish. Approximately 24 hours after arriving in Freeport, USC came out strong and forced eight lead changes in the first seven minutes of action, going up 13-11 on a three from Briana Gilbreath before Notre Dame made a 9-1 run to take a lead it would not relinquish the rest of the way. The Trojans contested the boards well throughout, with Notre Dame leading 38-35 on the night. The Irish shot 43 percent in the game to USC's 33 percent, and forced 21 Trojan turnovers. USC needed a breakthrough game next in the Bahamas and found it in the form of an 82-41 win over Gardner-Webb. The Women of Troy snapped a three-game skid to some of the nation's best teams by racking up a hot-handed game against the Running Bulldogs, with Corral again leading all with 22 points - including six 3-pointers - and Christina Marinacci hauling in 14 rebounds in the win. USC goes to 2-3 overall with the victory, and Gardner-Webb now sits at 0-6. The Women of Troy shot at a 54-percent clip from the floor and outrebounded the Running Bulldogs 41-22. Four Trojans scored in double figures led by Corral's 22 along with 13 from Cassie Harberts and 12 apiece from Jacki Gemelos and Thaddesia Southall, while Marinacci dominated the boards to the tune of her 14 rebounds.
MOVING ON UP
USC seniors Ashley Corral and Briana Gilbreath both broke the 1,000-point barrier last season and continue to trek up the ladder in USC's history books. After last week's road trip, Gilbreath still stands at No. 14 all-time, now holding 1,329 career points, and Corral moved up to No. 15 with 1,252. Gilbreath took over at No. 5 all-time in career blocks (now holds 141) is now one steal away from No. 9 all-time (currently holds 209), and also ranks No. 11 all-time in career rebounds (643). Corral already is etched as USC's all-time 3-point leader (237), and she's No. 7 on the list for career assists (currently holds 382).
FRESHMAN FIRSTS
USC's newcomers all marked up the stat sheet in their Trojan debuts in the season opener on Nov. 11. Freshman Alexyz Vaioletama got the start at forward and finished up with seven points, eight rebounds and five assists in her first action. Freshman Ariya Crook came off the bench to provide two points and an assist along with two steals; and redshirt freshman Thaddesia Southall nabbed a rebound and an assist to go along with two blocks for the post in her first minutes as a Trojan. Her first career points came with a free throw at Georgia on Nov. 20, and she became the first of the newcomers to hit double figures with 12 vs. Gardner-Webb on Nov. 26.
SCOUTING UTSA
The Roadrunners are 2-4 overall after a 54-42 loss to South Alabama and a 59-55 win over Detroit last weekend. Ashley Spaletta leads UTSA in scoring with 10.3 points per game, and Mannasha Bell is the leading rebounder with 8.0 per game. UTSA is coached by Rae Rippetoe-Blair, who is in her 12th season as head coach of the Roadrunners. UTSA returns two starters from last year's team, which went 16-15 overall and finished 11-5 in the Southland Conference. This will be the first-ever meeting between USC and UTSA.
SCOUTING GONZAGA
The No. 24 Bulldogs are 3-1 overall with a Wednesday game at WSU and Friday at Cal State Fullerton before facing USC on Sunday. To date, Kayla Standish is Gonzaga's top scorer with 18.8 points per game, and Katelan Redmon is next with 14.0 points and team-high 5.3 rebounds per game. Gonzaga is coached by Kelly Graves, who is in his 12th season as head coach of the Bulldogs. Gonzaga returns three starters from last year's team, which went 31-5 overall with a trip to the NCAA Elite Eight. USC is 1-1 all-time against Gonzaga after the Bulldogs won 70-58 in 2009-10 in Spokane and the Trojans won 79-73 last season at the Galen Center.
INJURY REPORT
USC has two players sidelined for the season to rehab from offseason surgeries. Freshman Deanna Calhoun (knee) will redshirt her first year at USC, and Kate Oliver (ankle) will sit out the season after transferring from Marist. Junior Christina Marinacci missed the first game of her USC career on Nov. 11 due to health reasons but returned to action at Nebraska on Nov. 18. Ariya Crook missed the Nov. 26 game vs. Gardner-Webb with an ankle injury.
ROAD WARRIORS
A road-tested and decorated USC roster is back for more this season. Last season, the Women of Troy played in 11 different states in amassing a program record of 18 road games. This year, USC opens the year with another busy travel schedule. The Women of Troy visit five different U.S. states during their nonconference stretch, which includes face-offs against six NCAA tournament teams, including road tilts against 2011 NCAA finalist Notre Dame and champion Texas A&M. USC is 1-3 in road and neutral-site games to date.
TIME SERVED
Multiple knee injuries have kept both Jacki Gemelos and Stefanie Gilbreath off the court far too long, but the grad student and fifth-year senior are now enjoying "Super Senior" status. Sidelined for a collective six-and-a-half seasons, Gemelos and Gilbreath both had breakout seasons last year. The top recruit as a freshman in 2006, Gemelos was USC's third leading scorer last season in her first full season of action and picked up All-Pac-10 Honorable Mention. Gilbreath stepped on the court for the first time last season and was a contributor in all 13 games for which she was healthy. Both have played in all five USC games to date this season.
YOUNG GUNS
Compared to the 14 years of combined time at USC among those four guards, returning starters Cassie Harberts and Christina Marinacci are relative newbies. That is, until one takes a look at the minutes they've logged during their time as Trojans. Junior forward Marinacci has played in every game since coming to Troy, and was fifth on the team in scoring last year with 8.2 points to go along with the second-best mark of 6.8 rebounds per game. Sophomore forward Harberts was the only Trojan to start every single game last season, and was one of four Trojans averaging in double digits last year with her 10.2 points per game that she paired with 6.2 rebounds per game. She secured a spot on the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team and was on the Pac-10 All-Tournament Team after posting a 30-point game during the tourney.
FRESH FACES
Michael Cooper and his coaching staff have added a premier class of incoming talent, with a group of athletes that rank as the No. 8 class in the nation. Guard Ariya Crook and forward Alexyz Vaioletama are projected to be impact players in their first seasons as Trojans. Their fellow freshmen Deanna Calhoun and Kiki Alofaituli, meanwhile, will sit out the season along with junior transfer Kate Oliver, who comes to Troy from Australia by way of two years at Marist. Calhoun is coming back from a high school-sustained knee injury, and Alofaituli will sit out per NCAA rules.
ALL-AMERICAN GIRLS
The USC roster is loaded up with eight All-American honorees. Five returning players were McDonald's All-Americans on their way into Troy: Ashley Corral, Jacki Gemelos, Briana Gilbreath, Stefanie Gilbreath and Christina Marinacci. Also holding high school All-American accolades is WBCA honoree Cassie Harberts, now a sophomore with the Trojans. That core of six returners have two new McDonald's All-Americans also lined up for action in freshmen Ariya Crook and Alexyz Vaioletama.
LAST SEASON
In head coach Michael Cooper's second season at Troy, the Women of Troy experienced a successful postseason that saw USC make a run to the WNIT title match. The 2011 Women of Troy finished the year with a 24-13 overall record after a 10-8 mark in Pac-10 play. The 24 wins was the most by a USC team since 1993-94, and USC's 18 road games in the season the Trojans set another program record. Juniors Ashley Corral and Briana Gilbreath both earned All-Pac-10 Team honors for the second straight season, with Jacki Gemelos picking up her first conference honors with All-Pac-10 Honorable Mention. Newcomer Cassie Harberts was named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team and also had a spot on the Pac-10 All-Tournament Team alongside Corral. Corral and Gilbreath would also garner WNIT All-Tournament Team accolades, and Gilbreath became the first Trojan since 1997 to earn an AP All-American selection with an Honorable Mention pick after standing out as USC's leader in scoring, rebounds, blocks and steals in her junior season. Corral and Gilbreath made more Trojan history in both scoring their 1,000th career points last season. Gilbreath hit the mark on Jan. 22, 2011, and Corral followed suit on Feb. 10, 2011. Corral also took over as USC's all-time leader in career 3-pointers on that same day.
