USC
1-0
Hope International
0-1
USC Women Hit Big Numbers In Season-Opening Victory
November 13, 2015 | Women's Basketball
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. — The USC women's basketball team got out of the gates with a dominating season-opening victory at Galen Center today, tacking up a 92-43 win over visiting Hope International. All 10 Trojans who hit the court scored in the victory, led by a career-high 20 points from sophomore Kristen Simon and a career-high 14 rebounds from redshirt junior Jordan Adams. The win over the Royals give USC a winning 1-0 start to the 2015-16 season.
USC's season opener put five new Trojans on the stage for their first official minutes at Troy. All five also registered their first career points as Trojans. Transfer Temi Fagbenle hauled in 10 rebounds and had eight points — all in the first half of action — to lead the group of newcomers. True freshman Khaedin Taito earned a starting spot alongside Fagbenle and finished up with two points along with two steals and three assists. Fellow freshman Maguerite Effa led the group of young Women of Troy with nine points and six rebounds, with Aliyah Mazyck adding eight points and five assists, and Candela Abejón provided two points and three rebounds.
The biggest numbers of the day, however, came from the hands of Simon and Adams, with junior Courtney Jaco adding 13 points to the Trojan cause thanks to a trio of 3-pointers nailed in the game. Adams' 18 points and 14 rebounds also notched the redshirt junior's second career double-double. Hope International was led in scoring by Nikki Andaya with seven points, with Jazzmyn Oliver leading the Royals with four rebounds.
Up against Hope International for the first time in program history, the Women of Troy were forced to regroup early on as the Royals nudged out to a 5-2 lead. USC responded with a 10-0 scoring run to take the lead for good. Aliyah Mazyck's first career points as a Trojan helped charge up USC to a 16-7 lead in the first quarter, and USC would continue to pad its advantage up to a 27-10 lead at the close of the first.
In the second quarter, Fagbenle served up seven of her final eight points while continuing to own the boards, hauling in seven more rebounds in that frame. Freshman Effa would contribute her first points in that quarter, serving up back-to-back buckets to boost USC ahead 41-14 midway through the period. Adams and Fagbenle would combine forces for the last seven points of the half, taking USC to a 48-18 halftime lead.
In the third, Jaco got hot from 3-point land, knocking down back-to-back threes to help USC out to a 58-20 lead. Khaedin Taito's first Trojan points came soon after, taking USC to a 62-22 advantage, and USC would stay the course to hold a 75-31 lead entering the fourth, hot off Jaco's third 3-pointer of the game. The fourth period was highlighted by Candela Abejón's first points as a Trojan, as she made it 81-33 early in the fourth. The Trojans and the Royals would remain largely in stride the rest of the way as the Women of Troy capped off a 92-43 victory thanks to a final pair of points from Alexis Lloyd.
USC's next action comes up on Monday (Nov. 16) with another home game. The Women of Troy will host Santa Clara at 4 p.m. at Galen Center to continue their early push in the 2015-16 season.
USC 92, HOPE INTERNATIONAL 43
11/13/15 12:00 p.m. at Los Angeles, Calif. (Galen Center)
HOPE INTERNATIONAL (0-1)
Andaya, Nikki 3-7 0-0 7; Ball,Cheyenne 2-6 2-2 6; Pihl,Julia 2-3 0-0 6; Carter-Wafer,Ashley 3-9 0-0 6; Perry,Arin 2-6 0-0 5; Rendon, Marissa 2-6 0-1 4; Lindsey, Alex 2-3 0-0 4; Horn,Olisa 1-4 0-0 3; Thurman, Tearia 1-1 0-0 2; Stewart, Brianna 0-0 0-0 0; Dunlap,Liza 0-1 0-0 0; Oliver, Jazzmyn 0-5 0-0 0; Terwilliger,Emily 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-51 2-3 43.
USC (1-0)
Simon, Kristen 9-15 2-4 20; Adams, Jordan 6-8 5-8 18; Jaco, Courtney 5-10 0-0 13; Effa, Marguerite 4-9 1-2 9; Mazyck, Aliyah 3-10 2-2 8; Fagbenle, Temi 3-6 2-3 8; Barrett, Brianna 3-5 2-4 8; Lloyd, Alexis 2-3 0-0 4; Taito, Khaedin 1-4 0-0 2; Abejon, Candela 1-5 0-0 2. Totals 37-75 14-23 92.
Hope International............ 10 8 13 12 - 43
USC........................... 27 21 29 15 - 92
