Friday, January 26
Pullman, WA
7:00 PM
USC
14-6, 4-5
73
at
72
Washington State
9-12, 2-7
1
2
3
4
F
USC
17
14
20
22
73
Washington State
18
18
21
15
72
Team Stats
USC-W
WSU
FG%
.431
.500
3FG%
.250
.250
FT%
.750
.800
RB
31
36
TO
10
17
STL
13
4
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
25
FGM
10
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Pts
24
FGM
11
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
14
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
7
Pts
6
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballPhoto by: John McGillen
USC Women Freeze Up WSU In Final Stretch For 73-72 Comeback Road Win
January 26, 2018 | Women's Basketball, Features
Kristen Simon and Aliyah Mazyck combine for 49 points in a tense Pac-12 win for the Trojans.
PULLMAN, WASH. — The USC women's basketball team trailed by as much as 10 points during the fourth quarter but kept its eyes on the finish line in a wild finish in Pullman as the Trojans fought back and shut down Washington State in the final seconds to secure a 73-72 road win. USC nabbed seven steals and outscored the Cougars 22-15 in the fourth, making the 12th lead change of the game count in the Trojans' favor. USC improves to 14-6 overall and to 4-5 in Pac-12 play with the win, while WSU goes to 9-12, 2-7.
Kristen Simon had 14 first-half points to aid the Trojan cause, but WSU countered with eight Cougars on the scoresheet and a 52-percent shooting effort by halftime for a 36-31 lead at the break. USC was shooting 41 percent in that opening 20-minute stretch to fall behind its hosts in the final stretch of the first. WSU continued to shoot well, finishing at 50 percent from the floor, but the Cougars couldn't contend with USC's stingy defense, which made 10 steals in the second half to account for 10 WSU turnovers as the Trojans maneuvered into a late lead. With 13 final steals — led by a career-high eight from Minyon Moore — USC's offensive output improved to a final 43.1 percent effort from the floor.
WSU outrebounded the Trojans 36-31, only to see USC's Kristen Simon hold court on the boards in finishing with her 24th career double-double on 13 rebounds and 24 points. Aliyah Mazyck delivered a game-high 25 points for the Trojans. Moore, too, hit doubles digits for USC in tallying 14 points to go with her seven assists and career-high eight steals. WSU was led by Borislava Hristova's 16 points and 13 from Pinelopi Pavlopoulou.
The lead changed hands nine times in the first half, with the second quarter turning into a shootout as teams traded baskets. USC would carve down a 24-18 WSU lead with a 3-pointer from Aliyah Mazyck and a take to the hoop from Sadie Edwards, and later it was back-to-back buckets from Kristen Simon and Ja'Tavia Tapley that had USC back on top, up 29-28 with 3:30 to go. That's where the tug-of-war ensued. Mazyck would finish off a steal for another USC advantage with 2:30 left, only to see WSU manufacture the last six points of the half to move the Cougars to a 36-31 halftime lead.
USC got back into the lead early in the third in opening up the frae with a 7-0 surge. The game would lock up even five times in the third before WSU made another push out ahead. An 8-0 Cougar rally put USC behind 55-47, and although USC got buckets from Simon and Mazyck next, one more WSU basket wrapped the quarter with the Cougars up 57-51.
In a furious fourth quarter, WSU got USC in a 10-point hole with 8:50 on the clock, gripping a 61-51 lead. As the five-minute mark loomed, USC mounted a 7-0 rally to carve the deficit down to two as Mazyck and Moore combined forces. With 3:20 remaining, WSU got ahead 69-65, but USC had another surge in store. Free throws from Simon and Edwards were followed by back-to-back buckets from Mazyck and a single free-throw made by Moore for an 8-0 USC rally to lead it 73-69 with 1:00 to go. WSU landed a 3-pointer to make it a one-point game with 0:43 left, then fielded the defensive board to get a chance at the winning shot. USC's defense was interruptive, forcing the Cougars to launch a last-ditch, wild shot that missed the backboard as the buzzer sounded on a gutsy 73-72 comeback win by the Trojans.
USC now heads to Seattle to face Washington in a 2 p.m. clash on Sunday (Jan. 28) as the Trojans look to tally their second Pac-12 road sweep this season.
Kristen Simon had 14 first-half points to aid the Trojan cause, but WSU countered with eight Cougars on the scoresheet and a 52-percent shooting effort by halftime for a 36-31 lead at the break. USC was shooting 41 percent in that opening 20-minute stretch to fall behind its hosts in the final stretch of the first. WSU continued to shoot well, finishing at 50 percent from the floor, but the Cougars couldn't contend with USC's stingy defense, which made 10 steals in the second half to account for 10 WSU turnovers as the Trojans maneuvered into a late lead. With 13 final steals — led by a career-high eight from Minyon Moore — USC's offensive output improved to a final 43.1 percent effort from the floor.
WSU outrebounded the Trojans 36-31, only to see USC's Kristen Simon hold court on the boards in finishing with her 24th career double-double on 13 rebounds and 24 points. Aliyah Mazyck delivered a game-high 25 points for the Trojans. Moore, too, hit doubles digits for USC in tallying 14 points to go with her seven assists and career-high eight steals. WSU was led by Borislava Hristova's 16 points and 13 from Pinelopi Pavlopoulou.
The lead changed hands nine times in the first half, with the second quarter turning into a shootout as teams traded baskets. USC would carve down a 24-18 WSU lead with a 3-pointer from Aliyah Mazyck and a take to the hoop from Sadie Edwards, and later it was back-to-back buckets from Kristen Simon and Ja'Tavia Tapley that had USC back on top, up 29-28 with 3:30 to go. That's where the tug-of-war ensued. Mazyck would finish off a steal for another USC advantage with 2:30 left, only to see WSU manufacture the last six points of the half to move the Cougars to a 36-31 halftime lead.
USC got back into the lead early in the third in opening up the frae with a 7-0 surge. The game would lock up even five times in the third before WSU made another push out ahead. An 8-0 Cougar rally put USC behind 55-47, and although USC got buckets from Simon and Mazyck next, one more WSU basket wrapped the quarter with the Cougars up 57-51.
In a furious fourth quarter, WSU got USC in a 10-point hole with 8:50 on the clock, gripping a 61-51 lead. As the five-minute mark loomed, USC mounted a 7-0 rally to carve the deficit down to two as Mazyck and Moore combined forces. With 3:20 remaining, WSU got ahead 69-65, but USC had another surge in store. Free throws from Simon and Edwards were followed by back-to-back buckets from Mazyck and a single free-throw made by Moore for an 8-0 USC rally to lead it 73-69 with 1:00 to go. WSU landed a 3-pointer to make it a one-point game with 0:43 left, then fielded the defensive board to get a chance at the winning shot. USC's defense was interruptive, forcing the Cougars to launch a last-ditch, wild shot that missed the backboard as the buzzer sounded on a gutsy 73-72 comeback win by the Trojans.
USC now heads to Seattle to face Washington in a 2 p.m. clash on Sunday (Jan. 28) as the Trojans look to tally their second Pac-12 road sweep this season.
Women's Basketball Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb Media Availability 9/18/25
Thursday, September 18
USC WBB's Lindsay Gottlieb, Rayah Marshall and Talia von Oelhoffen | Trojan Press Conference
Monday, March 31
USC WBB heads to the Elite 8, defeats Kansas State in Sweet 16 | Rapid Reaction
Saturday, March 29
Kennedy Smith on USC WBB heading to the Elite Eight, Trojan freshmen getting the job done
Saturday, March 29
