Friday, February 16
Eugene, OR
6:00 PM
USC
17-9, 7-8P12
74
at
80
Oregon
24-4, 13-2P12
1
2
3
4
OT 1
OT 2
F
USC
12
14
16
20
8
4
74
Oregon
21
5
19
17
8
10
80
Team Stats
USC-W
ORE
FG%
.359
.448
3FG%
.143
.348
FT%
.750
.690
RB
42
46
TO
13
24
STL
19
5
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
26
FGM
9
3FGM
0
FTM
8
Pts
18
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
16
FGM
7
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballPhoto by: John McGillen
Ball Bounces No. 9 Oregon’s Way In 80-74 Double-OT Decision Over USC Women In Eugene
February 16, 2018 | Women's Basketball, Features
Hosts are able to hold off a powerful USC team, who forced a season-high turnover count out of the Ducks.
EUGENE, ORE. — The USC women's basketball team went toe-to-toe with the No. 9 team in the land for the second time this season, taking host Oregon to double overtime before the Ducks were able to get one last bounce to go their way to finish up with an 80-74 win over the Trojans in Eugene. Looking to claim their third win over a ranked Pac-12 opponent this year, USC played relentless defense in forcing a season-high 24 turnovers out of the Ducks while making a season-high 19 steals of its own. After 21 lead changes and 12 ties, however, Oregon were able to hold off USC in the final stretch of the second overtime to claim the home win. USC goes to 17-9 overall and 7-8 in Pac-12 play with the road loss, while Oregon improves to 24-4, 13-2.
After a hot start by Oregon, USC's defense chilled out the Ducks in the second quarter to work its way even with the No. 9 team in the nation. USC had trailed by 10 during the first quarter but was successfully interrupting the Ducks' flow. Four first-half steals from senior captain Jordan Adams accounting for half of the Trojans' takeaways in those first 20 minutes. By the halftime buzzer, USC was shooting 36 percent from the floor and Oregon was at 37 percent. By the end of regulation, USC was up to 39 percent and Oregon was at 41.7 from the floor, having hit five 3-pointers to USC's two, but the Trojans had produced 29 points off turnovers to rattle the Ducks and pull even at 62-62 after 40 minutes of play. When the second overtime was done, though, Oregon had upped its 3-point tally to eight and had shot 44.8 overall from the floor to outpace USC's 35.9 percent effort, which included three 3-pointers. Oregon also won out on the boards 46-42.
USC was led by Kristen Simon's 27th career double-double with a career-high 26 points to go with a season-high 15 rebounds. Joining Simon in double digits for the Trojan cause was Aliyah Mazyck with 18 points to go with a career-high eight steals. Sadie Edwards added 16 points for USC, and Minyon Moore had 12 points and nine assists to further fuel the USC offense. Oregon received a double-double from Ruthy Hebard (27 points, 10 rebounds), 17 points from Maite Cazorla, 15 from Sabrina Ionesco and 11 from Lexi Bando.
It took almost 20 minutes for USC to hit its first 3-pointer of the game, but it was a big one. Aliyah Mazyck nailed that trey with 50 seconds left in the first half to lock the Trojans even with Oregon for the first time since a 4-4 tie in the first two minutes of play. Although the Trojans struck first with back-to-back buckets off back-to-back steals to open the game, USC fell behind soon after and trailed Oregon for 17 minutes. The second quarter was a changing of the guard, however, as the Ducks came up empty for the first 4:30 of the quarter while USC carved down its 21-12 first-quarter deficit. A string of free throws from Kristen Simon cut it to 21-18 Oregon at 6:09 in the second, and although Oregon would nail its third 3-pointer of the half a couple minutes later, those were the only baskets to fall for the Ducks. USC, meanwhile, topped off a 6-0 run with a 3-pointer from Minyon Moore to level the game at 26-26 for halftime.
In the third, USC's Kristen Simon roared to life, scoring 14 of the Trojans' 16 points in that 10-minute span, although Oregon was able to move ahead 45-42 entering the fourth. Undeterred, the Trojans refused to let Oregon off the hook. Mazyck kept at it, nabbing a couple huge steals and finishing at the other end to keep USC in the picture. That effort, combined with successful trips to the line for Moore and Simon, nudged USC ahead 60-57 with 1:45 left in regulation. Oregon would answer back and move ahead 62-60 with 26 ticks to go, only to see Simon strike in the paint with 12 seconds left to equalize it at 62-62. Oregon's look for the winner was off the mark, and the two teams were heading into OT.
In USC's first overtime of the season (and Oregon's second), the Trojans proved up to the challenge. In a back-and-forth battle that saw Sadie Edwards and Lexi Bando trade 3-pointers, it was Edwards who landed the last bucket of the frame, snarling it at 70-70 with 25 seconds left. Again, Oregon missed its shot at the winner, bringing up overtime number two. There, Mazyck tugged her team into the lead on two occasions, with her 18th points of the night taking USC ahead 74-73 with 2:50 to go. Oregon would strike from the paint for the go-ahead a minute later, then landed a wild 3-pointer that hit the rim, skied high and looked to bounce off the top of the backboard before dripping through the net for a back-breaking bucket that gave Oregon a 78-74 lead in the final minute. USC had a few looks to challenge, but Oregon got a couple more free throws to go to pad out an 80-74 advantage that would hold down the stretch to secure the No. 9 Ducks' 24th win of the season.
USC now looks to make it a season sweep of ranked Oregon State when the Trojans pay a visit to Corvallis for a 1 p.m. matchup against the No. 15 Beavers on Sunday (Feb. 18).
After a hot start by Oregon, USC's defense chilled out the Ducks in the second quarter to work its way even with the No. 9 team in the nation. USC had trailed by 10 during the first quarter but was successfully interrupting the Ducks' flow. Four first-half steals from senior captain Jordan Adams accounting for half of the Trojans' takeaways in those first 20 minutes. By the halftime buzzer, USC was shooting 36 percent from the floor and Oregon was at 37 percent. By the end of regulation, USC was up to 39 percent and Oregon was at 41.7 from the floor, having hit five 3-pointers to USC's two, but the Trojans had produced 29 points off turnovers to rattle the Ducks and pull even at 62-62 after 40 minutes of play. When the second overtime was done, though, Oregon had upped its 3-point tally to eight and had shot 44.8 overall from the floor to outpace USC's 35.9 percent effort, which included three 3-pointers. Oregon also won out on the boards 46-42.
USC was led by Kristen Simon's 27th career double-double with a career-high 26 points to go with a season-high 15 rebounds. Joining Simon in double digits for the Trojan cause was Aliyah Mazyck with 18 points to go with a career-high eight steals. Sadie Edwards added 16 points for USC, and Minyon Moore had 12 points and nine assists to further fuel the USC offense. Oregon received a double-double from Ruthy Hebard (27 points, 10 rebounds), 17 points from Maite Cazorla, 15 from Sabrina Ionesco and 11 from Lexi Bando.
It took almost 20 minutes for USC to hit its first 3-pointer of the game, but it was a big one. Aliyah Mazyck nailed that trey with 50 seconds left in the first half to lock the Trojans even with Oregon for the first time since a 4-4 tie in the first two minutes of play. Although the Trojans struck first with back-to-back buckets off back-to-back steals to open the game, USC fell behind soon after and trailed Oregon for 17 minutes. The second quarter was a changing of the guard, however, as the Ducks came up empty for the first 4:30 of the quarter while USC carved down its 21-12 first-quarter deficit. A string of free throws from Kristen Simon cut it to 21-18 Oregon at 6:09 in the second, and although Oregon would nail its third 3-pointer of the half a couple minutes later, those were the only baskets to fall for the Ducks. USC, meanwhile, topped off a 6-0 run with a 3-pointer from Minyon Moore to level the game at 26-26 for halftime.
In the third, USC's Kristen Simon roared to life, scoring 14 of the Trojans' 16 points in that 10-minute span, although Oregon was able to move ahead 45-42 entering the fourth. Undeterred, the Trojans refused to let Oregon off the hook. Mazyck kept at it, nabbing a couple huge steals and finishing at the other end to keep USC in the picture. That effort, combined with successful trips to the line for Moore and Simon, nudged USC ahead 60-57 with 1:45 left in regulation. Oregon would answer back and move ahead 62-60 with 26 ticks to go, only to see Simon strike in the paint with 12 seconds left to equalize it at 62-62. Oregon's look for the winner was off the mark, and the two teams were heading into OT.
In USC's first overtime of the season (and Oregon's second), the Trojans proved up to the challenge. In a back-and-forth battle that saw Sadie Edwards and Lexi Bando trade 3-pointers, it was Edwards who landed the last bucket of the frame, snarling it at 70-70 with 25 seconds left. Again, Oregon missed its shot at the winner, bringing up overtime number two. There, Mazyck tugged her team into the lead on two occasions, with her 18th points of the night taking USC ahead 74-73 with 2:50 to go. Oregon would strike from the paint for the go-ahead a minute later, then landed a wild 3-pointer that hit the rim, skied high and looked to bounce off the top of the backboard before dripping through the net for a back-breaking bucket that gave Oregon a 78-74 lead in the final minute. USC had a few looks to challenge, but Oregon got a couple more free throws to go to pad out an 80-74 advantage that would hold down the stretch to secure the No. 9 Ducks' 24th win of the season.
USC now looks to make it a season sweep of ranked Oregon State when the Trojans pay a visit to Corvallis for a 1 p.m. matchup against the No. 15 Beavers on Sunday (Feb. 18).
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
