Friday, February 1
Los Angeles, CA
7:00 PM
USC
vs
Washington
Players Mentioned
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Photo by: John McGillen
USC Women Wind Up For Washington & WSU At Galen Center
January 29, 2019 | Women's Basketball, Features
Women of Troy host the Huskies on Friday night and then turn to take on the Cougars at noon on Sunday.
USC (11-8, 1-7) vs. Washington (8-13, 1-8)
Galen Center | Los Angeles, Calif.
Friday, Feb. 1 | 7 p.m.
Series Record: USC trails 30-36
Home: 17-13 | Away: 11-21 | Neutral: 2-2
Last Meeting: W, 72-61 (Jan. 28, 2018 • Seattle)
Current Streak: USC won 1
USC (11-8, 1-7) vs. Washington State (7-13, 2-7)
Galen Center | Los Angeles, Calif.
Sunday, Feb. 3 | 12 p.m.
Series Record: USC leads 49-18
Home: 22-7 | Away: 20-11 | Neutral: 3-0
Last Meeting: W, 47-44 (March 1, 2018 • Seattle)
Current Streak: USC won 3
THIS WEEK
The Women of Troy are back at Galen Center to square off with the Washington schools this week. First, USC welcomes back Trojan alum Jody Wynn, who is now at the helm of the Huskies, as the Trojans (11-8, 1-7 Pac-12) host Washington (8-13, 1-8) in a 7 p.m. matchup on Friday (Feb. 1) at Galen Center. Then, USC turns to take on Washington State (7-13, 2-7) in a 12 p.m. clash on Sunday (Feb. 3).
IN THE NATION
USC is not ranked in the national polls this week. On Dec. 18, USC climbed into the USA Today Coaches rankings, weighing in at No. 25 in the land last week. It was USC's first time back in the rankings since the final AP poll of the 2013-14 season, which had USC at No. 25. The Trojans' last appearance in the USA Today poll had been Nov. 15, 2011, at No. 22.
LAST ACTION
USC was upended in two road tilts last week, taking loss at Arizona and #16 ASU. Against the Wildcats, USC staged a late rally to cut down a double-digit deficit, but came up just short with a 71-68 loss in Tucson. USC had led by 10 points during the second quarter before Arizona made its winning move with a big third quarter, leaving USC in a battle to take it down to the wire in the fourth. By halftime, USC junior Minyon Moore had pulled even on the career charts with Trojan great Cynthia Cooper, who posted 381 assists in her illustrious USC career. Moore's fifth assist of the first half knotted her up with Cooper in the USC history books and helped USC along to a 33-28 halftime advantage. USC was shooting at a 45-percent clip to that point, outpacing Arizona's 43 percent from the floor while both teams had landed four 3-pointers apiece. In the third, however, USC hit a scoring slump, coming up empty from 3-point range while Arizona opened up 3-for-3 from 3-point land. The Wildcats made a 10-0 rally into the lead, and would stay a step ahead the rest of the way despite a fierce rally from the Trojans in the final stretch. By the final buzzer, USC had finished up shooting 41.7 percent from the floor while Arizona heated up to 49 percent in the game. The Wildcats also won out on the boards 37-27, and finished 8-of-19 from 3-point range to USC's 6-of-24 outing. USC received a game-high 20 points from Minyon Moore, who finished up with six assists to take over the No. 9 all-time spot in the USC history books and also crept a point shy of hitting 1,000 in her USC career, now with 999 to her name. Already in the 1,000-point club, Aliyah Mazyck was next tonight with 16 points for USC, while Mariya Moore added 13 points along with four assists and five rebounds. For Arizona, Aari McDonald matched Moore's game-high 20 points, while Cate Reese added 17 and Tee Tee Sparks had 13. Dominque Byrd had a double-double for the Wildcats with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Two days later in Tempe, USC was stymied by first-half foul trouble as No. 16 Arizona State moved into the lead in the second quarter and stayed there on the way to a 68-59 victory for the hosts. USC carved it to a one-point game early in the fourth and was within four in the final two minutes only to see the Sun Devils hang on from the free-throw line to win it. USC was paced by a game-high 19 points from Mariya Moore and 14 from Aliyah Mazyck, who knocked down three 3-pointers for the Trojan cause. Minyon Moore would tally her 1,000th career point with her first free throw of the day, and finished up with eight points to go with a team-high eight rebounds and eight assists. All nine Trojans who hit the floor would score in the game, while ASU had 10 scorers on the day. The Sun Devils were led by 11 points apiece from Courtney Ekmark and Kianna Ibis. USC shot 33.6 percent from the floor down the stretch, outpaced by ASU's 44 percent effort. USC went 12-of-20 from the free-throw line, while the Sun Devils were 20-of-28. ASU edged out USC on the boards 39-38.
SCOUTING UW
The Huskies are 8-13 overall and 1-8 in Pac-12 play after an 86-39 loss to Oregon State and a 76-57 loss to Oregon last week. Amber Melgoza leads Washington with 14.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. In series records dating back to 1986, USC is 30-36 all-time against UW. Last season, USC snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Huskies with a 72-61 win over UW in Seattle.
SCOUTING WSU
The Cougars are 7-13 overall and 2-7 in Pac-12 play after a 79-64 loss to Oregon and a 52-35 loss to Oregon State last week. Borislava Hristova leads WSU in scoring with 21.1 points per game, and Maria Kostourkova leads on the boards with 8.8 rebounds per game. In series records dating back to 1981, USC is 49-18 all-time against WSU with wins in the past three meetings. Last season, USC beat Washington State 73-72 in Pullman and then won 47-44 in the first round of the 2018 Pac-12 Tournament in Seattle.
INJURY REPORT
Aliyah Mazyck (ankle) and Kayla Overbeck (knee) missed USC's Nov. 23 game vs. Utah State due to injury. Mazyck and Minyon Moore (wrist) were sidelined by injury on Nov. 25 at Nevada. Mazyck also sat out the Dec. 1 game at UNLV. Cheyanne Wallace missed the Jan. 6 game at Cal (knee). Asiah Jones and Minyon Moore missed the Jan. 11 game vs. Oregon with injuries. Wallace also has been sidelined for the past two games with injury.
1,000 POINT CLUB
In a span of two weeks, two Trojans have broken the 1,000-point barrier. On Jan. 13, USC senior guard Aliyah Mazyck clocked in with her 1,000th career point. Now with 1,056, Mazyck ranks No. 24 all-time in career scoring at USC. Most recently, USC junior guard Minyon Moore also joined the club, notching her 1,000th career point on Jan. 27. She now grips 1,007 points as a Trojan to her name, putting her at No. 27 all-time in career scoring. In all, 28 Women of Troy have scored 1,000 points while at USC.
MAZYCK MAKES THE LIST
USC senior Aliyah Mazyck's notable junior season has attracted national attention, as she has been selected as one of the country's top 20 shooting guards recognized on the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Preseason Watch List. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Women's Basketball Coaches Association announced the list today (Oct. 23). A finalist for the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year last year, Mazyck was a 2018 Pac-12 All-Defensive Team and All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention pick as a junior. That year, the Charlotte, N.C., native set a USC single-season record with 86 threes made. A full-time starter, she averaged 16.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game. Now a senior captain for the Women of Troy, Mazyck has stepped into a leadership role that will help the speedster's upward trajectory on the Pac-12 and the national radars this season. Named after the first player, male or female, named to the All-America Team in four straight college seasons, the annual Ann Meyers Drysdale Award — in its second year — recognizes the top shooting guard in women's NCAA Division I college basketball. Hampered a bit by early-season injury, Mazyck has started 12 games this season to date, averaging 13.7 points and 2.3 steals per game along with 3.8 rebounds per game.
MARIYA ON NAISMITH WATCH LIST
As USC senior Mariya Moore engages in her first and final season of competition with the Women of Troy, the talented guard has earned national acclaim as one of 50 women's basketball players selected to the Citizen Naismith Trophy Watch List. A transfer from Louisville last year, Moore sat out the 2017-18 season due to NCAA transfer rules. At Louisville, Moore earned 2016 WBCA All-America Honorable Mention, was a 2016 All-ACC First Team honoree and a 2015 and 2017 All-ACC Second Team selection. The Citizen Naismith Trophy Watch List was released today (Nov. 12) by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. In February, a midseason 30 list will be release, followed by 10 semifinalists for the award to be named on March 4, 2019. Four finalists will be revealed on March 22, with the winner of the 2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy for Women's Player of the Year to be announced on April 6, 2019. The last USC player to be named to a Naismith Watch List was Cassie Harberts in 2013-14. Prior to Harberts, Jacki Gemelos and Briana Gilbreath were both selected to the Naismith Early Season Watch List at the start of the 2011-12 season. In 2006-07, Shay Murphy was on the preseason watch list, and Ebony Hoffman was a preseason candidate in 2002-03. USC already boasts two Naismith Trophy winners in three-time honoree Cheryl Miller (1984, 1985, 1986) and Lisa Leslie (1994). To date, Moore is USC's third leading scorer with 13.1 points per game, having set a new career high with 36 points scored at Cal on Jan. 6. In that game, Moore matched the USC record with seven 3-pointers made. She is currently averaging 4.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game in 19 starts as a Trojan.
CULTURE SHIFT
As the Women of Troy progress in this 2018-19 season, the energy and excitement generated by USC's combination of Trojan veterans and fresh faces is palpable. Along with the return of Pac-12 honorees Aliyah Mazyck and Minyon Moore, there are six Women of Troy who have seen their first game action in a USC jersey. Transfers Mariya Moore, Kayla Overbeck and Cheyanne Wallace are three of those six Women of Troy having logged their first minutes at USC. Shalexxus Aaron, meanwhile, is finally off the sidelines and in full force after sitting out the 2017-18 season with injury, and adds a deft shooting hand to the back court. The other two newbies forward Jillian Archer and guard Desiree Caldwell, who are USC's two true freshmen this season. Altogether, USC's six newcomers are averaging a combined 34.7 points per game in these first 19 games.
SENIOR STRENGTH
USC's senior class offers a window into the new formula that head coach Mark Trakh is working with this season — a blend of players with diverse talents and diverse experience. Aliyah Mazyck is USC's record-holder for single-season 3-pointers made and is coming off a junior season where she averaged 16.5 points per game. Seniors Mariya Moore and Cheyanne Wallace, meanwhile, bring another angle of experience to the picture. Moore was a decorated player at Louisville, then transferred to USC last season. This year marks her first game action as a Trojan. Wallace also opted to change course to USC, coming across town from Loyola Marymount to get in the mix this season as a grad transfer. Currently, Mazyck, Moore and Wallace currently stand as USC's second, third and seventh leading scorers, respectively.
POWER AT THE POST
USC has two standout juniors lined up for duty as veterans on the post. Ja'Tavia Tapley was the sixth man last year, and her 6-3 frame and incredible athleticism have helped her into a full-time starting role this season. Newly crowned for her junior season at USC is Vanderbilt transfer Kayla Overbeck, whose waiver to compete immediately as a Trojan was granted by the NCAA. An All-SEC honoree as a freshman, Overbeck adds yet another valuable depth charge to the post for USC. Redshirt sophomore Asiah Jones also is back in the lineup after a year sidelined by injury, and the athletic post brings length and serious leaping ability to the paint for the Trojans. Freshman Jillian Archer also is in regular rotation at the post, helping USC boast important depth down low.
SEASON OPENER
USC's season opener was highlighted by debut performances from six new Trojans. Competing for USC for the first time, all six Trojans scored in a 73-55 win over visiting UC Riverside. A relative veteran at Troy, junior Minyon Moore led the way with a double-double — the fifth of her USC career — on a team-high 16 points and 12 rebounds to go with seven assists, as USC opened the 2018-19 campaign with a 1-0 mark. USC gripped a 12-point lead during the first half, but it would melt away as UC Riverside battled back to level it at 30-30 by halftime. That's when the Trojans turned the tide. USC outscored the Highlanders 27-12 in the third quarter to open things up, and the Trojans finished out the game shooting 44.6 percent from the floor to outpace UC Riverside's 38.3 outing. USC also outrebounded its visitors, 37-30, and went 50 percent from beyond the arc (10-of-20). One rebound shy of double digits at halftime, Minyon Moore collected three more in the second half while pumping out 12 second-half points. The first Trojan to hit double digits in the game, however, was senior transfer Mariya Moore, who shined in her Trojan debut with 11 points with three 3-pointers landed. Joining the 3-point parade for USC were two more Women of Troy hitting the court for the first time. Senior transfer Cheyanne Wallace went 2-for-2 from long distance, while redshirt freshman Shalexxus Aaron also tallied two treys in her first USC action. Junior transfer Kayla Overbeck may not have spotted up from beyond the arc, but she made her presence known down low, dumping in 10 points as she, too, hit the floor as a Trojan for the first time. Another newcomer to the paint at USC was freshman Jillian Archer, who provided five points on the night. True freshman guard Deisree Caldwell, meanwhile, had two points and two steals in her USC debut. In all, every USC player who got in the game would score in the victory. Junior Ja'Tavia Tapley was just short of double digits in finishing with nine points. Back in action after redshirting last season with injury was redshirt sophomore Asiah Jones, who had four points along with five boards.
LAST SEASON
USC finished up the 2017-18 season with a 20-11 overall record in head coach Mark Trakh's return to the helm of the program. In Pac-12 play, USC finished in seventh place at 7-7 and fell in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament. Senior Kristen Simon picked up a place on the All-Pac-12 Team, while junior Aliyah Mazyck earned All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention and was a finalist for Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. She and sophomore Minyon Moore both landed on the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team. Along the way, Mazyck also set a new USC record for single-season 3-pointers made with 86.
CLEAR BAGS, PLEASE!
At Galen Center, the safety of our guests is of paramount importance. With that in mind, beginning January 1, 2018, Galen Center has implemented enhanced security measures including a clear bag policy. To review the policy and to ensure you come to your next event at Galen Center fully prepared please go to: www.galencenter.org/assets/img/Clear-Bag-Policy-0b9d0e3076.jpg. Thank you and Fight On!
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