Friday, January 11
Los Angeles, CA
8:00 PM
USC
vs
Oregon
Players Mentioned
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Photo by: John McGillen
USC Women Take On Top-10 Teams At Galen Center
January 08, 2019 | Women's Basketball, Features
Women of Troy face No. 5 Oregon on Friday night and take on No. 10 Oregon State on Sunday afternoon.
USC (10-4, 0-3) vs. #5 Oregon (13-1, 2-0)
Galen Center | Los Angeles, Calif.
Friday, Jan. 11 | 8 p.m.
Series Record: USC leads 45-23
Home: 25-9 | Away: 19-14 | Neutral: 1-0
Last Meeting: L, 80-75 [2ot] (Feb. 16, 2018 • Eugene)
Current Streak: Oregon won 5
TV: Pac-12N/OR (PbB: Jim Watson; Analyst: Ros Gold-Onwude)
USC vs. #10 Oregon State (12-2, 2-0)
Galen Center | Los Angeles, Calif.
Sunday, Jan. 13 | 12 p.m.
Series Record: USC leads 43-27
Home: 25-9 | Away: 16-16 | Neutral: 2-2
Last Meeting: L, 69-63 (Feb. 18, 2018 • Corvallis)
Current Streak: OSU won 1
TV: Pac-12LA/OR (PbB: Jim Watson; Analyst: Maylana Douglas)
THIS WEEK
The Women of Troy return to Galen Center looking to tack up a couple upset wins this week as Pac-12 action takes them up against two more ranked opponents. USC (10-4, 0-3 Pac-12) squares off against No. 5 Oregon (13-1, 2-0) in an 8 p.m. battle on Friday (Jan. 11) at Galen Center. On Sunday (Jan. 13), the Trojans host No. 10 Oregon State (12-2, 2-0) in a 12 p.m. noon showdown.
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 played two tireless and tight battles in the Bay Area last week, falling short to two road upsets with losses at No. 6 Stanford and No. 18 Cal. First, the Trojans fought through 13 lead changes before host No. 6 Stanford made a second-half move to claim a 72-64 Pac-12 victory at Maples Pavilion. The Cardinal's comeback push after USC gripped a halftime lead was fueled by six 3-pointers landed by Stanford in the second half. The loss put USC at 10-3 overall and 0-2 in Pac-12 play. No. 6 Stanford improved to 11-1, 1-0. USC's Minyon Moore was in double digits by halftime, and the Trojans had the shooting edge in going 37.8 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes to hold a 33-31 lead at the break. Stanford was hitting at 36.4 percent from the floor to that point. The USC defense would interrupt the Cardinal with five Trojan steals and four blocks to help keep Stanford at bay in that first half. In the second, however, Stanford heated up across the board, shooting 44 percent from the field while nailing six second-half 3-pointers to pass up the Trojans. USC shot 37.5 percent in the second half to wrap the game at 37.7 percent, just behind Stanford's final 40.3 effort. The Cardinal edged out USC on the boards 46-40, while USC forced 15 turnovers out of Stanford while committing 13 of its own. USC received a team-high 13 points from Minyon Moore along with a season-high 10 from Kayla Overbeck. Mariya Moore led USC on the boards with six rebounds. Stanford had three players hit double figures, led by Kiana Williams' 22 points with four 3-pointes landed. Alanna Smith had a double-double With 19 points and 11 rebounds, and DiJonai Carrington added 14 points for Stanford in the win. Two days later, a career outing from USC senior Mariya Moore was almost enough to knock off host California, but the No. 18 Golden Bears got the buckets they needed to keep the visiting Trojans at bay in a 66-59 Cal victory in Berkeley. Moore delivered the most points by a Trojan since 1990 with her career-high 36-point effort, and tied the school record with seven 3-pointers landed in the game. Mariya Moore was leading all scorers with 18 points at halftime, while Cal's Kristine Anigwe had a double-double in the books by the break as the Golden Bears led it 36-29 after 20 minutes of action. Cal was shooting 46.4 from the floor and had netted five 3-pointers by halftime to outpace USC's 42.3 percent and four 3-pointers nailed. After leading by as much as 18 in the third, Cal would grip a double-digit lead during the fourth before USC carved it down to single digits with a strong fourth frame. The Golden Bears saw the Trojans get to within four after five straight points from Moore pulled it to a 63-49 margin in the final minute, but USC would see its next attempts rattle out as Cal held on for the win. By the final buzzer, Mariya Moore led all scorers with her career-high 36 points after going 7-of-14 from 3-point range for the Trojans. With five assists, Minyon Moore cracked the top-10 in career assists at USC, now with 368 to her name to rank No. 10 all-time at USC. Cal was paced by Anigwe's double-double with 21 points and 16 rebounds, while Asha Thomas added 12 points for the Bears.
SCOUTING OREGON
The No. 5 Ducks are 13-1 overall and 2-0 in Pac-12 play after beating Washington 84-71 and WSU 98-58 last week. Sabrina Ionescu leads Oregon in scoring with 19.8 points per game, and Ruthy Hebard leads on the bards with 8.7 rebounds per game. In series records dating back to 1980, USC is 45-23 all-time against Oregon with losses in the last five meetings. USC's last win was a 74-67 decision at Galen Center in the teams' first meeting of the 2015-16 season. Last season, USC dropped two tight battles with the Ducks, falling 70-66 in Los Angeles and 80-74 in double overtime in Eugene.
SCOUTING OSU
The No. 10 Beavers are 12-2 overall and 2-0 in Pac-12 play after beating WSU 76-69 and Washington 78-67 last week. Destiny Slocum leads OSU in scoring with 15.1 points per game, and Mikayla Pivec leads on the bards with 8.7 rebounds per game. In series records dating back to 1976, USC is 43-27 all-time against OSU. Last season, USC split with the Beavers, winning 65-61 in Los Angeles and falling 69-63 in Corvallis.
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).
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 eight games this season to date, averaging 12.0 points and a team-high 2.5 steals per game along with 4.4 rebounds per game. She is 26 points away from her 1,000th career point.
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 second leading scorer with 13.6 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 also averaging 4.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in 14 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 39.2 points per game in these first 14 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, Moore, Mazyck and Wallace currently stand as USC's second, third and fifth 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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