Saturday, December 14
Los Angeles, Calif.
2:00 PM
USC
vs
UNLV
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Photo by: Josh Dunst/USC Athletics
USC Women Host UNLV In Saturday Tilt At Galen Center
December 10, 2019 | Women's Basketball, Features
Trojans take on the Rebels at 2 p.m. to start a four-game stretch on home turf.
USC (4-3) vs. UNLV (3-5)
Galen Center | Los Angeles, Calif.
Saturday, Dec. 14 | 2 p.m.
Series Record: USC trails 5-6
Last Meeting: W, 86-72 (Dec. 1, 2018 • Las Vegas)
Current Streak: USC won 1
THIS WEEKÂ
USC will spend the next couple weeks on home turf as the Women of Troy get back to Galen Center to finish out nonconference action. This week, USC (4-3) hosts UNLV (3-5) in a 2 p.m. matchup on Saturday (Dec. 14). Next week brings a bigger slate of basketball action to Galen. USC will host UTRGV mid-week before setting up to host the Women of Troy Classic on Dec. 20-21 before breaking for the holidays.
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IN THE NATION
USC is unranked in the latest AP and Coaches polls.Â
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SCOUTING UNLV
The Rebels are 3-5 overall after beating Pepperdine 69-44 last week. Rodjanae Wade leads UNLV with 14.4 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. USC is 5-6 all-time against the Rebels after a 86-72 win when the teams met last year in Las Vegas.
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LAST ACTION
In the latest action, USC came up with a split at the South Point Shootout in Las Vegas, taking a 64-57 loss to Nebraska before pulling out a 60-57 win over Alabama. With double digits in both games, freshman Angel Jackson earned a place on the All-Tournament Team at the close of the event. In their first game, after hanging tough with Nebraska for three quarters, the Trojans went cold in the fourth an lost to the Cornhuskers. The lead traded hands 10 times in the first half with the teams staying neck-and-neck until the Trojans hit a cold snap in the second quarter. After leading it 22-20 after 10 minutes of action, USC stumbled and scored just nine points in the second frame while Nebraska stayed the course and manufactured a 6-0 run to storm into the lead. A late 3-pointer by the Huskers had USC in a 39-31 hole hat halftime. Nebraska was shooting at a 51.6 percent clip to that point, while the Trojans had slumped to 34.2 percent. USC fired off an 8-0 run to open the second half and lock even at 39-39 thanks in part to 3-pointers nailed by Endyia Rogers and Aliyah Jeune. Nebraska answered back and edged ahead by five with a 46-41 lead at 5:20, only to see the Trojans reel the Huskers back in again. A jumper from Angel Jackson knotted it at 50-50 with 2:10 to go in the third and earned the freshman the distinction of the first Trojan in double digits on the night. Jackson struck again a minute later, and USC had its first lead since the second quarter with a 52-50 advantage before Nebraska got the equalizer in the final minute to make it 52-52 entering the fourth. In that frame, USC failed to score from the floor for the entire stretch, hitting only two tosses from the stripe while Nebraska worked out ahead for a 67-54 win. USC finished out the game going 32.8 percent from the floor while Nebraska wrapped at 46.0 percent. USC knocked down seven 3-pointers and had a season-high 13 assists, and also outrebounded Nebraska 37-34, but untimely shooting woes plagued the Trojans throughout. USC was led in scoring by freshman Angel Jackson's career-high 13 points to stand as the only Trojan in double figures. Nebraska was paced by Leigha Brown's 16 points and also received 12 points from Nicea Eliely and 10 from Kate Cain, while Ashtyn Veerbeek had 10 rebounds for the Huskers. The next night, USC fended off Alabama with a gutsy effort in the finale of the South Point Shootout. The Trojans were put to the test late as the Crimson Tide carved the USC lead down to one point in the final minute, only to see freshman Alissa Pili go 4-for-4 from the stripe in the last 20 seconds to keep USC on top. She'd finish with a double-double on 11 points and 10 boards, while fellow freshman Endyia Rogers piled up all 13 of her points in the second half to help pace USC to victory. A tight opening stretch saw the Trojans made a 6-1 rally to move into the lead, up 18-14 at the end of the first thanks in part to seven points pumped in by Kayla Overbeck in those first 10 minutes. A more defense second frame followed, but USC got a big 3-point play from Alissa Pili and a clutch 3-pointer from Alyson Miura to get the edge on Alabama and lead things 28-22 by halftime. USC was shooting 35.7 percent from the floor while holding the Crimson Tide to 27.3 percent on its offensive end. A busy third frame saw the Crimson Tide chisel just a point off the Trojan advantage as USC had Angel Jackson tally six points to get into double digits for the second straight game. Endyia Rogers also got on the board for the Trojans during the third, and USC was up 44-39 entering the fourth. Rogers fueled the Trojans in scoring nine points in the first five minutes to help maintain a six-point advantage for USC. The referees' whistles would give the Crimson Tide a look at nine free throws in the next stretch, although only four of those would fall. USC had two Trojan foul out along the way, and a 1-for-2 outing from the stripe by Alabama had the USC lead down to one at 56-55. USC dug in from there, with Pili hauling in a key loose ball and going to the line. She'd knock down both for a little USC breathing room at 58-55 with 19 seconds left. She'd get sent back to the line after a USC defensive stop, and the freshman nailed both again for a 60-55 USC lead with five ticks to go. Alabama would get a last-second layup to fall, but the win was already in USC's column by then. USC wrapped the game shooting 40 percent from the floor to outpace Alabama's 33.3 percent. Both teams knocked down three 3-pointers apiece, while Alabama won out on the boards 37-30. USC finished up at 13-of-18 from the free-throw line, and Alabama went 12-of-21.
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In the latest action, USC came up with a split at the South Point Shootout in Las Vegas, taking a 64-57 loss to Nebraska before pulling out a 60-57 win over Alabama. With double digits in both games, freshman Angel Jackson earned a place on the All-Tournament Team at the close of the event. In their first game, after hanging tough with Nebraska for three quarters, the Trojans went cold in the fourth an lost to the Cornhuskers. The lead traded hands 10 times in the first half with the teams staying neck-and-neck until the Trojans hit a cold snap in the second quarter. After leading it 22-20 after 10 minutes of action, USC stumbled and scored just nine points in the second frame while Nebraska stayed the course and manufactured a 6-0 run to storm into the lead. A late 3-pointer by the Huskers had USC in a 39-31 hole hat halftime. Nebraska was shooting at a 51.6 percent clip to that point, while the Trojans had slumped to 34.2 percent. USC fired off an 8-0 run to open the second half and lock even at 39-39 thanks in part to 3-pointers nailed by Endyia Rogers and Aliyah Jeune. Nebraska answered back and edged ahead by five with a 46-41 lead at 5:20, only to see the Trojans reel the Huskers back in again. A jumper from Angel Jackson knotted it at 50-50 with 2:10 to go in the third and earned the freshman the distinction of the first Trojan in double digits on the night. Jackson struck again a minute later, and USC had its first lead since the second quarter with a 52-50 advantage before Nebraska got the equalizer in the final minute to make it 52-52 entering the fourth. In that frame, USC failed to score from the floor for the entire stretch, hitting only two tosses from the stripe while Nebraska worked out ahead for a 67-54 win. USC finished out the game going 32.8 percent from the floor while Nebraska wrapped at 46.0 percent. USC knocked down seven 3-pointers and had a season-high 13 assists, and also outrebounded Nebraska 37-34, but untimely shooting woes plagued the Trojans throughout. USC was led in scoring by freshman Angel Jackson's career-high 13 points to stand as the only Trojan in double figures. Nebraska was paced by Leigha Brown's 16 points and also received 12 points from Nicea Eliely and 10 from Kate Cain, while Ashtyn Veerbeek had 10 rebounds for the Huskers. The next night, USC fended off Alabama with a gutsy effort in the finale of the South Point Shootout. The Trojans were put to the test late as the Crimson Tide carved the USC lead down to one point in the final minute, only to see freshman Alissa Pili go 4-for-4 from the stripe in the last 20 seconds to keep USC on top. She'd finish with a double-double on 11 points and 10 boards, while fellow freshman Endyia Rogers piled up all 13 of her points in the second half to help pace USC to victory. A tight opening stretch saw the Trojans made a 6-1 rally to move into the lead, up 18-14 at the end of the first thanks in part to seven points pumped in by Kayla Overbeck in those first 10 minutes. A more defense second frame followed, but USC got a big 3-point play from Alissa Pili and a clutch 3-pointer from Alyson Miura to get the edge on Alabama and lead things 28-22 by halftime. USC was shooting 35.7 percent from the floor while holding the Crimson Tide to 27.3 percent on its offensive end. A busy third frame saw the Crimson Tide chisel just a point off the Trojan advantage as USC had Angel Jackson tally six points to get into double digits for the second straight game. Endyia Rogers also got on the board for the Trojans during the third, and USC was up 44-39 entering the fourth. Rogers fueled the Trojans in scoring nine points in the first five minutes to help maintain a six-point advantage for USC. The referees' whistles would give the Crimson Tide a look at nine free throws in the next stretch, although only four of those would fall. USC had two Trojan foul out along the way, and a 1-for-2 outing from the stripe by Alabama had the USC lead down to one at 56-55. USC dug in from there, with Pili hauling in a key loose ball and going to the line. She'd knock down both for a little USC breathing room at 58-55 with 19 seconds left. She'd get sent back to the line after a USC defensive stop, and the freshman nailed both again for a 60-55 USC lead with five ticks to go. Alabama would get a last-second layup to fall, but the win was already in USC's column by then. USC wrapped the game shooting 40 percent from the floor to outpace Alabama's 33.3 percent. Both teams knocked down three 3-pointers apiece, while Alabama won out on the boards 37-30. USC finished up at 13-of-18 from the free-throw line, and Alabama went 12-of-21.
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THE "VETS"Â
Of USC's three seniors on the roster, only post Kayla Overbeck has logged minutes in Cardinal and Gold. Overbeck joined the Trojans as a transfer from Vanderbilt last season. Now, she's flanked by two other transfers — guards Stephanie Watts (from North Carolina) and Aliyah Jeune (from Morehead State) — who are playing out their remaining eligibility as Trojans. Overbeck, Shalexxus Aaron and sophomore guard Desiree Caldwell are USC's three returners from the 2018-19 season that saw the Trojans come up just shy of a postseason push with a 17-13 overall record. Â
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YOUNG GUNS
Nine new faces are on the roster for 2019-20. In addition to grad transfers Aliyah Jeune and Stephanie Watts, USC has seven true freshmen in the mix — all wildly talented and all ready to hit the floor for their first minutes as Women of Troy. They include two state Gatorade Players of the Year in forward Alissa Pili (Alaska) and guard Endyia Rogers (Texas), as well as McDonald's All-American center Angel Jackson. Watts, too, was a McDonald's All-American coming out of high school in North Carolina before signing on with the Tar Heels. A bevy of talented freshmen guards are also locked in, with Madison Campbell, Alyson Miura, India Otto and Kyra White bringing extra punch to the USC backcourt as true freshmen.Â
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STEPH SCORES A WATCH LIST SPOT
As she sets up for her first season as a Trojan, grad transfer Stephanie Watts has earned a place on the Preseason Watch List for the prestigious Ann Meyers Drysdale Award. Watts is one of 20 candidates on the Preseason Watch List, as announced Oct. 22 by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Watts joins the Women of Troy this season as a grad transfer from North Carolina, where she was the 2016 ACC Freshman of the Year and later led the team in 3-pointers made as a redshirt junior last season. In her three seasons as a Tar Heel, she scored 1,320 points. In her final season, she averaged 15.2 point, 5.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game while knocking down 82 threes. 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 third year — recognizes the top shooting guard in women's NCAA Division I college basketball.
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PREP STARS
Several Women of Troy had especially decorated high school careers. Two were McDonald's All-Americans — Angel Jackson and Stephanie Watts — with Jackson also earning Jordan Brand honors, and Watts as an Naismith High School All-American honoree. Two Trojans also were their state Player of the Year — Alissa Pili (Alaska) and Endyia Rogers (Texas).
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LAST SEASONÂ
USC finished up the 2018-19 season with a 17-13 overall record after going 7-11 in Pac-12 play and with a loss in the Pac-12 Tournament first round. Seniors Aliyah Mazyck and Mariya Moore and junior Minyon Moore earned All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention, with Mazyck and Minyon Moore both also landing on the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team.
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! •
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! •
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
