Friday, January 10
Boulder, Colo.
6:00 PM
USC
at
Colorado
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Photo by: Percy Anderson
USC Women Skip Town For Pac-12 Clashes At Colorado And Utah
January 07, 2020 | Women's Basketball, Features
Trojans visit the Buffs on Friday night in Boulder and take on the Utes on Sunday in Salt Lake City.
USC (8-6, 0-3) at Colorado (12-2, 1-2)
CU Events Center | Boulder, Colo.
Friday, Jan. 10 | 7 p.m. MT
Series Record: USC leads 12-7
Home: 7-2 | Away: 5-4 | Neutral: 0-1
Last Meeting: W, 84-77 (March 1, 2019 • Los Angeles)
Current Streak: USC won 1
TV: Pac-12 Mountain (PbB: Thad Anderson; Analyst: Ros Gold-Onwude)
USC (8-6, 0-3) at Utah (7-7, 0-3)
Jon M. Huntsman Center | Salt Lake City
Sunday, Jan. 12 | 12 p.m. MT
Series Record: USC leads 14-6
Home: 7-3 | Away: 6-3 | Neutral: 1-0
Last Meeting: W, 83-77 ot (March 3, 2019 • Los Angeles)
Current Streak: USC won 4
TV: Pac-12 Mountain (PbB: Krista Blunk; Analyst: Amanda Smith)
THIS WEEKÂ
USC hits the road this week with visits to Colorado and Utah for more Pac-12 play. The Trojans (8-6, 0-3 Pac-12) will first visit the Buffs (12-2, 1-2) on Friday (Jan. 10) at 7 p.m. MT in Boulder. Then it's over to Salt Lake City to square off against the Utes (7-7, 0-3) in a 12 p.m. MT matchup on Sunday (Jan. 12).Â
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IN THE NATION
USC is unranked in the latest AP and Coaches polls.Â
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SCOUTING COLORADO
The Buffs are 12-2 overall and 1-2 in Pac-12 play after falling to Oregon 104-46 and to OSU 72-60 last week. Mya Hollingshed leads Colorado in scoring with 13.6 points per game, and Aubrey Knight leads on the boards with 6.9 rebounds per game. In a series dating back to the 2002-03 season, USC is 12-7 all-time against the Buffs. Last season, USC lost to CU 81-76 in Boulder and then won 84-77 at Galen Center.
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SCOUTING UTAH
The Utes enter the week 7-7 overall and 0-3 in Pac-12 play after falling 77-48 at OSU and 88-53 at Oregon last week. Lola Pendande leads Utah with 12.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. In a series dating back to the 1977-78 season, USC is 14-6 all-time against the Utes. Last season, USC ran its win streak against Utah out to four in a row after an 84-80 win in Salt Lake City and an 83-77 overtime victory at Galen Center.
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INJURY REPORT
Shalexxus Aaron (foot) and Madison Campbell (back) have not yet competed for USC this season due to injury. Aaron is expected to return. Stephanie Watts (knee) has missed recent games, and her return is uncertain.
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LAST ACTION
USC took two tough home losses in Pac-12 play last week, falling to No. 18 Arizona and to Arizona State at Galen Center. Against the No. 18 Wildcats, USC was right in stride, but Arizona won out from the free-throw line to claim a 65-57 win over the Trojans. Arizona shot — and made — 10 more free throws than USC, including five in a row to close out the game. USC and Arizona fought through four lead changes and six ties in the first half after overcoming a slow start. By halftime, USC had freshmen Endyia Rogers and Angel Jackson both in double digits while the Trojans were shooting 35.7 percent froth floor. Arizona had Aari McDonald in double figures, and the Wildcats were hitting at a 37.5-percent clip to lead it 33-32 at the break. That's actually where the game ended as well. Both teams would land five 3-pointers apiece and each missed just a single free throw, although the Wildcats made 10 more than the Trojans to get the edge with a 16-of-17 effort to USC's 6-of-7. Arizona also outrebounded USC 35-30. USC was led in scoring by Aliyah Jeune with 17 points — 15 of which came in the second half. Jackson matched her career best with 16 points, and fellow freshman Rogers added 14 for USC along with a team-high eight rebounds. Arizona got a game-high 24 points from Aari McDonald along with 17 from Cate Reese and 11 from Helena Pueyo. Reese also pulled in 11 rebounds for a double-double. On Sunday against Arizona State, USC took better care of the ball in the second half but could get no closer than eight points away from the Sun Devils in taking a 63-54 loss. The Trojans carved down a 20-point deficit in the fourth thanks to a game-high 23 points from Alissa Pili. Turnovers plagued the Trojans in the first half, and ASU capitalized. The Sun Devils pieced together an 18-0 run fueled largely by those USC giveaways, and the Trojans were behind 36-24 by halftime due in large part to 14 turnovers. USC was shooting 45.5 percent from the floor in the first half to outpace ASU's 38.9 percent, but the Sun Devils had 10 players on the scoresheet to just four Trojans to keep USC off-balance and hold ASU in the lead at the half. USC got within 10 as Pili found her scoring touch in the third, although that gap would grow to 20 points early in the fourth. Pili would power the Trojans to within eight entering the final minute, but USC couldn't carve it down any further in the final 63-54 loss. USC wrapped the game shooting 45.5 percent overall, with ASU finishing up at 38.9 percent while scoring 27 points off of USC's season-high 21 turnovers. ASU also landed four 3-pointers to just a single three from the Trojans. USC received a game-high 23 points from Pili — all in the second half — along with 14 points from fellow freshman Rogers. Six Trojans scored in the game while all 11 Sun Devils got on the scoresheet, led by Jayde Van Hyfte's 12 points.
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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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THE NEW CLASS
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, with two of those young guns standing out as USC's top scorers to date. Freshman forward Alissa Pili leads USC with 12.8 points and 7.7 rebounds points per game so far, while guard Endyia Rogers is just a step behind, averaging 11.4 points per game. Both freshmen have scored in double digits in nine games each. Pili also already has hauled in five double-doubles as a Trojan. Pili has fellow freshman Angel Jackson also making an impact in the paint with 8.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, while the rest of the freshman class makes for a talented back court in guards Madison Campbell, Alyson Miura, India Otto and Kyra White.Â
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STEPH SCORES A WATCH LIST SPOT
As she set up for her first season as a Trojan, grad transfer Stephanie Watts 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.Â
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
