Friday, February 28
Los Angeles, Calif.
6:00 PM
USC
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USC Women Close Out Regular Season At Galen Center
February 25, 2020 | Women's Basketball, Features
Trojans host Utah in Friday night’s Pink Game and faces Colorado on Sunday for Senior Day.
USC (14-13, 6-10) vs. Utah (13-14. 6-10)
Galen Center | Los Angeles
Friday, Feb. 28 | 6 p.m.
PINK GAME — Breast Cancer Awareness
Series Record: USC leads 14-7
Home: 7-3 | Away: 6-4 | Neutral: 1-0
Last Meeting: L, 67-65 (Jan. 12, 2020 • Salt Lake City)
Current Streak: USC lost 1
TV: Pac-12 Mountain(PbB: Krista Blunk; Analyst: Tammy Blackburn)
USC (14-13, 6-10) vs. Colorado (16-11, 5-11)
Galen Center | Los Angeles
Sunday, March 1 | 12 p.m.Â
SENIOR DAY
Series Record: USC leads 12-8
Home: 7-2 | Away: 5-5 | Neutral: 0-1
Last Meeting: L, 66-53 (Jan. 10, 2020 • Boulder)
Current Streak: USC lost 1
TV: Pac-12 Mountain(PbB: Krista Blunk; Analyst: Tammy Blackburn)
THIS WEEKÂ
USC is back on home turf this week for its final weekend of regular-season action. The Trojans (14-13, 6-10 Pac-120) will host Utah (13-14, 6-10) first in a 6 p.m. matchup on Friday (Feb. 28) at Galen Center. On Sunday (March 1), USC will take on Colorado (16-11, 5-11) at 12 p.m. Also that day, USC will be honoring its three Trojans in their final season of eligibility — senior Kayla Overbeck and grad transfers Aliyah Jeune and Stephanie Watts.
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IN THE NATION
USC is unranked in the latest AP and Coaches polls.Â
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SCOUTING UTAH
The Utes are 13-14 overall and 6-10 in Pac-12 play after a a 69-85 loss to Arizona and a 75-71 upset win over Arizona State last week. Brynna Maxwell leads Utah in scoring with 13.2 points per game, and Lola Pendande leads on the boards with 5.8 rebounds per game. In a series dating back to the 1977-78 season, USC is 14-7 all-time against the Utes after a 67-65 loss last month in Salt Lake City. 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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SCOUTING CU
The Buffs enter the week at 16-11 overall and 5-11 in Pac-12 play after a 65-59 loss to Arizona State and a 50-38 upset win over Arizona last week. Mya Hollingshed leads Colorado with 13.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. In a series dating back to the 2002-03 season, USC is 12-8 all-time against the Buffs after a 66-53 loss last month in Boulder. Last season, USC lost to CU 81-76 in Boulder and then won 84-77 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 injuries. Stephanie Watts (knee) has missed recent games, and her return is uncertain. Aliyah Jeune has missed the last three games (Feb. 16, Feb. 21 and Feb. 23) with injury (knee) and her return is uncertain.
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LAST ACTION
USC came up against a stubborn Washington squad in Seattle, seeing the Huskies shrug off each and every attempt by the Trojans to reel their hosts back in. USC had snagged an overtime victory when the teams met last in Los Angeles, but Washington made sure to sidestep that fate in netting the buckets it needed late to beat USC 75-66. USC had the early lead, but the Huskies were hot and shot 54.5 percent from the floor in the first half while also manhandling the boards to the tune of a 20-9 advantage as Washington led USC 40-30 by halftime. USC was shooting 46.2 percent, but the Huskies seemed to have an answer for the Trojans at every turn in those first 20 minutes. In the second half, Washington stayed the course, watching the Trojans snip the lead down to three but finding late 3-pointers to motor out of reach. The Huskies finished up shooting 49.2 percent from the floor to edge out USC's upped effort to close at 48.2. Washington continued to win out on the boards, finishing up with a 39-21 rebounding advantage. USC received a team-high 19 points from Alissa Pili — her 11th straight game in double digits — along with a 14-point outing from Desiree Caldwell, who also had five assists. Kayla Overbeck was next in line with nine points and a team-high six rebounds. The Huskies got a game-high 25 points from Amber Melgoza, whose buried two fourth-quarter 3-pointers for a power boost for the hosts. Haley Van Dyke added 13 points, and Quay Miller and Ali Bamberger added 10 points apiece. Two days later in Pullman, USC was powered by Alissa Pili in a Pac-12 road win with a 66-60 victory over host Washington State. Pili's 10th double-double of the season featured a career-high 32 points by the freshman, as well as 12 rebounds. Pili accounted for over half USC's points in the first half, delivering 20 by the break as the Trojans led it 37-19 on 50-percent shooting from the floor. The Cougars were shooting 29.6 percent in the first half, while this Trojans owned the boards 23-13 through those first 20 minutes. The Trojans led by as much as 20 points in the third, although WSU would carve it down to a five-point game in the final minute thanks to four fourth-quarter 3-pointers before USC locked in and held its ground for the win. USC wrapped the game shooting 44.2 percent from the floor to WSU's 39.1 percent. The Trojans also won out on the boards 40-31 thanks to Pili's 12 rebounds, nine from Kayla Overbeck and eight from Angel Jackson. Overbeck also nabbed a career-high five steals. Pili was the only Trojan in double digits with her 32 points, with Kyra White and Overbeck both adding eight apiece. WSU was led by Chanel Molina's 23 points, with Bella Murekatete adding 14 and Borislava Hristova scoring 11 for the Cougars.
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BESTING THE BEAVS
USC successfully defended home turf against another ranked opponent with a 72-66 takedown of No. 11 Oregon State on Feb. 14 at Galen Center. Down by six points in the first half, the Trojans constructed a 9-0 rally in the third quarter that turned the tide for good. The Beavers closed to within two late in the fourth, but USC kept its cool and closed out another big win, thanks in large part to a double-double from freshman Alissa Pili, who produced 26 points and 13 rebounds to anchor the Trojans. Oregon State and USC traded the lead four times in the first half, but it was the Beavers just a step ahead at 35-32 by halftime thanks to a late 3-pointer. OSU had shot 57.1 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes to edge out USC's 43.3 percent although the Trojans benefited from four 3-pointers in that stretch to stay in stride. The Beavers were getting to the line, though, going 9-of-11 from the stripe in the first half compared to 2-of-4 by USC. Oregon State's output cooled in the next stretch, with the Beavers finishing up at 42.9 percent overall. The Trojans, meanwhile, picked things up and wrapped at 44.8 percent overall. The rebounding battle was won by the Beavers, 39-26, but they couldn't solve the power of Pili, who hauled in half of USC's rebounds en route to her double-double outing. Pili finished with a game-high 26 points and 13 rebounds, with Aliyah Jeune also getting to double digits with 12 points for the Trojans.Â
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BEATING THE BRUINS
USC was down by six in double overtime and fought back to upset No. 7 UCLA 70-68 on Jan. 17 at Galen Center, handing the Bruins their first loss of the season to take out the only remaining undefeated team in the nation. Aliyah Jeune was the driving force for the Trojans in this one, hitting six 3-pointers and finishing with 27 points to go along with a 13 rebounds. But it was freshman Alissa Pili who calmly converted a three-point play with 28 seconds left that lifted USC to the winning margin, and USC fended off its crosstown rival in the final stretch to earn the victory. USC trailed by six out of the gates but eked out a slim lead, fighting through seven lead changes in the first 10 minutes. During that time, though, UCLA went cold, landing a go-ahead 3-pointer with 4:10 on the clock and then stalling out. Only free throws fell for the Bruins for the rest of the half — two in the first quarter and only two in the second while the Trojans crafted a 30-17 halftime lead with a 12-0 rally to top it off. USC would wrap the first half shooting 39.4 percent from the floor to UCLA's 18.2 percent. USC also had the edge on the boards 25-21 by the break. Madness ensued as the rivals went toe-to-toe through double overtime for the first time in the programs' history. At the close of regulation, UCLA had warmed up to 26.8 percent from the floor while USC was at 37.5. By the final buzzer of the second overtime, a victorious USC had shot 39.1 percent overall to UCLA's 29.9 percent. Both teams hit eight 3-pointers — and made eight free throws — in the game, while USC won out on the boards 57-47. The Trojans saw Aliyah Jeune match her USC best of 27 points while notching her first double-double as a Trojan with her career-high 13 rebounds. Alissa Pili secured her sixth double-double with her 19 points and 17 rebounds, and Desiree Caldwell joined her teammates in double figures with 10 points on the night, while Kayla Overbeck hauled in 10 rebounds for the Trojan cause. In all, USC and UCLA fought through 15 lead changes before the Trojans edged ahead to stay.Â
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PILI TRIPLES UP ON PAC-12 PICKS
Freshman forward Alissa Pili just keeps turning heads — and defenders — as she powers her way through her first season at Troy. Now with 10 consecutive double-digit games, Pili has picked up her third honor as the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week. She's the first Trojan to do so thanks to another explosive weekend of work in conference play. With 14.8 points per game and 8.0 rebounds per game, Pili leads all Pac-12 freshmen this season. Her numbers have her eighth overall in the conference in scoring and fourth in rebounding, and she leads the Trojans with 19 double-digit games and nine double-doubles so far. Pili's first Pac-12 Player of hte Week pick came after providing the game-winning basket with 29 seconds left in double overtime to upset undefeated rival UCLA, Pili scored 19 points and had a career-high 17 rebounds in the 70-68 victory over the No. 7 Bruins, which was the Trojans' first over a top-10 opponent since 2017. The victory also snapped a five-game losing skid for USC, while also putting a stop to UCLA's claim as the only undefeated team in the nation. With her 19 points and 17 rebounds, Pili recorded her sixth double-double of the year along with her 11th game scoring in double figures. In the second 5-minute overtime alone, Pili had six points and four rebounds to help anchor USC's comeback from a six-point deficit to victory. Two weeks later, the do-it-all forward ran her double-digit streak out to six games and kept USC's Pac-12 Freshman of the Week win streak alive in capturing her second selection for the weekly honor from the conference. With teammate Endyia Rogers' win the week prior, this is the first time in program history that USC has had multiple Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honorees in a single season. On that stretch of Pac-12 play, Pili scored 18 points in a triple-OT loss at No. 19 ASU and served up 21 in a loss at No. 16 Arizona. She scored the first 10 points for USC against the Wildcats en route to her team-best 15th double-digit outing. For the third honor, Pili supercharged the Trojans to a 72-66 upset win over No. 11 Oregon State. She led USC with 26 points and 13 rebounds for her ninth double-double while also nabbing three steals. Two days later against No. 3 Oregon, Pili punched up 14 points and had three more steals.
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ROGERS TO THE RESCUE
Endyia Rogers set new career highs in back-to-back USC victories and earned herself a pick as the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week on Jan. 27, making it back-to-back weeks with a Trojan on that honor roll after Alissa Pili's award on Jan. 20. Rogers upped her previous career-high with a 21-point outing in a win over Washington State before going even bigger with 29 points — the most by a USC player this season — in an overtime victory over Washington. Rogers also added a career-high nine assists versus the Huskies, and poured out 24 points in the last 25 minutes of the game. Two of those points came from the free-throw line with eight seconds remaining in overtime as the freshman secured victory for her team. She had also scored the game-tying bucket to force overtime six minutes earlier. In her weekend's work, Rogers had back-to-back 20-point games for the first time in her collegiate career. Rogers is the fifth Trojan all-time to be named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week.
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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. She's flanked on the roster this season by two other transfers — guards Stephanie Watts (from North Carolina) and Aliyah Jeune (from Morehead State) — who have chosen to play 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 15.6 points and 8.0 rebounds points per game so far, while guard Endyia Rogers is next in line, averaging 12.4 points per game. Pili leads with 21 double-digit games to date and also already has hauled in 10 double-doubles as a Trojan. Rogers is next with 16 double-digit efforts. They have fellow freshman Angel Jackson also making an impact in the paint with 7.2 points and 4.9 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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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. Three Trojans also were their state Player of the Year — Watts (North Carolina),  Alissa Pili (Alaska — a three-time honoree) 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
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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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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
