USC Women s Basketball

Transcription

1 USC Women s Basketball For Immediate Release: Nov. 22, 2000 Contact: Vicky Hammond Fax vhammond@usc.edu USC Hosts Top Opponents In Home Opener Women of Troy look to even record against UCSB, St. Joseph s USC SCHEDULE AND RESULTS 0-2 Overall, 0-0 Pac-10 Date Opponent Result NOVEMBER 11-8 Bay Area Pro-Am (Ex)^ L, Chinese National Team% L, at Creighton L, at Drake L, UC Santa Barbara 7 p.m St. Joseph s 2 p.m. DECEMBER 12-2 at San Diego 4 p.m at Sacramento State 2:05 p.m Pepperdine 7 p.m at Baylor 7 p.m. CT at Texas Tech 7 p.m. CT Notre Dame 7 p.m. JANUARY 1-4 *at Washington State 7 p.m. 1-7 *at Washington (FSNW) 2 p.m *at UCLA (FSN) 1 p.m *Arizona 7 p.m *Arizona State% 7 p.m *at Oregon 7 p.m *at Oregon State 7:05 p.m. FEBRUARY 2-2 *California 7 p.m. 2-4 *Stanford (FSN) 3 p.m *UCLA 2 p.m *at Arizona State 7 p.m. MT 2-18 *at Arizona (FSN) 2 p.m. MT 2-23 *Oregon State 7 p.m *Oregon (FSN) 1 p.m. MARCH 3-1 *at Stanford 7:30 p.m. 3-3 *at California 1 p.m. 3-8 *Washington 7 p.m *Washington State 1 p.m. 3/15-19 NCAA 1st & 2nd Rnds TBA 3/24-26 NCAA Regionals TBA 3/30-4/1 NCAA Final Four TBA * Pacific-10 conference game. ^ Games played at North Gym. % Games played at Lyon Center All other games played at LA Sports Arena. (FSN) Game televised on Fox Sports Net. All game times local to site. THE FACTS After enduring two disappointing road losses against Creighton and Drake to begin the season, USC women s basketball (0-2) returns home to hopefully clean the slate. The Women of Troy open the home schedule against UC Santa Barbara on Friday, Nov. 24, at 7 p.m. On Sunday, the Trojans welcome St. Joseph s at 2 p.m. Both games will be played at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. USC, under fourth-year head coach Chris Gobrecht, returns nine letterwinners from a team that posted its first winning record and made its first postseason appearance in three years. Returning All-Pac-10 selections Tiffany Elmore and Tashara Carter will lead a Women of Troy squad that includes a top 20 incoming freshman class. GAME #1 - AT T CREIGHTON (NOV. 17) To begin the season, USC suffered a loss against Creighton on Friday (Nov. 17). In a game muddled with fouls and team turnovers, the Women of Troy sent Creighton to the line 37 times where the Bluejays shot 67.6 percent (25-37). USC received 18 free throw opportunities and sank 11. From the field, the Trojans converted 22- of-61 shot attempts (36.1), while Creighton hit 21-of-49 (42.9). Creighton led by as much as nine points at the start of the game, and it was not until 2:55 remained in the first half that the Women of Troy would earn their first lead (27-25). USC increased the gap to four (32-28), but the Bluejays returned to tie the score with no time left. The teams entered the break tied at 32 apiece. To begin the second half, Creighton went on a 22-7 run and never looked back. Jessica Cheeks posted team-highs in points (10), rebounds (7) and assists (4). Creighton s Angela Timmons poured in 30 points for the Bluejays, including 17-of-21 at the line (the senior alone attempted more free throws than USC). GAME #2 - AT T DRAKE (NOV. 19) In a closely contested match-up, the Trojans fell to Drake, 55-51, at the Drake Knapp Center on Sunday (Nov. 19). The Bulldogs took a quick lead in the game hitting their first three field goals and increasing their advantage to seven points (22-15) with 5:08 remaining. USC returned with a 8-2 run of its own, led by Lauren Smith Hams consecutive field goals. The Women of Troy entered the break down by just one point, USC took its first lead (30-29) in the second half following a shot by guard Tiffany Elmore at 16:36. To regain the advantage, Drake was sent to the line five times, making nine consecutive free throws to regain the lead, In a last minute effort, USC pulled within two (53-51) with 0:11 on the clock after Elmore was fouled on a three point attempt and sank two. The Women of Troy shot 31.9 percent in the game and forced 19 Bulldog turnovers. Drake out-rebounded the Trojans in the final stats, 47 to 41, and shot 34.6 for the afternoon. Elmore led the Women of Troy with 11 points, while freshman Ebony Hoffman collected 11 boards in the contest. USC IN THE POLLS In the national preseason polls, the Women of Troy were ranked No. 21 according to WOMENSCOLLEGEHOOPS.com, and No. 24 according to the Women s Basketball Journal, and received mention in numerous others. SEASON OPENERS USC is 21-4 all-time in season openers on the road, 10-0 at home and 5-0 at neutral sites. The Trojans are 22-2 all-time in home season openers. WOMEN OF TROY ON THE AIR Five USC games will be broadcast live on KMPC 1540 AM. Jan. 14 at UCLA Feb. 10 vs. UCLA Jan. 20 vs. Arizona State March 10 vs. Washington Sate Feb. 4 vs. Stanford THIS WEEK S GAME BROADCASTS USC vs. UC Santa Barbara Friday, Nov p.m. listen live on... USC vs. St. Joseph s Sunday, Nov p.m. listen live on... USC GAMES LIVE ON THE WEB Don t miss all of USC s home games live on the web at USC Women s Basketball News Release 1

2 USC QUICK FACTS Location:... Los Angeles, CA Founded: Enrollment:... 28,800 President:... Dr. Steven Sample Athletic Director:... Mike Garrett SWA:... Lisa Love National Affiliation:... NCAA Division I Conference:... Pacific-10 Nickname:... Women of Troy / Trojans Fight Song:... "Fight On" Colors:... Cardinal and Gold Home Court:... L.A. Sports Arena /... USC Lyon Center Capacity:... 15,509 / 1,200 Press Row: SA (213) / LC (213) Women s Basketball Staff Head Coach:... Chris Gobrecht Alma Mater:... USC 77 Record at USC: (.422) Season:... Fourth Overall Record: (.591) Season:... 22nd Assistants:... Stacy McIntyre, Shannon Perry and Colleen Matsuhara Dir. of Oper./Mktg.:.. Patrick Auerbach Office Phone:... (213) Athletic Trainer:... Leila Almahdy Training Room Phone: (213) Basketball History First Season of Basketball: All-Time Record: (.656) Conference Record: (.645) National Championships:... 2 ( 83, 84) Conference Championships:... 5 NCAA Appearances: AIAW Appearances:... 2 WNIT Appearances:... 1 (2000) Record: / 10-8 (5th) Home Record: Away Record: Postseason:... WNIT Second Round Longest Win Streak:... 3 (twice) Longest Losing Streak:... 3 (three times) Record: Home Record: Away Record: Nuetral Site Record: Longest Win Streak: Longest Losing Streak: 2 (11/17 to date) Current Streak:... 2 losses (11/17) Starters Returning / Lost:... 2 / 3 Letterwinners Returning / Lost:.. 9 / 3 Newcomers:... 5 Sports Information Office Phone:... (213) Office Fax:... (213) WBB SID:... Vicky Hammond Voice Mail:... (213) Home Phone:... (310) vhammond@usc.edu Ticket Office:... (213) GO SC Website... NEWS-N-NOTES Fd Tennille Grant recorded a career-high on consecutive nights with eight points against Creighton (Nov. 17) and Drake (Nov. 19). WHAT THEY RE SAYING ABOUT USC BASKETBALL ALL Coach Chris Gobrecht is still working to rebuild the USC program, and the addition of Ebony Hoffman is definitely a step in the right direction. Hoffman, a 6-2 power fd... will be a candidate for national freshman of the year honors. - Women s Basketball Journal Last year s athletic underdogs pulled their share of upsets and are now joined by perhaps the best incoming freshman in the country in Hoffman. Coach Gobrecht has made steady progress in her first three years, so look for the Trojans to surge in her fourth... a legitimate Pac-10 threat. From 7-17 in to in to 20+ wins and the NCAA s in We would say that fits the profile of going up. - WOMENSCOLLEGEHOOPS.com Coach Chris Gobrecht has got it going on in L.A., with a big-time recruiting class and plenty of returning talent. In addition, the Trojans are due for a year without injuries, which have plagued them for the last few seasons. The Pac-10 isn t exactly the SEC, either, so if USC can find a point guard, there s room for Gobrecht and company to elbow their way into the Top Street & Smith s College Basketball My top five freshmen of influence... Diana Taurasi (UConn), Shereka Wright (Purdue), Ashley Robinson (Tennessee), Iciss Tillis (Duke) and Ebony Hoffman (Southern California). - Nancy Lierberman-Cline, USA Today THE THREE-YEAR VET Senior Tashara Carter enters the season as the team s lone three-year veteran of the program, and the only player to play under Coach Gobrecht all three years. A recruit of former USC head coach Fred Williams, Carter endured the first years of instability and transition as the squad posted a 7-20 overall record and finished tied for ninth in the Pac-10. In three years, Carter has played in all 84 games and only missed four starts, helping guide the Women of Troy back to nation prominence. MITCHELL PAID HER DUES Redshirt freshman Portia Mitchell is back in the lineup much to everyone s delight. A highly touted 1999 recruit out of Narbonne High, Mitchell sat out during the season after not meeting conditioning requirements. So a year of relentless training has paid-off for the 6-4 center after she proudly met her qualifying times (1 1/2 miles in under 13 minutes) in early September and began practicing with the team on Oct WOMEN OF TROY Y ROSTER No Name Pos Ht Yr-Exp Hometown (Previous School) 1 Ayeshia Smith G 5-5 Sr-1V Philadelphia, PA (Cowley County CC) 3 Tiffany Elmore G 5-10 Jr-2V Sacramento, CA (Florin HS) 5 Camille Norwood G 5-8 Jr-2V Los Angeles, CA (Washington HS) 10 Jessica Cheeks G 5-9 Fr-HS Los Angeles, CA (Narbonne HS) 13 Denise Woods C 6-3 Sr-1V Richmond, CA (Univ. of San Francisco) 14 Carmen Krause F 6-1 Jr-2V Prescott, AZ (Prescott HS) 15 Lauren Smith-Hams G 5-7 So-1V Los Altos, CA (Pinewood HS) 20 Tennille Grant G/F 5-10 So-1V Kansas City, MO (Northeast HS) 21 Erin Young G 5-11 So-1V Dallas, TX (Highland Park HS) 22 Tashara Carter F 6-0 Sr-3V Harbor City, CA (Bishop Montgomery HS) 23 Aisha (ReeCee) Hollans G 5-9 Fr-HS Berkeley, CA (Berkeley HS) 24 Ryane Alexander G 5-7 Fr-HS Copperas Cove, TX (Copperas Cove HS) 32 Ebony Hoffman F/C 6-2 Fr-HS Harbor City, CA (Narbonne HS) 35 Portia Mitchell C 6-4 Fr-HS Los Angeles, CA (Narbonne HS) Head Coach: Chris Gobrecht (4th season), USC 77 Assistant Coach: Stacy McIntyre (4th season), Kentucky 94 Assistant Coach: Shannon Perry (1st season), Iowa 98 Assistant Coach: Colleen Matsuhara (1st season), Sacramento State '74 USC vs.... Missouri Valley Big West Atlantic USC on... Sundays Mondays Tuesdays Wednesdays Thursdays Fridays Saturdays USC in... November December January February March USC at... Lyon Center Sports Arena USC Women s Basketball News Release

3 AMONG THE NATION S BEST The freshman class was ranked as high as No. 14 by the Women s Basketball Journal and No. 16 by Athlon. In USA Today, Nancy Lieberman Cline named Ebony Hoffman as one of her top five freshmen of influence. Hoffman was ranked the No. 2 prep recruit of 2000 by USA Today and the Women s Basketball Journal. Guard Aisha Hollans was ranked 21st by the All-Star Girl s Report and the Women s Basketball Journal. The freshman class also includes 5-foot-7 guard Ryane Alexander. The freshman class only becomes stronger by adding two of s high school recruits. Center Portia Mitchell enters first season as an active player at USC after sitting out last year, and guard Jessica Cheeks also enters her first season after taking junior college courses in Together, they were originally part of the top-10 recruiting class of 1999 (No. 8 by Athlon and No. 9 by the Women s Basketball Journal) HIGHLIGHTS! USC posted a 7-2 record in the second half of the Pac-10 season.! The Women of Troy played the 28th toughest schedule according to Jeff Sagarin and the CBN Women s College Basketball Ratings.! The Trojans faced nine ranked opponents throughout the season! The Women of Troy upset No. 20 UCLA, No. 16 Arizona and No. 20 Oregon when each was in first place in the Pac-10.! USC was the only team to sweep Pac-10 conference champion Oregon.! The Women of Troy had three players (returners Tashara Carter and Tiffany Elmore) named to the All-Pac-10 honorable mention team.! The Trojans recorded their first winning record, posted their best Pac-10 finish (5th), and received their first postseason invitation, all since the season and under head coach Chris Gobrecht.! Four of USC s last five losses were by 10 points or less.! Trojans posted a 10-3 record on their own territory. LAST SEASON IN THE STATS TS For the second consecutive year, USC topped the Pac-10 in turnover margin, forcing an average of 2.5 more opponent turnovers per game... Junior Tiffany Elmore finished ninth in the Pac-10 with a 76.4 free throw percentage... Senior Denise Woods narrowly missed out on making the Pac-10 s top 10 list for field goal percentage (.462) and finished third in blocks (1.47 bpg)... USC out-rebounded its opponent by nearly two boards per game last season and finished second in the conference with 16.2 offensive rebounds per outing... In conference play, the Trojans finished second in steals (10.67 spg)... Strangely enough, USC and its opponents averaged the exact amount of points throughout the season ppg. USC PLANS CONSTRUCTION OF EVENTS CENTER On October 21, USC announced plans to begin construction of a multipurpose on-campus events center that will be home to USC basketball and volleyball. Construction is to begin by January 2001 and it is expected that the 12,000-seat arena will be officially completed by The facility will be located on the southeast corner of Jefferson Blvd. and Figueroa Street, adjacent to the University Park Campus. INJURY Y REPORT Sophomore Camille Norwood may play limited minutes this week. Norwood underwent ACL surgery on her right knee this summer and re-injured the ligament during early-season conditioning. Since then, she has been cleared to play and is still undergoing treatment. Freshman Aisha Hollans is sidelined while rehabbing a lower back injury. Hollans is expected to begin practicing in the coming week. HEAD COACH CH CHRIS GOBRECHT Chris Gobrecht enters her fourth season at the helm of the USC women's basketball program. Replacing former head coach Fred Williams on May 8, 1997, Gobrecht returned to her alma mater to help guide the Women of Troy back to national prominence. Throughout 22 years of head coaching experience, Gobrecht has amassed a (.591) career record with her programs at Cal State Fullerton (six years), Washington (11), Florida State (one) and USC. During her 11-year tenure at INFORMATION OUTLETS Pac-10 Media Teleconference: The Pac-10 will host 10 media teleconference dates throughout the season. Members of the media can participate in the conference by calling (913) , or you can listen to a taped replay beginning at 4 p.m. that same day by calling (402) Listed are the dates and times for Head Coach Chris Gobrecht's segments. Wed. Dec. 13 9:55-10a.m. Tuesday Jan. 9 9:55-10 a.m. Tuesday Jan. 16 9:55-10 a.m. Tuesday Jan. 23 9:55-10 a.m. Tuesday Jan. 30 9:55-10 a.m. Tuesday Feb. 6 9:55-10 a.m. Tuesday Feb. 13 9:55-10 a.m. Tuesday Feb. 20 9:55-10 a.m. Tuesday Feb. 27 9:55-10 a.m. Tuesday March 6 9:55-10 a.m. TeamLink (Fax-On-Demand: Pivotal Communications will no longer provide the Fax-On-Demand service. You can now access the latest information (weekly releases and game stats) on USC Athletics at: Trojans On The Web: Current women's basketball information, as well as news, features and updated statistics can be found on the internet at: The check out the new Pac-10 Conference website and access information on all cnference opponents, go to: pac10.fansonly.com PAC-10 COACHES CHES POLL Team (1st place votes) Points 1. Stanford (9) Oregon (1) USC Arizona Arizona State UCLA 49 Washington Oregon State California Washington State 18 PAC-10 MEDIA POLL PRONUNCIA ONUNCIATION GUIDE Tashara CARTER... tuh-shar-uh carter Chris GOBRECHT... chris GO-breck Tennille GRANT... te-kneel grant Aisha HOLLANS or Ayeshia SMITH... i-ee-sha Colleen MATSUHARA... colleen mat-su-ha-ra Portia MITCHELL... POR-sha mitchell Camille NORWOOD... ka-meal norwood WOMEN OF TROY PROB OBABLE STAR ARTERS Guard - Tiffany Elmore Guard - Jessica Cheeks Fd - Tashara Carter Fd - Ebony Hoffman Center - Denise Woods Team (1st place votes) Points 1. Stanford (9) Oregon (1) USC Arizona UCLA Arizona State Washington California Oregon State Washington State USC Women s Basketball News Release 3

4 USC PRACTICE SCHEDULE Washington, she was twice named Pac-10 Coach of the Year (1987 and 1988). Gobrecht remains the second-winningest coach in conference history with a (.659) mark, and she ranks 37th among active Division I coaches with 367 career victories. Monday, Nov. 20 Friday, Nov. 24 No Practice Gameday THIS WEEK S OPPONENTS General Schedule Mon., Tues., Thu., Fri. Wed. 1:30 p.m. 6 a.m. * All practices are held at North Gym and are open to the media. Please contact the SID Office prior to the date you plan to attend. THIS WEEK AROUND THE PAC-10 Monday, Nov. 20 Arizona at Notre Dame... L, Stanford vs. Santa Clara... W, Tuesday, Nov. 21 Washington St. at American W, Friday, Nov. 24 Arizona State at Wahine Classic vs. Stephen F. Austin... 3:20 p.m. Cal at Alabama... 4:30 p.m. USC vs. UCSB... 7 p.m. Oregon vs. Portland... 7 p.m. Oregon State vs. Princeton. 7:05 p.m. Oregon State hosts Beaver Classic vs. Princeton... 7:05 p.m. Stanford vs. St. Joseph s... 7:30 p.m. Washington vs. UConn...9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25 WSU vs. George Washington. 10 a.m. Cal at Illinois-Chicago...1 p.m. UCLA at BYU...2 p.m. Arizona State at Wahine Classic Oregon State hosts Beaver Classic Sunday, Nov. 26 Washington St. at Coca-Cola Classic vs. George Washington a.m. USC vs. St. Joseph s... 2 p.m. Arizona at UCSB...2 p.m. Arizona State at Wahine Classic UC Santa Barbara (1-1) The then-ranked No. 25 Gauchos defeated Louisville, 78-67, on Friday (Nov. 17) in their season opener and advanced to the championship game of the Time Warner Cable Classic... Guard Jess Hansen led all scorers with 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting with three, 3-pointers... UCSB fell to Nebraska in the final tournament game, With 22 points against the Huskers, fd Kayte Christensen was named to the all-tournament team... Last season the Gauchos received a final No. 9 national ranking after advancing to the NCAA West Regional... UCSB finished first in the Big West (15-0) and posted a 30-4 overall record... The team returns six letterwinners and three starters... Head coach Mark French enters his 14th season at UCSB and boasts a overall record. Possible Starting Lineup Position Hgt. Ppg Rpg #20 Kayte Christiansen Fd #24 Rachelle Rogers Fd #12 Nicole Greathouse Center #10 Jess Hansen Guard #22 Debby Caine Guard USC-UC Santa Barbara Series Record USC and UCSB will meet for the 20th time in program history. The Gauchos own a 11-8 advantage in the series and have won the last three meetings. Last season, USC was routed at Santa Barbara, The two teams have met once in USC s home opener. On Dec. 3, 1994, the Women of Troy defeated the Gauchos, St. Joseph s (1-0) The Hawks are coming off a season-opening win over Pennsylvania, 81-75, on Nov On Friday (Nov. 24), St. Joseph s will face Stanford before traveling to Los Angeles... Against Penn, the Hawks were led by senior guard Angela Zampella who had 29 points, shooting 6-of-18 from the field and 13- of-14 at the line... Fd Stephanie Graff led with 10 rebounds... In , Zampella finished second in the nation with 7.8 assist per game... Last season, St. Joseph s finished with a 25-6 overall record and 14-2 mark in the Atlantic 10, finishing first in the East division... The Hawks return nine letterwinners and four starters from the squad which advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament... Head Coach Stephanie Gaitley enters her tenth season at St. Joe s and boasts a record. Possible Starting Lineup Position Hgt. Ppg* Rpg* *results reflect #10 Susan Moran Fd only one game #50 Stephanie Graff Center #12 Amra Mehmedic Guard #14 Angela Zampella Guard #23 Jane Meade Guard USC-St. Joseph s Series Record Sunday s game will mark the second meeting between USC and St. Joseph s. The Trojans previously defeated the Hawks, 96-66, at the Maryland Tournament in College Park, Md., on Nov. 29, WOMEN OF TROY #1 AYESHIA SMITH (i-ee-sha smith) Guard 5-5 Senior Philadelphia, Pa. Cowley County CC Ayeshia Smith begins her senior year at USC and second year in the basketball program... Looking to make an impact this year after losing her junior season to injury (broken finger)... A scoring threat on the floor, she adds energy to the point guard position. This Season: Has made 1 start and appeared in 2 games. Started against Creighton (Nov. 17) and collected one steal and two assists in 15 minutes... Against Drake (Nov. 19), went 2-for-5 in 13 minutes. #3 TIFFANY ELMORE Guard 5-10 Junior Sacramento, Calif. Florin HS Tiffany Elmore begins her junior season with the Women of Troy as one of two returning starters... Primarily a two-guard, she was the go-to player last season and played a big role in a lot of key wins... Will establish herself as one of the top guards in the conference this season... A 2000 All-Pac USC Women s Basketball News Release

5 honorable mention selection and Pac-10 Player of the Week (Feb. 21). This Season: Has made 2 starts. Against Creighton (Nov. 17) she collected eight points (4-12)... Led with 11 points (4-9), two assists and two steals at Drake (Nov. 19). #5 CAMILLE NORWOOD OOD (ka-meal norwood) Guard 5-8 Junior Los Angeles eles, Calif. Washington HS Camille Norwood enters her junior season with the Women of Troy... A player who has proven to be one of the steadiest performers on the team... Her progress made a huge impact last season and she expects to do the same this year... A dependable player who is tough to rattle at the point. This Season: Has played in 1 game. Is expected to played limited minutes in nonconference play while still rehabbing from ACL surgery she underwent in July... Played eight minutes off the bench against Creighton. #10 JESSICA CHEEKS Guard 5-9 Freshman Los Angeles, Calif. Narbonne HS Jessica Cheeks begins her first season with the Women of Troy... A player with great instincts for the game... An excellent shooter who provides a terrific backcourt threat... Will be able to play well with a three guard lineup. This Season: Has made 1 start and appeared in 2 games. Led with 10 points (3-8), seven boards and three assists against Creighton (Nov. 17)... Made her first collegiate start against Drake (Nov. 19) but had nine points with a 3-of-13 effort. #13 DENISE WOODS Center/Forw ard 6-3 Senior Richmond, Calif. Univ. of San Francisco Denise Woods begins her senior year with the Women of Troy... She will be looked upon for her maturity and leadership on a young team... She has made a huge commitment in her final season and is prepared to play at a peak level... Will make an impact in the conference in the post. This Season: Has made 2 starts. Shot 50.0 percent (3-6, 7 points) with two boards against Creighton (Nov. 17)... Had six rebounds and three blocks against Drake (Nov. 19). USC WHEN... Scoring first Leading at the half Trailing at the half Tied at the half Leading w/ 5:00 left Trailing w/ 5:00 left In overtime Winning the tipoff Losing the tipoff Shooting 50% Shooting less than 50% Outrebounding opponent Opponent outrebounds Posting more turnovers Posting less turnovers Scoring 70+ points Scoring points Scoring points Scoring less than Trojans in double figures Trojans in double figures Trojans in double figures Trojan in double figures #14 CARMEN KRAUSE Forw ard d 6-1 Junior Prescott, Ariz. Prescott HS Carmen Krause returns for her junior season with the Women of Troy... An athlete who plays with passion and intensity... Her defense has improved tremendously over the past two seasons and the team will rely on her toughness at the post. This Season: Has played in 2 games. Played 13 minutes against Creighton (Nov. 17) and 23 minutes with nine points (2-5) against Drake (Nov. 19). #15 LAUREN SMITH-HAMS Guard 5-7 Sophomore Los Altos, Calif. Pinewood HS Lauren Smith-Hams begins her sophomore season with the Women of Troy... Recruited to be a shooting force for the team at guard, but instead became one of the team s most solid defenders... This season, she will again be utilized on defense and will be relied on as one of the team s most reliable shooters off the bench. This Season: Has played in 2 games. Added four points in 13 minutes against Creighton (Nov. 17) and five points in 22 minutes against Drake (Nov. 19). #20 TENNILLE GRANT (te-kneel grant) Forw ard 5-10 Sophomore Kansas City, Mo. Northeast HS Tennille Grant returns for her sophomore season with the Women of Troy... She has worked hard in the off-season to get stronger and improve her defense... Will likely be used as a post or wing player this year... A natural player who can score with her back to the basket. This Season: Has played in 2 games. Recorded a career-high eight points on 4-of-6 shooting against both Creighton (Nov. 17) and Drake (Nov. 19). #21 ERIN YOUNG Guard 5-11 Sophomore Dallas, Tex. Highland Par ark HS Erin Young enters her sophomore season with the Women of Troy as a walk-on guard... Will return to the court with high expectations after a solid freshman campaign... Looks to become a more consistent shooter, primarily at the two... Has an exceptional ability to learn and will continue to get better with each season. This Season: Has played in 1 game. Played nine minutes against Drake (Nov. 19) USC Women s Basketball News Release 5

6 #22 TASHARA CARTER (tuh-shar-uh carter) Forw ard 6-0 Senior Harbor City, Calif. Bishop Montgomer omery HS Tashara Carter begins her senior season with the Women of Troy as one of two returning starters... A do-everything player at fd, she contributes points, rebounds, assists and steals... She brings experience as the only three-year starter on the team... A 2000 All-Pac-10 honorable mention selection. This Season: Has made 2 starts. Contributed six points and six rebounds against Creighton (Nov. 17)... Added six points, 10 rebounds against Drake (Nov. 19). #23 AISHA HOLLANS (i-ee-sha hollans) Guard 5-10 Freshman Berkele eley, Calif. Berkele eley HS Aisha Hollans begins her first season with the Women of Troy... An extremely talented young athlete who possesses all the qualities of a great wing player... Brings a completely different dimension to the game with her ability to create opportunities... A gifted and knowledgable basketball player. This Season: Injured. #24 RYANE ALEXANDER (RYAN alexander) Guard 5-7 Freshman Copperas Cove, Tex. Copperas Cove HS Ryane Alexander begins her first season with the Women of Troy... A classic point guard who likes to dish the ball and run the show when she is on the court... A hard-nosed player with great intensity and toughness... The type of player who does what the team needs her to do at all times. This Season: Has not played. #32 EBONY HOFFMAN Forw ard d 6-2 Freshman Harbor City, Calif. Narbonne HS Ebony Hoffman enters her first season with the Women of Troy... A player with the potential to have a dominating influence and make a significant impact on the team... One of the country s best post players, she can run the floor and hit an outside shot... She plays a power-quickness game which will make her an exceptional player in the Pac-10. This Season: Has made 2 starts. Made first collegiate start against Creighton (Nov. 17) and went 1-for-12 from the field with five points and three rebounds... Against Drake (Nov. 19), she led with 11 rebounds but still suffered with 2-of- 10 shooting. #35 PORTIA MITCHELL (POR-sha mitchell) Center 6-4 RS Freshman Los Angeles, Calif. Narbonne HS Portia Mitchell begins her redshirt freshman year at USC... A player with great size, a soft touch around the basket and excellent skills... Her commitment to her conditioning last year has already payed off this season... Mitchell ran a mile and a half in 13 minutes, one second on Sept. 8 to fulfill her requirements and begin team workouts... The team will benefit greatly from having her at the post. This Season: Has played in 2 games. Made her collegiate debut against Creighton (Nov. 17), collecting three rebounds in six minutes... Played two minutes against Drake (Nov. 19) USC Women s Basketball News Release

7 GAME #1 USC at Creighton p.m. CST at Omaha, NE (Omaha Civic Auditorium) VISITORS: USC 0-1 tot-fg 3-pt rebounds ## Player fg fgafg fgaft fta of de tot pf tp a to blk s min 22 Carter, Tashara f Hoffman, Ebony f Woods, Denise c Elmore, Tiffany g Smith, Ayeshia g Norwood, Camille Cheeks, Jessica Krause, Carmen Smith-Hams, Lauren Grant, Tennille Mitchell, Portia TEAM Totals TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 13-29, 44.8% 2nd Half: 9-32, 28.1% Game: 36.1% DEADBALL 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-5, 40.0% 2nd Half: 1-6, 16.7% Game: 27.3% REBOUNDS F Throw % 1st Half: 4-7, 57.1% 2nd Half: 7-11, 63.6% Game: 61.1% 1 GAME #2 USC at Drake p.m. CST at Des Moines, IA (Drake Knapp Center) VISITORS: USC 0-2 tot-fg 3-pt rebounds ## Player fg fgafg fgaft fta of de tot pf tp a to blk s min 22 Carter, Tashara f Hoffman, Ebony f Woods, Denise c Elmore, Tiffany g Cheeks, Jessica g Smith, Ayeshia Krause, Carmen Smith-Hams, Lauren Grant, Tennille Young, Erin Mitchell, Portia TEAM Totals TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 10-32, 31.3% 2nd Half: 12-37, 32.4% Game: 31.9% DEADBALL 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 0-10, 0.0% 2nd Half: 1-13, 7.7% Game: 4.3% REBOUNDS F Throw % 1st Half: 3-5, 60.0% 2nd Half: 3-5, 60.0% Game: 60.0% 1 HOME TEAM: Creighton 1-0 tot-fg 3-pt rebounds ## Player fg fgafg fgaft fta of de tot pf tp a to blk s min 24 JONES, Traci f ALLEN, Taya f BUYSSE, Lisa c TIMMONS, Angela g SPANHEIMER, Krissie g CIZEK, Sara HILDEBRAND, Sara CENAC, Tanya BLOOMQUIST, Candace NENEMAN, Christy FINCH, Dayna WESSLING, Teresa BURNS, Jenny TEAM Totals TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 10-24, 41.7% 2nd Half: 11-25, 44.0% Game: 42.9% DEADBALL 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 1-2, 50.0% 2nd Half: 1-2, 50.0% Game: 50.0% REBOUNDS F Throw % 1st Half: 11-20, 55.0% 2nd Half: 14-17, 82.4% Game: 67.6% 0,6 HOME TEAM: Drake 1-1 tot-fg 3-pt rebounds ## Player fg fgafg fgaft fta of de tot pf tp a to blk s min 15 Head, Maureen f Richards, Erin f Bennett, Carla c Santa, Kristin g Schmitz, Stephanie g Kappel, Mandy Chaput, Martha Mosley, Ja'Nae Nelson, Molly TEAM Totals TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 11-27, 40.7% 2nd Half: 7-25, 28.0% Game: 34.6% DEADBALL 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 1-3, 33.3% 2nd Half: 2-3, 66.7% Game: 50.0% REBOUNDS F Throw % 1st Half: 1-4, 25.0% 2nd Half: 15-17, 88.2% Game: 76.2% 1 Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total USC Drake Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total USC Creighton USC Women s Basketball News Release 7

8 USC Combined Team Statistics (as of Nov 22, 2000) All games RECORD: OVERALL HOME AWAY NEUTRAL ALL GAMES... (0-2) (0-0) (0-2) (0-0) CONFERENCE... (0-0) (0-0) (0-0) (0-0) NON-CONFERENCE... (0-2) (0-0) (0-2) (0-0) ---TOTAL PTS REBOUNDS---- ## Player GP-GS Min--Avg FG-FGA Pct 3FG-FGA Pct FT-FTA Pct Off Def Tot Avg PF FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg Smith, Ayeshia Elmore, Tiffany Norwood, Camille Cheeks, Jessica Woods, Denise Krause, Carmen Smith-Hams, Lauren Grant, Tennille Young, Erin Carter, Tashara Hoffman, Ebony Mitchell, Portia TEAM Total Opponents TEAM STATISTICS USC OPP DATE OPPONENT W/L SCORE ATTEND SCORING at Creighton L Points per game at Drake L Scoring margin FIELD GOALS-ATT Field goal pct POINT FG-ATT point FG pct pt FG made per game FREE THROWS-ATT Free throw pct REBOUNDS Rebounds per game Rebounding margin ASSISTS Assists per game TURNOVERS Turnovers per game Turnover margin Assist/turnover ratio STEALS Steals per game BLOCKS Blocks per game WINNING STREAK Home win streak ATTENDANCE Home games-avg/game Neutral site-avg/game SCORE BY PERIODS: 1st 2nd Total USC Opponents