USC Women s Basketball

Transcription

1 USC Women s Basketball For Immediate Release: Nov. 27, 2000 Contact: Vicky Hammond Fax vhammond@usc.edu USC To o Face San Diego o On Satur turda day Following two home victories, Women of Troy look for first win on the road USC SCHEDULE AND RESULTS 2-2 Overall, 0-0 Pac-10 Date Opponent Result NOVEMBER at Creighton L, at Drake L, UC Santa Barbara W, St. Joseph s W, 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. THE FACTS After enduring two disappointing road losses to begin the season, USC women s basketball (2-2) earned its first two wins against UC Santa Barbara, 60-55, on Friday (Nov. 24), and St. Joseph s, 66-55, on Sunday (Nov. 26). USC travels to San Diego this week to face the Toreros on Saturday, Dec. 2. The 4 p.m. nonconference matchup will be the home opener for USD in the newly-constructed Jenny Craig Pavilion. 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 THIS WEEK S GAME BROADCASTS USC vs. San Diego Saturday, Dec. 2 4 p.m. listen live on... 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 #3 - VS. UC SANTA A BARBARA ARA (NOV. 24) Tiffany Elmore scored the go-ahead shot at the line with 2:17 left, and Ryane Alexander followed with a key defensive play, as USC hung on to beat UCSB on Friday (Nov. 24). In a back-and-forth game, USC (1-2) overcame a seven-point deficit in the first half to gain a advantage at the break. The two teams would tie the game 11 times and exchange leads six times before the final buzzer. Returning from the break, the Women of Troy extended the lead to six points at 16:46, 16:19 and 11:59, before the Gauchos began to close the gap. With the score knotted at 56-56, Elmore was sent to the line consecutively, hitting 2-of-4 and giving USC a defining advantage. UCSB had possession with less that 17 seconds on the clock, before Alexander forced the Gauchos Debby Caine to turn the ball over, ensuring the Trojans victory. Denise Woods led all scorers with 16 points, while Elmore added 14 and Ebony Hoffman contributed 12. Despite shooting 27.7 percent on the night, the Women of Troy forced 35 turnovers and collected 18 offensive boards en route to their first win of the season. GAME #4 - VS. ST. JOSEPH S (NOV. 26) Tashara Carter and Ebony Hoffman each led with 14 points as USC drove past St. Joseph s (1-2) in the second half for a victory in front of 386 on Sunday (Nov. 26). The Hawks used an 11-2 run to gain a nine point lead on the Trojans (21-12) nearly 14 minutes into the first half. USC eventually entered the break down 32-25, beaten by a St. Joseph s 50.0 percent shooting effort and 21 to 12 advantage on the boards. In the second half, the Women of Troy came out firing and tied the score, 35-35, following a 10-3 run. The team s matched each other point-for-point until Hoffman hit an eight-foot jumper to put USC ahead for good (45-43). The Hawks did come within one point at the 2:25 mark, but the Trojans stood strong and out-shot St. Joseph s 14-4 in the final minute. Four Trojans tallied double digits as the team shot a much improved 40.7 percent in the game but continue to struggle from three-point range (0-10). St. Joseph s suffered after turning the ball over 25 times. 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. NEWS-N-NOTES Fd Tennille Grant surpassed a career-high with ten points and seven rebounds against St. Joseph s (Nov. 26) Tashara Carter tied a career-high with four blocks against St. Joseph s (Nov. 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. 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 USC GAMES LIVE ON THE WEB Don t miss all of USC s home games live on the web at USC Women s Basketball Press 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: (.435) Pac-10 Record at USC: (.370) Season:... Fourth Overall Record: (.592) Conference Record: (.550) Pac-10 Record: (.659) 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: (.657) 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:.. 2 (11/24-current) Longest Losing Streak:... 2 (11/17-19) Current Streak:. 2 wins (11/24-current) 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 ) USC is 21-4 all-time in season openers (6-4 on the road, 10-0 at home and 5-0 at neutral sites) The Trojans are 22-2 all-time in home season openers. A CLASS OF THIEVES Despite its shooting woes, USC has found success over the last three years thanks to a tough defensive effort. In and , the Women of Troy led the conference in turnover ratio, forcing an average of 2.5 more turnovers per game. This season is no different. In four games, the squad is forcing an average of 10.0 more turnovers in each game (USC 13.5, Opponents 23.5). The Trojans are also averaging 10.3 steals per game, while holding opponents to 4.3. LOTS OF NEW FACES With two consecutive top 25 recruiting classes, there s a lot of new faces that will be seeing ample playing time this season. USC saw the first glimpse of this new generation on Friday (Nov. 24) against UCSB when three freshman hit the court for the Trojans. Ryane Alexander, Jessica Cheeks and Ebony Hoffman shared the court for nearly a half and made definite contributions to the win. Cheeks and Hoffman have started in three of four games this season. 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 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.... Atlantic Big West Missouri Valley West Coast USC on... Sundays Mondays Tuesdays Wednesdays Thursdays Fridays Saturdays USC in... November December January February March USC at... Lyon Center Sports Arena On The Road 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 Lieberman-Cline, USA Today USC Women s Basketball Press Release

3 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. 14. 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 St., adjacent to the University Park Campus. 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 - Carmen Krause Center - Denise Woods 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 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 Press Release 3

4 USC PRACTICE SCHEDULE Monday, Nov. 27 Friday, Dec. 1 Saturday, Dec. 2 General Schedule Mon., Tues., Thu., Fri. Wed. No Practice Travel Gameday 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. INJURY REPORT Freshman Aisha Hollans is sidelined while rehabbing a lower back injury (slipped disk). Hollans is listed as day-to-day. 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 (.592) career record with her programs at Cal State Fullerton (six years), Washington (11), Florida State (one) and USC. During her 11-year tenure at 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 369 career victories. THIS WEEK S OPPONENTS THIS WEEK AROUND THE PAC-10 Monday, Nov. 27 Washington at Boise State...7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28 UCLA vs. San Diego... 7 p.m. Arizona vs. Rice... 7 p.m. Stanford vs. USF... 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30 Washington State vs. BYU... 7 p.m. Oregon State vs. Ohio... 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1 ASU Wells Fargo Classic Arizona State vs. LaSalle... 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2 UCLA at Colorado... 1 p.m. Oregon State at Marquette...1 p.m. USC at San Diego... 4 p.m. Oakland Tribune Classic Cal vs. CS Northridge... 3 p.m. Oregon vs. Santa Clara... 6 p.m. Washington vs. Idaho... 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3 ASU Wells Fargo Classic... 1 p.m. Stanford vs. UMass... 1 p.m. Washington at Oklahoma State. 2 p.m. Oakland Tribune Classic 12:30/3 p.m. San Diego (1-0) San Diego (1-0) enters the week with only one game under its belt and will face UCLA on Tuesday, Nov. 28, before Saturday s game... On Nov. 17 the Toreros beat Long Beach State, 62-59, at home... Fd Amber Jensen led the team with 21 points and nine rebounds before fouling-out of the game... San Diego returns only two starters and nine letterwinners from the squad which posted a overall record and 7-7 conference mark... San Diego won the conference title and an automatic bid to the NCAAs by sweeping through the West Coast Conference tournament and upsetting top-seed Pepperdine... Kathy Marpe is currently in her 21st season at USD and has compiled a record... Top returners also include guard Kerri Nakamoto who averaged 8.6 ppg last season, and Melissa Glazebrook who averaged 4.8 ppg and 2.9 rpg. Possible Starting Lineup Position Hgt. Ppg* Rpg* *reflects only #3 Amber Jansen Fd one game #30 Jamie Lucia Fd #3 Kerri Nakamoto Guard #5 Melissa Glazebrook Guard #10 Amanda Bishop Guard USC-San Diego Series Record Saturday s game will be the first-ever meeting between the Trojans and Toreros 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 3 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... Played three minutes off the bench against UCSB (Nov. 24)... Did not play against St. Joseph s (Nov. 26). #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-10 honorable mention selection and Pac-10 Player of the Week (Feb. 21). This Season: Has made 4 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)... Added 14 points and four steals against UCSB (Nov. 24)... Struggled offensively, hitting 1-of-9 shots, but provided two blocks and four steals against St. Joseph s (Nov. 26). #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 USC Women s Basketball Press Release

5 This Season: Has played in 2 games. 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... Played eight minutes off the bench and made one steal against UCSB (Nov. 24)... Contributed two assists and two points in 18 minutes against St. Joseph s (Nov. 26). #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 3 starts and appeared in 4 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... Added eight points, four steals and hit 2-of-4 from three-point range against UCSB (Nov. 24)... Added eight points against St. Joseph s (Nov. 26). #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 4 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)... Led with 16 points, three blocks and five boards against UCSB (Nov. 24)... Hit 4-of-6 for 11 points against St. Joseph s (Nov. 26). #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 made 1 start and played in 4 games. Played 13 minutes against Creighton (Nov. 17) and 23 minutes with nine points (2-5) against Drake (Nov. 19)... Hit 2-of-4 off the bench against UCSB (Nov. 24)... Made her first start against St. Joseph s (Nov. 26) and contributed four points, rebounds and assists. 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 #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)... Did not play against UCSB (Nov. 24) and St. Joseph s (Nov. 26). #20 TENNILLE GRANT (te-kneel grant) Forw ard d 5-10 Sophomore e 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 4 games. Recorded eight points on 4-of-6 shooting against both Creighton (Nov. 17) and Drake (Nov. 19) Only played two minutes off the bench against UCSB (Nov. 24)... Surpassed her previous career-highs with 10 points and seven rebounds against St. Joseph s (Nov. 26). #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 3 games. Played nine minutes against Drake (Nov. 19)... Came off the bench early and played nine minutes with two assists against UCSB (Nov. 24)... Played three minutes against St. Joseph s (Nov. 26). #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 USC Women s Basketball Press Release 5

6 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 4 starts. Contributed six points and six rebounds against Creighton (Nov. 17)... Added six points, 10 rebounds against Drake (Nov. 19)... Fouled out after only adding four points and two boards against UCSB (Nov. 24)... With an outstanding performance, she led with 14 points (4-10), 10 rebounds, four blocks and four assists against St. Joseph s (Nov. 26). #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 played in 2 games. Made her collegiate debut against UCSB (Nov. 24) and played 15 minutes in which she made a crucial defensive stop to clinch the win for the Trojans... Played seven minutes against St. Joseph s (Nov. 26). #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 3 starts and appeared in 4 games. 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... In her best performance, she added 12 points (5-10), five rebounds and three assists against UCSB (Nov. 24)... Did not start but led with 14 points (4-8) and added four rebounds and two blocks against St. Joseph s (Nov. 26). #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 3 games. Made her collegiate debut against Creighton (Nov. 17), collecting three rebounds in six minutes... Played two minutes against Drake (Nov. 19)... Added three rebounds in six minutes of play against UCSB (Nov. 24)... Did not play against St. Joseph s (Nov. 26) USC Women s Basketball Press Release

7 GAME #1 USC at Creighton p.m. CST at Omaha, NE (Omaha Civic Auditorium) VISITORS: USC 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 HOME TEAM: Creighton 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 Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total USC Creighton GAME #2 USC at Drake p.m. CST at Des Moines, IA (Drake Knapp Center) VISITORS: USC 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: Drake 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 GAME #3 USC vs. UC Santa Barbara p.m. at Los Angeles, CA (Sports Arena) VISITORS: UC Santa Barbara Greathouse, Nicole f Christensen, Kayte f Hansen, Jess g Caine, Debby g Rogers, Rachelle g Miller, Kristyn Taylor, Lindsay Willett, Lisa Combs, Jessica TEAM Totals TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 8-15, 53.3% 2nd Half: 9-23, 39.1% Game: 44.7% DEADBALL 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-2, 100% 2nd Half: 2-4, 50.0% Game: 66.7% REBOUNDS F Throw % 1st Half: 9-12, 75.0% 2nd Half: 9-12, 75.0% Game: 75.0% 3,4 HOME TEAM: USC Carter, Tashara f Hoffman, Ebony f Woods, Denise c Elmore, Tiffany g Cheeks, Jessica g Smith, Ayeshia Norwood, Camille Krause, Carmen Grant, Tennille Young, Erin Alexander, Ryane Mitchell, Portia TEAM Totals TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 10-35, 28.6% 2nd Half: 8-30, 26.7% Game: 27.7% DEADBALL 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 1-7, 14.3% 2nd Half: 2-8, 25.0% Game: 20.0% REBOUNDS F Throw % 1st Half: 9-15, 60.0% 2nd Half: 12-14, 85.7% Game: 72.4% 4 Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total UC Santa Barbara USC GAME #4 USC vs. St. Joseph s p.m. at Los Angeles, CA (Sports Arena) VISITORS: St. Joseph s Moran, Susan f Graff, Stephanie f Mehmedic, Amra g Zampella, Angela g Meade, Jane g Mohan, Elizabeth Trayer, Takeya Snell, Amy Richardson, Terraya Krasnoshiok, Irina TEAM Totals TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 10-20, 50.0% 2nd Half: 5-18, 27.8% Game: 39.5% DEADBALL 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-3, 66.7% 2nd Half: 1-6, 16.7% Game: 33.3% REBOUNDS F Throw % 1st Half: 10-13, 76.9% 2nd Half: 12-16, 75.0% Game: 75.9% 2 HOME TEAM: USC Krause, Carmen f Carter, Tashara f Woods, Denise c Elmore, Tiffany g Cheeks, Jessica g Norwood, Camille Grant, Tennille Young, Erin Alexander, Ryane Hoffman, Ebony TEAM Totals TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 11-28, 39.3% 2nd Half: 13-31, 41.9% Game: 40.7% DEADBALL 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 0-7, 0.0% 2nd Half: 0-3, 0.0% Game: 0.0% REBOUNDS F Throw % 1st Half: 3-6, 50.0% 2nd Half: 15-20, 75.0% Game: 69.2% 1 Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total St. Joseph's USC USC Women s Basketball Press Release 7

8 USC Combined Team Statistics (as of Nov 27, 2000) All games RECORD: OVERALL HOME AWAY NEUTRAL ALL GAMES... (2-2) (2-0) (0-2) (0-0) CONFERENCE... (0-0) (0-0) (0-0) (0-0) NON-CONFERENCE... (2-2) (2-0) (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 Alexander, Ryane 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 UC SANTA BARBARA W FIELD GOALS-ATT ST. JOSEPH'S W 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