USC Women s Basketball

Transcription

1 USC Women s Basketball For Immediate Release: Dec. 26, 2000 Contact: Vicky Hammond Fax vhammond@usc.edu USC Welcomes Thir hird-r d-rank anked ed Notre e Dame Undefeated at home this season, Women of Troy look to upset Fighting Irish USC SCHEDULE AND RESULTS 5-4 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 W, at Sacramento State W, Pepperdine W, at Baylor L, at (11) Texas Tech L, (3) Notre Dame 7 p.m. JANUARY 1-4 *at Washington State 7 p.m. 1-7 *at Washington (FSW2) 1 p.m *at UCLA (FSW) 1 p.m *Arizona 7 p.m *Arizona State% 7 p.m *at Oregon 7 p.m *at Oregon St. (FSNW) 2:05 p.m. FEBRUARY 2-2 *California 7 p.m. 2-4 *Stanford (FSW) 3 p.m *UCLA 2 p.m *at Arizona State 7 p.m. MT 2-18 *at Arizona (FSW2) 2 p.m. MT 2-23 *Oregon State 7 p.m *Oregon (FSW) 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 USC women s basketball (5-4) returns home after suffering two road losses last week at Baylor, 79-55, and 11th-ranked Texas Tech, The losses put an end to the Women of Troy s five-game win streak; the most games won consecutively for USC since the season. USC has not dropped a game at home this season as the team prepares to welcome No. 3 Notre Dame (10-0) on Thursday, Dec, 28, at 7 p.m. at the L.A. Sports Arena. The game will be USC s last nonconference match-up of the season. 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. THIS WEEK S GAME BROADCASTS USC vs. Notre Dame Thursday, Dec p.m. listen live on... UPCOMING PROMOTIONS GAME #9 - VS. #11 TEXAS TECH (DEC. 22) USC suffered its second-consecutive loss on the road, falling to 11th-ranked Texas Tech, 85-59, on Friday at the United Spirit Arena in Lubbock. With four quick Lady Raider turnovers in the first five minutes of the game, the Trojans grabbed the first lead, But Texas Tech put together a 18-7 run to gain an 11-point lead (6:48), eventually entering the break with a advantage. Despite increasing their lead to 17 at the start of the second half, the Lady Raiders missed shots and turnovers allowed USC (5-4) to pull within nine points at with 9:21 left to play. In return, Tech held USC scoreless for three minutes and built a 22-point lead. The Women of Troy managed only eight points in the final six minutes. Aisha Hollans led USC with 17 points, including 3-of-5 from three point range. USC hit 11-of-20 free throws while Tech shot 20-of-26. From the field, Tech shot 31-of-60 and had 22 turnovers. USC shot 22-of-57 and committed 30 turnovers. USC Women s Basketball Holiday Food Drive Bring a nonperishable food item and receive a complimentary admission to the following games: Thursday, Dec. 28 vs. Notre Dame GAME #8 - VS. BAYL YLOR (DEC. 20) USC suffered from a season-high 30 turnovers in a loss against Baylor (9-0) on Wednesday (Dec. 20). The Trojans committed 17 costly turnovers in the first half, giving Baylor a advantage upon entering the break. The Bears earned eight consecutive points at the line without a shot from the field in the final four minutes of the half en route to the 13-point lead. Returning to the floor, Baylor managed to extend its lead to 17 in the first two minutes, and allowed USC to come no closer than 11 for the remainder of the game. The Bears embarked on a 13-5 run with five minutes left on the clock to take their largest lead of the game (79-53) before a final Women of Troy layup gave BU the victory. The Women of Troy were led by Denise Woods and Aisha Hollans who added 14 and 12 points, respectively. Woods and Ebony Hoffman led on the boards with seven apiece. For the game, the Trojans went to line 17 times and made 10 shots, while Baylor was sent 34 times and sank 25. USC was also outrebounded, 52 to 32, by the Bears. COMMON CONNECTIONS USC Assistant Coach Colleen Matsuhara served as an assistant coach at Notre Dame for one season ( ) under current head coach Muffett McGraw. In McGraw s second season at UND, the team finished with a overall record and advanced to the third round of the NWIT. 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: (.444) 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:.. 5 (11/24-12/15) Longest Losing Streak:... 2 (twice) Current Streak:... 2 losses (12/20- ) 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... RECEIVING VOTES USC received its first votes of the season the week of Dec. 19 in the AP Women s College Basketball Poll (3 votes) and the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 poll (2). In the national preseason rankings, the Women of Troy were ranked No. 21 according to WOMENSCOLLEGEHOOPS.com, and No. 24 according to the Women s Basketball Journal, while receiving mention in numerous others. AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS No. 3 Notre Dame will be the second consecutive ranked opponent for the Women of Troy this season. Rank Rank Before Gm. Team Date W/L Score After Gm. No. 11 Texas Tech Dec. 22 L No. 10 No. 3 Notre Dame Dec. 28 HOLLANS CONTINUES TO SHINE OFF THE BENCH After missing the first six games of the season, freshman Aisha ReeCee Hollans entered the lineup against Pepperdine (Dec. 15), providing a spark and a glimpse of this talented freshman class. Hollans helped USC hold onto its halftime lead by hitting 4-of-4 shots off the bench, and adding a key block. For the game, she contributed 14 points (6-12) and six rebounds in just 20 minutes on the court. She has contributed double digits in all three games since, and currently leads the team, with a 14.3 scoring average and a 53.1 field goal percentage. IT S A FRESHMAN S GAME So far this season, USC s scoring and rebounding leaders are both firstyear players. Ebony Hoffman leads with 7.9 boards per game, while Aisha Hollans tops the charts with 14.3 points per game. IS THIS THE SAME PLAYER? No player has made a more drastic improvement this year than sophomore forward Tennille Grant. After only averaging 1.6 points and 1.2 rebounds per game last season, Grant has returned as one of the team s most effective shooters. She currently ranks second on the team with a 51.2 shooting percentage (min. 15 field goals). Grant has contributed 5.2 points and 2.8 rebounds in an average of 10.4 minutes on the court per game. JUST CAN T GET THEM PAST HER Since she entered the lineup in , opponents just can t get their shots past her. Senior center Denise Woods finished third in the Pac-10 last season with an average of 1.47 blocks per game. This year she quickly reclaimed her spot on the charts. She leads the conference with an average of 1.67 stops per game 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 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 USC Women s Basketball Press Release

3 OPPONENTS WITH NCAA EXPERIENCE This season USC must prepare for nothing less than NCAA caliber opponents. Seven of the Trojans last 10 nonconference opponents are 2000 NCAA Tournament teams (Drake, UCSB, St. Joseph s, San Diego, Pepperdine, Texas Tech and Notre Dame) Including conference opponents, the Women of Troy will face 12 total teams that played in the postseason last year (UCLA, Stanford and Oregon... ASU went to WNIT). NEWS-N-NOTES USC had a season-high 30 turnovers against Baylor (Dec. 20) and Texas Tech (Dec. 22) - just three shy of making the program s top-10 list for most turnovers in a single game. A freshman has led in points and/or rebounds in all nine games this season. The Trojans shot 57.1 percent from three points range (ranks 10th among program single game records) against the Lady Raiders (Dec. 22) thanks to a 3-for-5 effort from Aisha Hollans. Camille Norwood set a career-high with five assists against Pepperdine (Dec. 15) With five consecutive wins between Nov. 24 and Dec. 15, USC enjoyed its longest win streak since winning five straight during the season The Trojans 32 assists against Sac State (Dec. 9) rank sixth among program records USC s 26-point margin of victory over the Hornets (Dec. 9) was its largest since also beating Sac State by 42 points (84-42) last season (Dec. 11) at the Sports Arena Tashara Carter surpassed a career-high with seven assists against Sac State (Dec. 9) The USC- San Diego game was the first time the Women of Troy shot above 50 percent since January 9, 2000, when the Trojans shot 50.8 in a win over Washington Forward Tennille Grant surpassed a careerhigh 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. 26) 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. INJURY Y REPORT Freshman Aisha Hollans, who has been sidelined while rehabbing a lower back injury (slipped disk), began practicing with the team the week of Dec. 4 and entered her first game on Dec. 15. Her playing time is still limited due to the injury. 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. FRESHMEN AMONG 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 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). 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 Forward - Tashara Carter Forward - Ebony Hoffman 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 STANDINGS 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 CURRENT PAC-10 STANDINGS Teams Conf. Overall 1. Arizona Washington Oregon State Arizona State Oregon Stanford USC Washington State California UCLA USC VS. PAC-10 STATS TS (as of Dec. 18) Team Statistics Scoring Offense... No Scoring Defense... No Scoring Margin... No Free Throw %... No Field Goal %... No FG % Defense... No Point FG Made... No Point FG %... No Point FG % Def... No Rebounding Off... No Rebounding Def... No Rebounding Margin.. No Blocked Shots... No Assists... No Steals... No Turnover Margin... No Assist/TO Ratio... No Off Rebounds... No Def Rebounds... No Individual Statistics Scoring Tiffany Elmore... No Denise Woods... No Rebounding Ebony Hoffman... No Tashara Carter... No Free Throw Percentage Ebony Hoffman... No Denise Woods... No Steals Tiffany Elmore... No Blocked Shots Denise Woods... No Assist/Turnover Ratio Tashara Carter... No Offensive Rebounds Ebony Hoffman... No Tashara Carter... No 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 forward... 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 Lieberman-Cline, USA Today 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. 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 372 career victories. Defensive Rebounds Tashara Carter... No Ebony Hoffman... No USC Women s Basketball Press Release

5 THIS WEEK S OPPONENTS NO. 3 NOTRE DAME (10-0) Third-ranked Notre Dame is enjoying its best season in program history with its highest ranking ever... The Fighting Irish are currently 10-0 (1-0 Big East) with notable wins over No. 4 Georgia, 75-73, No. 8 Purdue, 72-61, Arizona, 95-65, Wisconsin, 83-56, and North Carolina, Averaging 78.6 points per game and a 50.6 shooting percentage, UND has held opponents to 54.3 points and 34.0 percent from the field... The Irish are also averaging 57.8 percent from three-point range, while opponents average The only area that opponents have been able to match Notre Dame is in rebounding where the Irish have won the battle of the boards by a narrow margin, 39.1 to The team is coming off a win over Marquette on Dec Guard Alicia Ratay leads a powerful offense with 16.1 points per game - one of five players averaging double figures - and a 69.0 shooting percentage from three-point range... All-American Ruth Riley leads with 6.9 rebounds per game... Guard Niele Ivey leads with 3.6 steals and 7.6 assists per outing... Head Coach Muffett McGraw is currently in her 13th year at the helm of the Notre Dame women s basketball program and boasts a record with the Irish... McGraw returns 10 players from the squad which advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. Possible Starting Lineup Position Hgt. Ppg Rpg #00 Ruth Riley Forward #44 Meaghan Leahy Forward #3 Ericka Haney Guard #22 Alicia Ratay Guard #33 Niele Ivey Guard USC-Notre Dame Series Record Thursday s match-up will mark only the third meeting between USC and Notre Dame. Though the two schools have enjoyed a rich history of football rivalry (which spans 74 years, beginning in 1926), the women s basketball teams did not face each other until the season. The Trojans won the first meeting, The series stands at 1-1 after the Irish defeated USC last season. The Last Time Against Notre Dame Then-ranked No. 12 Notre Dame defeated the Women of Troy, 74-59, on Monday, Dec. 27, 1999, in South Bend, Ind. Led by Danielle Golay who scored 16 points, USC was held to 34.3 percent shooting, compared to the Irish s 52.7 percent. After leading by as much as eight points with 13:12 remaining in the first half, USC allowed the Irish to take a lead upon entering the break. Notre Dame went on a 16-7 run to open the second half, holding USC without a field goal for nearly six minutes. The Trojans could not slow the momentum and Notre Dame pulled away for the win 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 6 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)... Came off the bench to add four points, three rebounds and two assists against Sac State (Dec. 9)... Did not play against Pepperdine (Dec. 15)... Played four minutes against Baylor (Dec. 20)... Did not play against Texas Tech (Dec. 22). #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 9 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)... Collected six rebounds against San Diego (Dec. 2) despite shooting 1-for-6... Returning to her hometown, she led with 20 points (8-14) against Sac State (Dec. 9)... Has her second-straight 20+ point game, leading the team with 22 points against Pepperdine (Dec. 15)... Committed six turnovers against Baylor (Dec. 20)... Added 12 points against Texas Tech (Dec. 22), hitting 5-of-13 from the field. 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 THIS WEEK AROUND THE PAC-10 Wednesday, Dec. 27 Stanford at Oklahoma... 7 p.m. Hoops for the Cure Classic ASU vs. Tennessee (FSN)... 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 28 Cal at San Jose State... 5 p.m. USC vs. Notre Dame... 7 p.m. UCLA vs. Pepperdine... 7 p.m. OSU vs. New Mexico... 7:05 p.m. Friday, Dec. 29 Lady Griz Holiday Classic WSU vs. Samford... 5 p.m. Arizona vs. Kansas (FSN).. 6:30 p.m. Washington vs. Colorado St... 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 30 Arizona St vs. Wake Forest... 1 p.m. Stanford vs. Utah (FBA)... 2 p.m. UCLA vs. Georgia... 4 p.m. Lady Griz Holiday Classic WSU vs. Montana/Robert Morris 5/7 p.m. Oregon vs. San Francisco... 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 31 Oregon St vs. Boise State.. 1:05 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 2 Oregon vs. Boise State... 7 p.m USC Women s Basketball Press Release 5

6 WOMEN OF TROY TELEVISION SCHEDULE Jan. 7 at Wash.... FSW2 at 1 p.m. Jan. 14 at UCLA... FSW at 1 p.m. Feb. 4 vs. Stanford... FSW at 3 p.m. Feb. 18 at Arizona... FSW2 at 1 p.m. Feb. 25 vs. Oregon... FSW at 1 p.m. FSW - Fox Sports West FSW2 - Fox Sports West USC PRACTICE SCHEDULE Monday, Dec. 25 Tuesday, Dec. 26 Wednesday, Dec. 27 Thursday, Dec. 28 Friday, Dec. 29 Monday, Jan. 1 General Schedule Mon., Tues., Thu., Fri. Wed. No Practice 6 p.m. 11 a.m. Gameday 11 a.m. Noon 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 (213) prior to the date you plan to attend. IN THE POLLS AP Top 25 ESPN/USA Today (Dec. 25) (Dec. 26) 1. UConn UConn 2. Tennessee Tennessee 3. Notre Dame Notre Dame 4. Georgia Georgia 5. Iowa State Duke 6. Duke Iowa State 7. Rutgers Rutgers 8. Purdue Purdue 9. Louisiana Tech Louisiana Tech 10. Texas Tech Penn State 11. Penn State Texas Tech 12. N. Carolina St. N. Carolina State 13. LSU LSU 14. Auburn Auburn 15. Texas SW Missouri St. 16. SW Missouri St. Mississippi St. 17. Stanford Oklahoma 18. Mississippi St. Texas 19. Florida Florida 20. Clemson Xavier 21. Xavier Stanford 22. Oklahoma Vanderbilt 23. Utah Clemson 24. Vanderbilt Virginia 25. Oregon Oregon #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 made 1 start and played in 7 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)... Played 14 minutes against San Diego (Dec. 2)... Made her first start of the season against Sac State (Dec. 9), adding four assists despite four turnovers... Set a new career-high with five assist against Pepperdine (Dec. 15)... In eight minutes on the court against Texas Tech (Dec. 22), she added five points (2-of-2 from the field), two assists, two steals and three turnovers. #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 7 starts and appeared in 8 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)... Posted double figures against San Diego (Dec. 2) with 13 points hitting 6-of- 8 from the field... Did not play against Sac State (Dec. 9)... Contributed 10 points and two assists against Pepperdine (Dec. 15)... Added only four points and one steal against Baylor (Dec. 20)... Led with four steals against Texas Tech (Dec. 22). #13 DENISE WOODS Center/Forw orwar ard d 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 9 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)... Continues to improve with another top performance against San Diego (Dec. 2), including a team-high 16 points and seven rebounds... Began USC s first scoring run against Sac State (Dec. 9) by accounting for the first five of six field goals in the game and finishing 14 points (7-9)... Despite 3-of-12 shooting, she led with three blocks and added nine points against Pepperdine (Dec. 15)... Led with 14 points and seven rebounds against Baylor (Dec. 20)... Was 1-of-8 from the field and finished with seven turnovers against Texas Tech (Dec. 22). #14 CARMEN KRAUSE Forw orwar 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 8 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... Did not play against San Diego (Dec. 2)... Hit 2-of-4 from the field, including 1-of-1 three-pointers for six points against Sac State (Dec. 9)... Collected four quick fouls against Baylor (Dec. 20) to play only seven minutes. #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 6 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)... Came off the bench for 11 minutes against San Diego (Dec. 2) and hit 2-of-3 from the field... Was 2-of-3 from three-point range for six points against Sac State (Dec. 9)... Did not play against Baylor (Dec. 20) USC Women s Basketball Press Release

7 #20 TENNILLE GRANT (te-kneel grant) Forw orwar 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 9 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)... Played 14 minutes against San Diego (Dec. 2) with four points and two rebounds... Shot 50.0 percent (3-6) and added seven rebounds against Sac State (Dec. 9)... Hit 4-of-9 from the field for eight points against Baylor (Dec. 20), despite four turnovers. #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 7 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)... Added one rebound and one steal in four minutes against San Diego (Dec. 2)... Grabbed five rebounds in 15 minutes on the court against Sac State (Dec. 9)... Did not play against Pepperdine (Dec. 15). #22 TASHARA CARTER (tuh-shar-uh carter) Forw orwar ard d 6-0 Senior Harbor City, Calif. Bishop Montgomer omery y HS Tashara Carter begins her senior season with the Women of Troy as one of two returning starters... A do-everything player at forward, 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 9 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)... Was the second-leading scorer against San Diego (Dec. 2) with 14 points (6-8) in addition to two assists, two steals and five rebounds... Added a careerhigh seven assists and three steals against Sac State (Dec. 9)... Had 12 points after hitting 8-of-10 at the line, in addition to four assists and five steals against Pepperdine (Dec. 15)... Led with five assists against Baylor (Dec. 20)... Was called for a technical foul at 16:20 in the second half... Had nine points and three rebounds, steals and turnovers against Texas Tech (Dec. 22). #23 AISHA HOLLANS (i-ee-sha hollans) Guard d 5-10 Freshman Berkele eley, Calif. Berkele eley y 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: Has played in 3 games. Missed first six games due to a back injury... Began practicing with the team the week of Dec Entered her first collegiate game on Dec. 15 against Pepperdine and contributed six rebounds and 14 points off of 6-of-12 shooting... Again added double figures in her second game with 12 points against Baylor (Dec. 20)... Played 24 minutes off the bench and led with 17 points against Texas Tech (Dec. 22), including 3-of-5 three pointers. #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 6 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)... Played seven minutes against San Diego (Dec. 2)... Played six minutes against Sac State (Dec. 9)... Did not play against Pepperdine (Dec. 15). #32 EBONY HOFFMAN Forw orwar ard 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 USC Women s Basketball Press Release 7

8 make her an exceptional player in the Pac-10. This Season: Has made 7 starts and appeared in 9 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)... Resumed her starting position against San Diego (Dec. 2) and led with eight rebounds and three steals, in addition to 11 points... Was one rebound and two assists shy of a triple-double against Sac State (Dec. 9) after contributing 14 points and a team-high nine boards and eight assists... Contributed a team-high 11 rebounds and three blocks against Pepperdine (Dec. 15)... Led with seven rebounds and three steals against Baylor (Dec. 20)... Was called for a technical four at 16:20 in the second half... Led with 13 rebounds and four assists against Texas Tech (Dec. 22), but suffered from 1-of-8 shooting and six turnovers in the game. #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 7 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)... Collected three rebounds in seven minutes off the bench against San Diego (Dec. 2)... Played eight minutes against Sac State (Dec. 9) but hit only 1-of-7 from the field... Played three minutes against Pepperdine (Dec. 15)... Did not play against Texas Tech (Dec. 22) USC Women s Basketball Press Release

9 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 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 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 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 St. Joseph's USC USC Women s Basketball Press Release 9