USC Women s Basketball

USC Women s Basketball For Immediate Release: Jan. 9, 2001 Contact: Vicky Hammond 213-740-3808 Fax 213-740-7584 vhammond@usc.edu USC Travels To Westw estwood For Crossto osstown Battle Women of Troy look to end losing streak on Sunday against Bruins. 2000-2001 USC SCHEDULE AND RESULTS 5-7 Overall, 0-2 Pac-10 Date Opponent Result NOVEMBER 11-17 at Creighton L, 69-58 11-19 at Drake L, 55-51 11-24 UC Santa Barbara W, 60-55 11-26 St. Joseph s W, 66-55 DECEMBER 12-2 at San Diego W, 70-56 12-9 at Sacramento State W, 87-61 12-15 Pepperdine W, 78-60 12-20 at Baylor L, 79-55 12-22 at (11) Texas Tech L, 85-59 12-28 (3) Notre Dame L, 70-61 JANUARY 1-4 *at Washington State L, 79-78 1-7 *at Washington L, 91-79 1-14 *at UCLA (FSW) 1 p.m. 1-18 *Arizona 7 p.m. 1-20 *Arizona State% 7 p.m. 1-25 *at Oregon 7 p.m. 1-27 *at Oregon St. (FSNW) 2:05 p.m. FEBRUARY 2-2 *California 7 p.m. 2-4 *Stanford (FSW) 3 p.m. 2-10 *UCLA 2 p.m. 2-15 *at Arizona State 7 p.m. MT 2-18 *at Arizona (FSW2) 2 p.m. MT 2-23 *Oregon State 7 p.m. 2-25 *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. 3-10 *Washington State 1 p.m. THE FACTS USC women s basketball (5-7, 0-2) endured a disappointing start to the 2001 Pac-10 season. The Trojans suffered a loss to Washington State, 79-78, on a last-second shot, then followed with a 91-79 loss at Washington in triple overtime. With a current five-game losing streak, the Women of Troy hope to break the trend against the crosstown rival Bruins. The two teams prepare for their 57th alltime meeting on Sunday, Jan. 14. The 1 p.m. game will be played at UCLA s Pauley Pavilion and will be televised on live Fox Sports West. 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 at UCLA Sunday, Jan. 14 1 p.m. televised live on... Fox Sports West or listen on the Radio... KMPC 1540 AM or live on the web... www.usctrojans.com WOMEN OF TROY Y ON THE AIR Five Women of Troy games this season will be broadcast via the Los Angeles airwaves. KMPC 1540 will broadcast the following games: USC at UCLA on Jan. 14, USC vs. Arizona State on Jan. 20, USC vs. Stanford on Feb. 4, USC vs. UCLA on Feb. 10 and USC vs. Washington State on March 10. Jim Watson will do the play-by-play and the color analyst has yet to be announced. MEDIA TELECONFERENCE The next Pac-10 coaches media teleconference of 2001 will be on Tuesday, Jan. 16. Media members may call in to speak to each Pac-10 women s basketball coach according to the following schedule: 9:35 a.m. - Charlie Turner Thorne (ASU), 9:40 - Joan Bonvicini (ARIZ), 9:45 - June Daugherty (WASH), 9:50 - Jenny Prezekwas (WSU), 9:55 - Chris Gobrecht (USC), 10 - Kathy Olivier (UCLA), 10:05 - Judy Spoelstra (OSU), 10:10 - Jody Runge (ORE), 10:15 - Caren Horstmeyer (CAL), 10:20 - Tara VanDerveer (STAN). GAME #12 - AT WASHINGTON (JAN. 7) The Women of Troy suffered a triple overtime defeat at Washington (91-79) on Sunday, Jan. 7, after the Huskies Megan Franza scored six of her 18 points in the final overtime period to put the game away. USC led for most of the first half but Washington took command with a 22-5 run that started with 5:19 remaining in the first half and wrapped around halftime. The Huskies entered the break ahead 40-30. The Trojans responded with a 24-9 run in the first ten minutes of the half, and the lead changed hands three times late before O Neill scored the final points of regulation with an eight-foot fadeaway that tied the game at 58-58 with 36.3 seconds remaining. With the score tied at 66-66, Jill Pimley missed a short runner and Payne a 15-foot fadeaway jumper in the final five seconds of the first overtime. Tashara Carter had a chance to win it for USC in the second overtime period, but missed the second of two free throws with.5 seconds remaining in the period and the score tied 75-75. Washington outscored USC 16-4 in the third overtime period for the win. Aisha Hollans scored 18 points, with Ebony Hoffman scoring 14 points and Carter and Denise Woods contributing ten points apiece. Four Trojans - Jessica Cheeks, Hoffman, Carter and Carmen Krause - fouled out of the game. 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. Listen to play-by-play announcer Jim Watson and call the action. 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 www.usctrojans.com 2000-2001 USC Women s Basketball Press Release 1

USC QUICK FACTS Location:... Los Angeles, CA Founded:... 1880 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) 741-1341 / 0174... LC (213) 746-4859 Women s Basketball Staff Head Coach:... Chris Gobrecht Alma Mater:... USC 77 Record at USC:... 40-53 (.430) Pac-10 Record at USC:.. 20-36 (.357) Season:... Fourth Overall Record:... 372-259 (.590) Conference Record:... 187-155 (.547) Pac-10 Record:... 162-86 (.653) Season:... 22nd Assistants:... Stacy McIntyre, Shannon Perry and Colleen Matsuhara Dir. of Oper./Mktg.:.. Patrick Auerbach Office Phone:... (213) 740-7204 Athletic Trainer:... Leila Almahdy Training Room Phone: (213) 740-1004 Basketball History First Season of Basketball:... 1976-77 All-Time Record:... 452-238 (.655) Conference Record:... 222-123 (.643) National Championships:... 2 ( 83, 84) Conference Championships:... 5 NCAA Appearances:... 13 AIAW Appearances:... 2 WNIT Appearances:... 1 (2000) 1999-2000 Record: 16-14 / 10-8 (5th) Home Record:... 10-3 Away Record:... 6-11 Postseason:... WNIT Second Round Longest Win Streak:... 3 (twice) Longest Losing Streak:... 3 (three times) 2000-2001 Record:... 5-7 Home Record:... 3-1 Away Record:... 2-6 Nuetral Site Record:... 0-0 Longest Win Streak:.. 5 (11/24-12/15) Longest Losing Streak:... 5 (current) Current Streak:... 5 losses (12/20- ) Starters Returning / Lost:... 2 / 3 Letterwinners Returning / Lost:.. 9 / 3 Newcomers:... 5 Sports Information Office Phone:... (213) 740-8480 Office Fax:... (213) 740-7584 WBB SID:... Vicky Hammond Voice Mail:... (213) 740-3808 Home Phone:... (310) 574-3226 E-Mail:...vhammond@usc.edu Ticket Office:... (213) 740 - GO SC Website... www.usctrojans.com GAME #11 - AT WASHINGTON STATE TE (JAN. 4) Despite a 21-point effort from Ebony Hoffman, USC suffered a 79-78 loss to Washington State thanks to a last-second jumper by Cougar Brittany Hawks. The Trojans shined defensively in the first half, forcing the Cougars to turn the ball over five times in their first eight possessions. Within the first 10 minutes, WSU committed 12 turnovers and allowed six USC steals. The Trojans led by as many as 10 points in the first half (32-22 at 3:25) but the lead was diminished to four with only seconds left on the clock. USC entered the break up by seven (40-33). The game was much closer in the second half as a the Cougs embarked on a 8-2 run six minutes into the game which brought them within one, 54-53, at the 10:45 mark. WSU tied the game, 72-72, at 3:04, then took its first lead, 75-74, with 2:21 left. At the one-minute mark, Hoffman grabbed a key offensive rebound and followed with the shot to put the Trojans up by one, 78-77. With a quick steal by freshman guard Aisha Hollans, USC regained possession, but a missed shot gave the Cougs the ball with 0:05 remaining. WSU inbounded the ball to Hawks who followed with the layin for the win. COMMON CONNECTIONS In addition to the fact that the two teams share the city, the local recruits, the fans and the media, USC and UCLA women s basketball have their share of common connections. Women of Troy first-year assistant coach Colleen Matsuhara spent a good portion of her career in Westwood. Matsuhara served as the Bruins assistant coach for three years (1978-80) during which the Bruins won the AIAW national championship in 1978. From 1983 to 1985, she was an Assistant Athletic Director at UCLA, handling event management and scheduling for 12 sports. After spending 13 years away from Westwood, Matsuhara returned to UCLA as the color analyst for its radio broadcasts (1998-2000). Now at USC, Matsuhara is accompanied by first-year USC Director of Operations and Marketing, Patrick Auerbach who graduated from UCLA in 1992 with a bachelor s degree in sociology and business. THEY KNOW W HOW TO WIN Freshmen Ebony Hoffman, Jessica Cheeks and Portia Mitchell all prepped at one of the nation s most successful high school programs, accumulating a near flawless record. In the three years they played together at Narbone High (Mitchell and Cheeks graduated in 99, Hoffman in 00) the team lost only 10 games. Hoffman led the Gauchos the 2000 mythical national title in 2000 and accumulated a 110-10 (91.7) career record in her four-year prep career. PAC-10 ONLINE CHATS TS Each Wednesday during conference play, a Pac-10 women s basketball player will drop in for a special chat and take questions on the conference race, women s hoops and the college basketball scene. The chats are featured on the Pac-10 s official website, www.pac-10.org. Fans may send in their questions and they will be saved until the live chat begins. A full transcript of each chat will be posted weekly. The Women of Troy are scheduled to host a chat on Feb. 21. 2000-2001 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 10... 1-0 Big East... 0-1 Big 12... 0-2 Big West... 2-0 Missouri Valley... 0-2 Pac-10... 0-2 West Coast... 2-0 USC on... Sundays... 1-2 Mondays... 0-0 Tuesdays... 0-0 Wednesdays... 0-1 Thursdays... 0-2 Fridays... 2-2 Saturdays... 2-0 USC in... November... 2-2 December... 3-3 January... 0-2 February... 0-0 March... 0-0 USC at... Lyon Center... 0-0 Sports Arena... 3-1 On The Road... 2-6 2 2000-2001 USC Women s Basketball Press Release

PAC-10 OPENERS USC is 9-6 all-time in Pac-10 openers - 5-2 on the road and 4-3 at home (*the 1989 opener was played at a neutral site) The Women of Troy are 7-8 in the first road game of each Pac-10 season, and 9-5 in the first conference home game In the opening series of Pac-10 play, USC is 17-11 all-time and has defeated both opponents seven times (1999-00 vs. Wash/WSU, 1996-97 vs. Wash/WSU, 1993-94 vs. Oregon/OSU, 1992-93 vs. Arizona/ASU, 1991-92 vs. Oregon/OSU, 1990-91 vs. UCLA and 1987-88 vs. Oregon/OSU) The Trojans have now opened the Pac-10 season twice against Washington (1996 and 1997) and twice against Washington State (2000 and 2001). HOFFMAN AMONG PAC-10 LEADERS Freshman Ebony Hoffman has broken into five Pac-10 stat categories this season. She ranks fourth in rebounding (7.6 rpg) and offensive rebounds (3.0 rpg), fifth in defensive rebounds (4.58 rpg), eighth in free throw percentage (75.6) and 20th in scoring (10.3 ppg). HOLLANS CONTINUES TO SHINE 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. For the game, she contributed 14 points (6-12) and six rebounds in just 20 minutes on the court. Since then she has led the team in scoring in 3-of-6 games, including a season-high 18 points against Washington (Jan. 7). She has contributed double digits in all six games, and leads the team with a 13.7 scoring average, while shooting 45.6 percent. IT S A FRESHMAN S GAME So far this season, USC s scoring and rebounding leaders are both first-year players. Ebony Hoffman leads with 7.6 boards per game, while Aisha Hollans tops the charts with 13.7 points per game. The two have led in scoring and rebounding in the past four games. NEWS-N-NOTES The last USC game that went to triple overtime was played on March 1, 1982... a 89-84 loss to Long Beach State. The USC-Washington match-up was also the second-straight overtime game these two teams have played (both have been in Seattle). Against Washington (Jan. 7), Denise Wood tied a career-high with five blocks and Camille Norwood set a career mark with seven rebounds and tied a career mark with five assists. USC s Pac-10 season-opening loss to Washington State was the first since the 1996-97 season when the Women of Troy fell to Washington in Seattle, 69-68, ironically on a last-second shot. Tiffany Elmore surpassed a career high with seven assists against the Cougars (Jan. 4). Prior to Ebony Hoffman s 21-point performance against WSU (Jan. 4), the last freshman to contribute 20+ was Tiffany Elmore who set a career-high with 24 against Drake (Nov. 24, 1998) as a newcomer. A freshman has led in points and/or rebounds in all 12 games this season. There were 2,178 fans in attendance when the Women of Troy faced Notre Dame (Dec. 28), marking the highest USC home attendance figure since the 1986-87 season when the Trojans averaged 1,061 fans per game The Trojans shot 57.1 percent from three points range (10th among USC single game records) against the Lady Raiders (Dec. 22) 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 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 1996-97 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 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. 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 alltime in home season openers. 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 - Aisha Hollans 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) 981-5507, or you can listen to a taped replay beginning at 4 p.m. that same day by calling (402) 220-9927. 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: www.mediateamlink.com Trojans On The Web: Current women's basketball information, as well as news, features and updated statistics can be found on the internet at: www.usctrojans.com The check out the new Pac-10 Conference website and access information on all cnference opponents, go to: pac10.fansonly.com THIS WEEK AROUND THE PAC-10 Thursday, Jan. 11 Washington State at Arizona... 7 p.m. Washington at Arizona State... 7 p.m. Cal at Oregon... 7 p.m. Stanford at Oregon State... 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13 Cal at Oregon State (FSN)... 1 p.m. Washington at Arizona... 2 p.m. Washington St. at Arizona St.... 7 p.m. Stanford at Oregon... 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 14 USC at UCLA (FSW)... 1 p.m. 2000-2001 USC Women s Basketball Press Release 3

CURRENT PAC-10 STANDINGS Teams Conf. Overall 1. Arizona 2 0 12 2 Washington 2 0 9 3 Washington State 2 0 7 5 4. Oregon 1 0 8 3 5. Arizona State 1 1 9 5 Stanford 1 1 7 5 7. Oregon State 0 1 8 3 8. USC 0 2 5 7 California 0 2 4 8 UCLA 0 2 1 12 USC VS. PAC-10 STATS TS (as of Jan. 8) Team Statistics Scoring Offense... No. 7... 66.8 Scoring Defense... No. 8... 68.0 Scoring Margin... No. 8... -1.2 Free Throw %... No. 6... 65.6 Field Goal %... No. 9... 38.6 FG % Defense... No. 7... 41.2 3-Point FG Made... No. 10... 2.42 3-Point FG %... No. 10... 23.0 3-Point FG % Def... No. 8... 35.1 Rebounding Off... No. 5... 39.6 Rebounding Def... No. 9... 41.2 Rebounding Margin.. No. 9... -1.6 Blocked Shots... No. 2... 4.58 Assists... No. 5... 15.00 Steals... No. 2... 10.67 Turnover Margin... No. 3... +3.25 Assist/TO Ratio... No. 7... 0.74 Off Rebounds... No. 3... 16.67 Def Rebounds... No. 6... 22.92 Individual Statistics Scoring Ebony Hoffman... No. 20... 10.3 Rebounding Ebony Hoffman... No. 4... 7.6 Tashara Carter... No. 16... 5.6 Free Throw Percentage Ebony Hoffman... No. 8... 75.6 Denise Woods... No. 9... 73.5 Steals Jessica Cheeks... No. 8... 1.91 Tashara Carter... No. 9... 1.83 Blocked Shots Denise Woods... No. 1... 1.75 Offensive Rebounds Ebony Hoffman... No. 4... 3.00 Defensive Rebounds Ebony Hoffman... No. 5... 4.58 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 leads the team with a 51.0 shooting percentage (min. 15 field goals). Grant has contributed 4.8 points and 2.3 rebounds in an average of 10.1 minutes on the court per game. JUST CAN T GET THEM PAST HER Since she entered the lineup in 1999-2000, 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 1.75 stops per game. OPPONENTS WITH NCAA EXPERIENCE This season USC must prepare for nothing less than NCAA caliber opponents. Eight 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). AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS Aside from having faced two consecutive top-15 opponents, USC s last three foes (Baylor, Texas Tech, Notre Dame) have also combined for an overall record of 28-1 this season. Rank Rank Before Gm. Team Date W/L Score After Gm. No. 11 Texas Tech Dec. 22 L 85-59 No. 10 No. 3 Notre Dame Dec. 28 L 70-61 No. 3 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), but has since been dropped from the list. 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. THE THREE-YEAR VET Senior Tashara Carter enters the 2000-2001 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 1998-99 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 1999-2000 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 2000-2001 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 1999-2000 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 1999-2000. 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). 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 4 2000-2001 USC Women s Basketball Press Release

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 98-99 to 16-14 in 99-00 to 20+ wins and the NCAA s in 00-01... 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 25. - 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 1999-2000 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 1996-97 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 - 66.6 ppg. WOMEN OF TROY ANNOUNCE 2001 RECRUITS Rachel Woodward of Murrieta Valley (Calif.) High, and Kimberly Gipson of Westchester (Calif.) High signed letters-of-intent with the USC women s basketball team for the 2001-2002 season. Woodward, a 6-foot-1 forward, is considered to be among the nation s top 50 prep players by various recruiting publications. She averaged 22.3 points and 14 rebounds a game as a junior and was honored as a Nike All-America, All-CIF first team selection and all-area pick. She averaged 21 points, 15 rebounds as a sophomore, and 19.5 points and 13.7 rebounds as a freshman. The All-Star Girl s Report rated her 33rd among the 2001 recruits. Also a much sought-after recruit, Gipson was ranked as high as 39th by the All-Star Girl s Report. She received All-L.A. city first team honors as a junior after averaging 21 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks per game. The 6-foot-5 center was a 2000 Nike Camp invitee. She averaged 16 points and 12 rebounds as a sophomore. 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 2002. 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 372-259 (.590) 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 162-86 (.653) mark, and she ranks 37th among active Division I coaches with 372 career victories. WOMEN OF TROY TELEVISION SCHEDULE Jan. 7 at Wash.... FSW2 at 1 p.m. Jan. 14at 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 2 2000-2001 USC PRACTICE SCHEDULE Monday, Jan. 8 Tuesday, Jan. 9 Wednesday, Jan. 10 Thursday, Jan. 11 Friday, Jan. 12 Saturday, Jan. 13 Sunday, Jan. 7 General Schedule Mon., Tues., Thu., Fri. Wed. No Practice 1:45 p.m. 6 a.m. 1:45 p.m. No Practice 10 a.m. 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 (213) 740-3808 prior to the date you plan to attend. IN THE POLLS AP Top 25 ESPN/USA Today (Jan. 8) (Jan. 8) 1. UConn UConn 2. Tennessee Tennessee 3. Notre Dame Notre Dame 4. Georgia Georgia 5. Duke Duke 6. Purdue Purdue 7. Iowa State Iowa State 8. Louisiana Tech Louisiana Tech 9. LSU Texas Tech 10. Florida LSU 11. Texas Tech Florida 12. Rutgers Penn State 13. Penn State Rutgers 14. Texas SW Missouri St. 15. SW Missouri St. Texas 16. Clemson Oklahoma 17. Oklahoma Vanderbilt 18. Vanderbilt N. Carolina St. 19. N. Carolina St. Clemson 20. Oregon Oregon 21. Mississippi St. Mississippi St. 22. Arizona Xavier 23. Baylor Auburn 24. Stanford Arizona 25. Auburn Stanford 2000-2001 USC Women s Basketball Press Release 5

ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS THIS WEEK S OPPONENTS USC vs. UCLA (28-27) Home Record: 13-12 Away Record: 14-10 1971-72 N/A L 28-67 Home L 23-53 1972-73 N/A L 31-68 N/A L 37-70 1975-76 Away L 48-90 Home L 59-96 1976-77 Away L 73-103 Home L 49-94 1977-78 Away L 63-88 Home L 50-78 1978-79 Home W 78-68 Away L 80-99 Neutral L 81-97 1979-80 Home L 67-71 Away W 99-81 1980-81 Home L 79-81 Away L 83-87 Neutral W 102-85 1981-82 Away W 97-94 Home W 92-83 1982-83 Home W 83-75 Away W 82-62 1983-84 Away W 78-60 Neutral W 85-63 1984-85 Away L 73-77 Home L 56-57 1985-86 Home W 89-67 Away W 89-57 1986-87 Away W 76-72 Home W 81-75 1987-88 Away W 67-56 USC WHEN... Home W 86-63 1988-89 Home L 62-76 Away W 90-75 1989-90 Home L 68-83 Away L 72-76 1990-91 Away W 73-69 Home L 79-83 1991-92 Home W 62-60 Away W 73-71 1992-93 Away W 73-60 Home W 66-57 1993-94 Home W 85-70 Away W 83-66 1994-95 Away W 56-55 Home W 70-65 1995-96 Home W 96-77 Away L 80-64 1996-97 Away W 60-56 Home W 87-74 1997-98 Home L 64-68 Away L 73-87 1998-99 Away L 53-94 Home L 64-82 1999-00 Away L 62-82 Home W 73-69 UCLA (1-12) UCLA enters this week s game with a 1-12 overall record and 0-2 start to the Pac-10 season - the worst start ever in program history... The Bruins fell 73-54 at Washington (Jan. 4) and 74-52 at Washington State (Jan. 6) last week... Guard Michelle Greco was forced to sit out against the Cougars due to illness, but she remains the Pac-10 scoring leader with an average of 18.8 points per game... She has also made 20 consecutive free throws and is on the verge of breaking the UCLA record of 24... Kristee Porter, though she has only played in six games, she added a career-best 12 points against the Huskies in her third start... The Bruins lead the Pac-10 in steals with a 11.38 average... Head Coach Kathy Olivier is in her eighth season at UCLA... Last season s squad finished with an 18-11 overall record and 12-6 mark (fourth place) in the Pac-10. Possible Starting Lineup Position Hgt. Ppg Rpg #20 Michelle Greco Guard 5-9 18.8 3.8 #4 Kristee Porter Forward 6-0 9.5 6.7 #1 Natalie Nakase Guard 5-2 4.4 1.2 #14 Natalie Jarrett Forward 6-0 4.1 3.8 #32 Malika Leatham Center 6-2 7.2 5.2 USC-UCLA Series Record This crosstown rivalry remains the longest standing and most evenly match series in USC program history. Sunday s game will mark the 56th meeting between the Women of Troy and Bruins. UCLA has won the last 6-of-9 meetings, but the Trojans still hold a 29-27 advantage in the series after winning the final match-up of 2000, 73-69 at the Sports Arena (Feb. 12). The Last Time Against Washington USC 73, UCLA 69 - Feb. 12, 2000 - Sports Arena Tiffany Elmore scored 20 points and USC posted an 18-6 run over the final seven minutes to upset No. 20 UCLA 73-69 on Saturday, Feb. 12. Elmore hit a jumper with 51 seconds left to put USC up 69-67, the Bruins turned the ball over twice, and the Trojans hit four free throws to clinch the victory. UCLA was up 38-31 at the half. They took a 63-55 lead with 7:04 left on a free throw, but scored only six more points in the game. This was only the second game of the season in which four Trojans finished in double figures; Danielle Golay (12), Denise Woods (11), Tashara Carter (10) and Elmore. Scoring first... 2-2 Leading at the half... 4-1 Trailing at the half... 1-6 Tied at the half... 0-1 Leading w/ 5:00 left... 4-2 Trailing w/ 5:00 left... 1-5 In overtime... 0-1 Winning the tipoff... 1-3 Losing the tipoff... 4-4 Shooting 50%+... 2-0 Shooting less than 50%... 3-7 Outrebounding opponent... 3-1 Opponent outrebounds... 2-5 Posting more turnovers... 2-4 Posting less turnovers... 3-3 Scoring 70+ points... 3-2 Scoring 60-70 points... 2-1 Scoring 50-60 points... 0-4 Scoring less than 50... 0-0 4+ Trojans in double figures... 3-1 3 Trojans in double figures... 2-0 2 Trojans in double figures... 0-4 1 Trojan in double figures... 0-2 2000-2001 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)... Did not play against Notre Dame (Dec. 28)... Did not travel to Washington schools. #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 12 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+ 6 2000-2001 USC Women s Basketball Press Release

PRESEASON PAC-10 COACHES CHES POLL Team (1st place votes) Points 1. Stanford (9) 90 2. Oregon (1) 78 3. USC 70 4. Arizona 66 5. Arizona State 57 6. UCLA 49 Washington 49 8. Oregon State 34 9. California 29 10. Washington State 18 PRESEASON PAC-10 MEDIA POLL Team (1st place votes) Points 1. Stanford (9) 187 2. Oregon (1) 161 3. USC 149 4. Arizona 119 5. UCLA 101 6. Arizona State 95 7. Washington 80 8. California 62 9. Oregon State 57 10. Washington State 24 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... Finished with nine points and five rebounds, but committed four turnovers against Notre Dame (Dec. 28)... Added a career-high seven assists against the Cougars (Jan. 4)... Fell one point and one rebound short of a double-double against Washington (Jan. 7) while leading the team with nine boards. #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 10 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... Had three points and two steals against Notre Dame (Dec. 28)... Set a career high with seven rebounds and tied a career high with five assists against Washington (Jan. 7). #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 8 starts and appeared in 11 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)... Despite not starting against Notre Dame (Dec. 28), sparked a 15-2 run with seven points and two steals to bring USC within three... Led with three steals against the Cougars (Jan. 4)... Started against Washington (Jan. 7) but fouled-out with only two points, one board and one steal. #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 12 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)... Finished with seven points and four rebounds against Notre Dame (Dec. 28)... Shot 50 percent (4-8) against the Cougars (Jan. 4)... Tied a career-high with five blocks against Washington (Jan. 7). #14 CARMEN KRAUSE Forw orwar ard 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 2 starts and played in 11 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... Contributed four rebounds against Notre Dame (Dec. 28)... Collected six rebounds and eight points after going 8-for-11 from the line against the Cougars (Jan. 4)... Started against Washington (Jan. 7) and sparked the Trojans lead by hitting the team s first 3-of-5 field goals... Fouled out against the Huskies. 2000-2001 USC Women s Basketball Press Release 7

2000-2001 PLAYER SEASON HIGHS #1 Ayeshia Smith Points... 4, Sac State (12/9) Rebounds... 3, Sac State (12/9) Assists... 2, Sac State (12/9) Steals... 1, Drake (11/19) #3 Tiffany Elmore Points... 22, Pepperdine (12/15) Rebounds... 9, Washington (1/7) Assists... 7, Washington State (1/7) Steals... 4, St. Joseph s (11/26)... 4, UCSB (11/24) Blocks... 2, St. Joseph s (11/26) #5 Camille Norwood Points... 6, Washington (1/7)...6, Pepperdine (12/15) Rebounds... 7, Washington (1/7) Assists... 5, Washington (1/7)...5, Pepperdine (12/15) Steals... 2, three times #10 Jessica Cheeks Points... 13, San Diego (12/2) Rebounds... 7, Creighton (11/17) Assists... 3, three times Steals... 4, three times Blocks... 1, San Diego (12/2) #13 Denise Woods Points... 16, San Diego (12/2)... 16, UCSB (11/24) Rebounds... 7, three times Assists... 2, four times Steals... 3, Baylor (12/20) Blocks... 5, Washington (1/7) #14 Carmen Krause Points... 9, Creighton (11/17) Rebounds.. 6, Washington State (1/4) Assists... 4, St. Joseph s (11/26) Steals... 2, Washington State (1/4) #15 Lauren Smith-Hams Points... 6, Sac State (12/9) Rebounds... 2, Creighton (11/17) Assists... 1, three times Steals... 2, San Diego (12/2) #20 Tennille Grant Points... 10, St. Joseph s (11/26) Rebounds... 7, Sac State (12/9)... 7, St. Joseph s (11/26) Assists... 2, Drake (11/19) Steals... 1, four times Blocks... 1, Drake (11/19) #21 Erin Young Points... 2, Sac State (12/9) Rebounds... 5, Sac State (12/9) Assists... 2, UCSB (11/24) Steals... 1, San Diego (12/2)... 1, Drake (11/19) #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 7 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)... Did not play against Washington (Jan. 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 12 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... Only played six minutes against Notre Dame (Dec. 28)... Collected nine points just in the first half after going 4-for-6 from the field against the Cougars (Jan. 4). #21 ERIN YOUNG Guard d 5-11 Sophomore e Dallas, Tex. x. Highland Par ark k 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)... Did not play against Notre Dame (Dec. 28)... Did not play against Washington (Jan. 7). #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 12 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)... Had nine points and six rebounds against Notre Dame (Dec. 28)... Added eight points, three assists and three steals against the Cougars (Jan. 4)... Shot 44.4 percent against Washington (Jan. 7), but 20.0 percent at the line and finished with 10 points, six rebounds and three assists and steals... Fouled out against the Huskies. #23 AISHA REECEE 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: Has made 2 starts and played in 6 games. Missed first six games due to a back injury... Began practicing with the team the week of Dec. 4... 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... Made her first collegiate start against Notre Dame (Dec. 28) and led with 8 2000-2001 USC Women s Basketball Press Release

11 points despite 3-of-12 shooting... Posted double figures for the fifth-straight game with 10 points, three assists, three steals and six boards, but shot 4-of-12 from the field against the Cougars (Jan. 4)... Did not start against Washington (Jan. 7) but led with 18 points. #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 7 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)... Did not play against Notre Dame (Dec. 28)... Did not play against Washington (Jan. 7). #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 make her an exceptional player in the Pac-10. This Season: Has made 10 starts and appeared in 12 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... Fouled out against the Bulldogs... 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)... Fouled out against the Waves... 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... Fouled out against the Lady Raiders... Finished with a teamhigh 11 points and eight rebounds against Notre Dame (Dec. 28)... Fouled out against the Irish... Led the team with eight rebounds and a season-high 21 points against the Cougars (Jan. 4)... Did not start against Washington (Jan. 7) but led with four steals, added 14 points and shot 62.5 percent. #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)... Did not play against Notre Dame (Dec. 28)... Did not play against the Cougars (Jan. 4)... Did not play against Washington (Jan. 7). PLAYER SEASON HIGHS CONT... #22 Tashara Carter Points... 14, San Diego (12/2)... 14, St. Joseph s (11/26) Rebounds... 10, St. Joseph s (11/26)... 10, Drake (11/19) Assists... 7, Sac State (12/9) Steals... 5, Pepperdine (12/15) Blocks... 4, St. Joseph s (11/26) #23 Aisha Hollans Points... 18, Washington (1/7) Rebounds.. 6, Washington State (1/4)...6, Pepperdine (12/15) Assists... 3, Washington State (1/4) Steals... 3, Washington State (1/4) Blocks... 1, three times #24 Ryane Alexander Points... 2, UCSB (11/24) Rebounds... 2, UCSB (11/24) Assists... 2, UCSB (11/24) Steals... 3, UCSB (11/24) #32 Ebony Hoffman Points... 21, Washington State (1/4) Rebounds... 13, Texas Tech (12/22) Assists... 8, Sac State (12/9) Steals... 4, Washington (1/7) Blocks... 3, Pepperdine (12/15) #35 Portia Mitchell Points... 4, Sac State (12/9) Rebounds... 4, Sac State (12/9) Assists... 1, Creighton (11/17) Blocks... 1, five times 2000-2001 USC Women s Basketball Press Release 9