Women of Troy head to Oregon to face conference’s hottest teams


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The Women of Troy hit the road this weekend to play Pac-12 leader Oregon State and Oregon. Both Oregon schools have winning records in conference, and USC will have their hands full this weekend.

“You could argue that these two are the hottest teams in the league right now,” associate head coach Beth Burns said.

USC (18-8, 6-8) will first head to Corvallis, Oregon, on Friday to play No. 7 Oregon State (22-3, 13-1).  Oregon State has been phenomenal all season, only losing once in conference play to UCLA Jan. 4. Since then, the Beavers have won 12 in a row, including a 67-44 blowout of fellow Pac-12 competitor No. 9 ASU.

Oregon State has stifled opponents with their defense all year, limiting opponents to 50.1 points per game, which makes them fifth best in the nation. The Beavers have been exceptional at protecting the paint this season and the Women of Troy will need to be able to make the most of their opportunities if they hope to defeat the red-hot Beavers.

“We really worked hard this week on making shots,” Burns said. “It’s really hard getting paint points against Oregon State since they’re so long and so big.”

Senior guard Jamie Weisner is Oregon State’s best player.  Weisner has been stellar for the Beavers all season — averaging 17.4 points per game — and is coming off a career-high 27-point performance against Utah.  She has been the leader of the Beavers’ offense all season long and the team will need to try and limit her production if they hope to leave Corvallis with a win. Weisner had 14 points against the Women of Troy in the Beaver’s matchup against USC.

USC then heads to Eugene, Oregon to play a Ducks team that has been playing well as of late.  The Ducks (19-6, 8-6) started out the season undefeated before struggling in conference play, including a loss at USC on Jan. 4. However, the Ducks have won five straight and are 8-1 in their last nine games with the lone loss coming to No. 9 ASU.  The Ducks are also one of the highest scoring teams in the nation — averaging 75 points per game — and USC will have their hands full when they visit Eugene.

The player to watch from Oregon is senior forward Jillian Alleyne — who is currently averaging 18.6 points per game.  Alleyne is from nearby Fontana and is one of the best players in the NCAA.  She was rated No. 16 in ESPNW’s preseason list of the top 25 players in the nation and has not disappointed with her performance this season.  She is a key cog in the Duck’s high-powered offense and USC has to make it a focal point to try and limit Alleyne.  Alleyne had a dominating 23 points and 17 rebounds in her previous matchup against USC.

“[Alleyne] is a double-double machine but we have our own double-double machine in Temi Fagbenle,” Burns said.

Coming off a disappointing loss to Washington, USC salvaged the weekend with a win against Washington State on Sunday. USC continues to miss starters Brianna Barrett and Jordan Adams and in order for the Women of Troy to leave the state of Oregon with a pair of victories this weekend, Temi Fagbenle must continue her stellar play.

After struggling with foul trouble versus Washington, Fagbenle bounced back with a phenomenal 26-point 13-rebound performance against Washington State. Fagbenle has been a crucial part of USC’s success this season, and this weekend will be no different.