Women’s basketball enjoys 3-0 weekend

Senior guard Sadie Edwards was a key cog in USC’s run to the Rainbow Wahine Showdown title last weekend. Photo by Katie Chin | Daily Trojan

The women’s basketball team won the Rainbow Wahine Showdown on Sunday with a 71-60 victory over Hawaii, capping an undefeated Thanksgiving weekend in Honolulu.

The championship game began as a back-and-forth affair as the two sides exchanged leads seven times in the first half, but the Women of Troy pulled ahead late in the second quarter with a 14-2 run — spearheaded by 9 points in fewer than three minutes from junior guard Aliyah Mazyck. Senior forward Kristen Simon had poured in an impressive 15 points by halftime, while sophomore guard Minyon Moore was just behind her with 11.

But USC sputtered in the third quarter, shooting 17 percent from the floor and scoring just 9 points. The team’s 14-point halftime lead was quickly evaporating. As they did in the first half, however, the Trojans broke off a 10-1 run to re-extend their advantage and ice the game. USC’s seniors stepped up to lead the fourth-quarter rally: Guard Sadie Edwards led the way with 4 points while Simon chipped in 3 points — and Moore capped off the run with her first 3-pointer of the night.

Moore finished the game with 20 points, while Simon’s 25 led the way for the Trojans. Simon also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds against Hawaii, and her strong weekend earned her tournament MVP honors. Mazyck joined Simon on the All-Tournament Team.

After an unbeaten weekend, head coach Mark Trakh said he was happy with the team’s trip to Hawaii.

“I’m proud of the way the team played to win three games in three days,” Trakh said. “The seniors really stepped up, and Minyon was a real floor general.”

The Women of Troy also beat Purdue and Marist on back-to-back nights en route to the tournament championship. The team’s final victory over Hawaii clinched Trakh’s 400th career win.

“Winning 400 games really just means I’ve been coaching a long time, but all the credit goes to the kids I’ve coached,” Trakh said. “I’m really proud of the players I’ve worked with along the way, and I’m really proud of this USC team.”

Trakh has earned 97 wins as the Trojans’ head coach: He compiled a 90-64 record during his first stint at USC from 2005 to 2009, and he has led his squad to a 7-0 start this season in his first campaign since returning to USC last spring.

The Women of Troy return to California next for a matchup at Loyola Marymount on Friday.