Women’s basketball wins thriller against Washington

After the USC women’s basketball team started out its Pac-12 campaign with an 0-5 record, many questioned whether the young squad would be able to find its way in such a tough conference.

Since winning a pivotal overtime battle against No. 10 UCLA Jan. 17, though, the Trojans have proven that they can compete with any opponent they face. Sunday’s tough contest against Washington was another testament to that, as USC came from behind to defeat the Huskies 81-78 in overtime.

“We just had to come out and compete and play hard, and I think that’s what we did,” head coach Mark Trakh said. “Our young kids stepped up.”

USC fell to an early 9-0 deficit, which was only exacerbated in the second quarter as the Huskies shot 6 for 7 from behind the arc and rose to a 12-point lead by halftime. After the Trojans took 12 first-half 3-pointers and only converted on three, the game plan in the second half shifted toward getting to the basket and making the easy shots.

USC faced a well-rounded Washington attack all afternoon. Senior forward Mai-Loni Henson went 4 for 8 from distance, while senior guard Amber Melgoza led the team with 17 points.

The Trojans’ comeback effort was supported by an impressive cast of freshmen. Forward Alissa Pili had a double-double with 20 points and 14 rebounds, while guard Endyia Rogers scored a career-best 29 points, including 24 points scored after halftime.

The crowd erupted as Rogers stole a Washington pass and surged toward the basket, tying the game late in the third quarter.

“My freshmen are superstars, and I’ll live by that, I’ll stand by that,” sophomore guard Desiree Caldwell said of her younger teammates. “All of them are extremely experienced for their age and just play very mature … All of them score the ball and make really good decisions.”

Rogers said her hot hand was complemented by an increase in defensive energy from her teammates. The Trojans outscored the Huskies 22-11 in the third frame.

“It felt really exciting because we started going on a run, we started changing things up on defense, our defensive intensity picked up,” Rogers said.

In overtime, it looked to be anyone’s game until Caldwell nailed a crucial 3-pointer to give the Trojans a 4-point lead with just over a minute to go.

“Honestly, in the moment, I didn’t know the score,” Caldwell said. “I just knew Endyia had been working the whole game, and two people doubled down on her, and I knew it was my job to hit that shot.”

Caldwell said the team gained confidence from its recent double-overtime experience against UCLA that helped the players stay poised during the extra five minutes.

“I think it helped a lot,” she said. “When that five minutes reset, all of us just looked at each other and said, ‘We’ve been here before, let’s finish this game.’”

With the win, USC takes over the No. 8 spot in a highly competitive Pac-12 conference. The team’s three-game winning streak will be tested on a tough road trip against No. 16 Arizona State and No. 18 Arizona. 

The Trojans lost to both schools earlier in January.

“[The win] feels good,” Trakh said. “It’s still going to be tough [on the road], we’ve got a young team. Both our leading scorers [today] were freshmen. We’re going to have our ups and downs.”

The Trojans will tip off against the Sun Devils at 10 a.m. Friday in Tempe, Ariz. before battling the Wildcats at 2 p.m. Sunday in Tucson.