WOMEN’S BASKETBALL : USC Poised to Win Title After Victory Over Oregon

The USC women’s basketball team clinched at least a tie for the Pacific 10 championship Thursday night with an 85-74 victory over Oregon and will try to win it outright Saturday against Oregon State at Lyon Center.

Before 1,205 at the Sports Arena, USC won handily, running off to a second-half lead that reached 27 points with 4:35 to go. The Trojans, in raising their league-leading mark to 15-2 (22-3 overall), got a big night in the low post from Lisa Leslie and Tina Thompson.

The duo teamed for 37 points and 18 rebounds, easily enough to withstand an eight-for-14 three-point shelling by Oregon’s Jessica Schutt, who finished with 34 points. Oregon fell to 18-8, 12-5.

The Trojans thus stayed a step ahead of Stanford, which defeated Washington State, 87-58.

However, Oregon State doesn’t figure to go out quietly Saturday.

In USC’s 63-56 victory Jan. 6 in Corvalis, Leslie and Oregon State’s Kristina Lelas wound up in a confrontation which resulted in Lelas winding up on her back, minus one tooth.

After Thursday’s game, Miller indicated her team guarded the wrong three-point shooter.

“Missy Crowshaw leads the Pac-10 in threes (46.2%), so she was the focus of our defense,” Miller said. “So what happens? The other girl (Schutt) kills us.”

Leslie and Thompson steadily pushed the Trojans to a 38-29 halftime lead, leaping over Oregon’s big front liners, Sara Wilson (6 foot 3) and Debbie Sporcich (6-4).

USC point guard Nicky McCrimmon, until she twisted a knee with 3:08 left, energized USC’s transition game in the second half, boosting the Trojans to 20-point leads.

Oregon’s last gasp seemed to come at the 10-minute mark, after Schutt and Sporcich had trimmed a 17-point Trojan lead to 13, 58-45.

But then Leslie scored twice underneath, Karleen Shields tipped in a Thompson miss and added two free throws for a 66-45 edge.

Oregon State 83, UCLA 62--Tanja Kostic scored 33 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Beavers (17-9, 9-8) past the Bruins (15-11, 10-7) at Pauley Pavilion. Amy Jalewalia led UCLA with 14 points.