Nov. 30, 2007

Box Score

FULLERTON, CA - Visiting USC had five players in double figures and used an 11-3 second half run and 70 percent shooting from the floor after halftime to break open a close game as the Women of Troy defeated host Cal State Fullerton, 104-77, on Friday night at Titan Gym.

The loss was the third straight for the Titans, who fell to 1-4 overall on the year. USC improved to 3-2 with the victory.

Junior forward Toni Thomas and freshman guard Lauren Chow led the way for Fullerton, scoring 19 points apiece, while Thomas added six rebounds and a career-high seven steals in the loss. The duo was joined in double figures by freshman Ashley Richie, who added a career-best 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting.

The Women of Troy threatened to turn the game into a blowout in the first half, but a late run by Cal State Fullerton turned a double-digit, 20-point deficit into just a seven-point gap with 1:08 remaining in the period.

After Chow scored the first bucket of the game, USC responded with a 13-0 run over the next two-and-a-half minutes to build a commanding lead. The Titans were held scoreless for better than three minutes during the run, until a free throw by Alison Bennett at the 15:36 mark ended the drought.

A 7-2 run by Fullerton closed the gap to just six points at 15-9 with just under 14 minutes to play, but the Women of Troy exploded for a 23-8 run over the next six minutes to build a 19-point lead at 36-17 with 7:57 to go.

A three-point play by Hailey Dunham and back-to-back baskets by Kari LaPlante and Simone Jelks built a 21-point advantage with just under five minutes to play, but the Titans clawed their way back.

A 16-2 run by Fullerton over a 3:30 span cut the lead to just 45-38 with just over a minute to go, but a basket and two free throws by Nadia Parker offset a jumper by Richie to give USC a 49-40 advantage at the break.

The second half belonged to the Women of Troy, however, as they shot 69.7 percent from the field, including hitting 13 of their first 14 baskets to build a 17-point advantage at 76-59 and cruise from there.

Fullerton would get no closer than 17 points with 8:45 remaining as a 24-9 run gave USC its biggest lead of the game at 32 points.

The Women of Troy dominated the game in the paint, scoring 62 of their 104 points down low, led by the duo of Parker and Morgan Medlock, who combined for 29 of those points. Parker finished with 14 while Medlock added 15 points.

Camille LeNoir led USC with 19 points on the night, hitting on 9-of-9 from the field to go with six assists and six steals in 21 minutes. Heather Oliver came off the bench to add 13 points as every player who entered the game for the Women of Troy scored at least two points.

The Titans shot just under 50 percent from the field for the game, including a 52 percent clip in the opening half, but suffered their worst loss since a 94-54 defeat at the hands of USC on Dec. 16, 2005, on the road.

The 104 points surrendered by Fullerton were the most since UC Santa Barbara scored the same amount in a 104-64 victory in Santa Barbara on Feb. 6, 2000.

Cal State Fullerton looks to rebound on Sunday (Dec. 2) as the Titans travel south to take on San Diego State at 2 p.m.