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USC showing signs of improvement
By Maureen Mullen, Special to CNNSI.com If any team made a case for recent improvement this weekend it was certainly the Women of Troy. After opening their conference season with a 1-4 record, USC recorded two confident road wins this weekend over Oregon and Oregon State. While Oregon is still without the skills of senior forward Angelina Wolvert, who is out with injury, the remainder of their roster was intact. The loss drops the Ducks to 5-2 in the conference. USC is perhaps the most feared squad up at MacArthur court, having now won three straight games over the Ducks, including two straight whippings of Oregon on their home floor. "I think we're a tough match-up for them," said USC coach Chris Gobrecht after the game. "But both teams played their backsides off on defense. There was a lot of missed layups, so credit the defenses for making all the players struggle." While the Ducks still stand as the odds on favorite to win the Pac-10 Championship, their recent struggles without Wolvert show how necessary it is for them to develop some depth. Oregon has perhaps the most balanced six-person team in the conference, unfortunately other squads have nine or ten people playing consistently for them. The Ducks also have struggled when junior Jamie Craighead can't get good looks from beyond the three-point line. Craighead, Oregon's most potent weapon in the opening weeks of conference play, struggled, shooting only 2-for-6 from beyond the arc versus USC. Without Wolvert and when Craighead isn't adding the three-point punch, the Ducks roster seems suddenly limited. However while Oregon has experienced recent woes, one must also give some necessary credit to USC. The Trojans who also won a tight one at Oregon State on Saturday, seem to be finally benefiting from their talented recruiting class. Freshman forward Ebony Hoffman performed like a veteran in both of the week's wins, tallying back-to-back double-doubles for the Women of Troy. However Hoffmann didn't just score points, she scored points when USC needed it most, sealing both victories for the Trojans in the final minute of play with tough free-throw shooting and solid lay-ups. Hoffmann isn't the only Trojan freshman making some major impacts. She is joined in the starting lineup by high school teammate Jessica Cheeks. Coming in off the bench is freshman guard Aisha Hollans, who had a team-high 16 points in the win over the Beavers. If the Trojan freshman can continue their poised play, and some of the more experienced players can have some big games for USC, don't be surprised if the Women of Troy find their way to the top of the Pac-10 ladder.
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