USC Women Take Trip That Could Be Rough

In the final moments of USC’s 69-53 win over Notre Dame Wednesday night, Trojan forward Cheryl Miller elbowed Irish forward Mary Beth Schueth after an official’s whistle had stopped play.

Neither referee saw the elbow, which glanced off Schueth’s chin, but nearly everyone else in attendance at Cal State Fullerton knew what was happening.

Miller, who had been bottled up and shoved around most of the night by two, and sometimes three Notre Dame players, was releasing some of her frustration.

“Hey, if you had someone chasing you around the floor for 40 minutes and bumping you every which way, you’d get frustrated, too,” Trojan Coach Linda Sharp said.

Miller has received her share of abuse this season, but the incident in the Notre Dame game was one of the few times that she has let an opponent’s intimidation get to her. She had better get used to such tactics, however.

Miller and her USC teammates can expect more of the same this week during the second-ranked Trojans’ three-game trip. USC meets the University of Georgia today, then Tennessee Tuesday in a rematch of last year’s NCAA championship game, and finally travels to Norfolk, Va. to face top-ranked Old Dominion Friday.

“All three are very physical teams,” Sharp said. “Their styles are no different than what we’ve already seen. As for Cheryl, she sees that every game and handles it pretty well. She used to get more upset, but she expects it now.”

USC (10-0) was undefeated last year (also 10-0) when it went on a similar trip, but the Trojans were beaten badly by Texas, Louisiana Tech and Old Dominion. They lost each game by at least nine points. Sharp is not trying to place too much emphasis on this year’s trip.

“Our attitude is that these three games will prepare us for our conference season,” she said. “It will be a good indicator of where we stack up against the good teams. Whatever weaknesses you have against the top teams, you’re going to have in the conference.”

One strength that should help the Trojans this week is their press offense. With point guard Rhonda Windham and Miller taking the ball upcourt, no team has been able to apply a successful, full-court press on USC.

“If we can handle the Texas press--and theirs is one of the toughest in the nation--we should be able to handle anybody’s,” Sharp said. “I like a fast-paced game, and a press doesn’t make me nervous.”

Georgia Coach Andy Landers also stresses the fast-break game. The sixth-ranked Bulldogs are off to a 12-2 start behind senior All-American Janet Harris, who is averaging 22 points a game, sophomore center Katrina McClain (13 points), and junior guard Teresa Edwards (12 points), who was a member of the 1984 Olympic team.

Miller has been the Trojans’ scoring and rebounding leader (27 points, 18 rebounds a game), while guard Yolanda Fletcher and center Holly Ford are averaging 12 points a game.