USC Women Get Even With Long Beach

The USC women’s basketball team, which other colleges love to hate, debunked one myth and added to the lore of another Saturday afternoon.

Despite the dominance of Cheryl Miller, the Trojans proved they have a bench and that it can do more than sit and applaud. A lack of depth is one rap that USC’s opponents can dispense with.

Then there’s the criticism that the Trojans are women’s basketball’s equivalent of “Entertainment Tonight”--fluff, puff and show biz. Too true.

In their 99-68 win over Cal State Long Beach, their arch-rival to the south, the Trojans juked and jived and whooped and danced on the remains of the nation’s No. 4 team before 6,843 fans at the Sports Arena.

These are the bad manners that have so alienated USC from the basketball family.

Not that No. 7 USC cares who sends them Christmas cards. The Trojans, all 11 of them, are thrilled with the win.

“I thought we played our best game of the season, obviously,” Coach Linda Sharp said. “We needed this. We played a lot of people. Last time we played Long Beach, our bench contributed one rebound and no points.”

The Trojans (24-3) had vowed revenge for their 76-75 loss at Long Beach last month. That emotional game was marked by numerous fouls and verbal exchanges, as well as a shoving match between Cherie Nelson and Cindy Brown.

The tension between Brown and Miller was palpable. In the game at Long Beach, Brown reveled in dishing out a dose of Cheryl Miller medicine--fist waving, pointing, in-your-face antics.

Saturday was no different, except that USC won most of the battles. And as the game progressed, Brown was more consumed with inner rage than ball control.

Brown was taunted by the partisan crowd throughout the game and gestured to fans.

“I’m disappointed,” Long Beach Coach Joan Bonvicini said. “That’s something a great player has to work (herself) out of. You can’t let the crowd or the other players do that to you. You can’t sink to that level.”

It is an indication of Brown’s talent that she scored 28 points and had 10 rebounds on an off-day.

The 49ers (23-3) had their worst game of the season. And their 68 points tied their lowest total of this season.

Miller led USC with 26 points and 16 rebounds. Nelson and Cynthia Cooper each had 22 points. The scores for the bench-warmers: --Paula Pyers eight and Karon Howell seven.

The game was close in the opening minutes. Faye Paige, Long Beach’s quick guard, ran an effective fast break that kept USC racing back.

“They are one of the best fast-break teams in the nation,” Miller said.

The Trojans’ own fast break kicked into gear. Sharp has said the two teams match up about as closely as any in the nation, especially in terms of pure speed. That was true Saturday afternoon.

“You always hear about Long Beach’s running game--well USC has a running game, too,” Sharp said.

Rhonda Windham, Cynthia Cooper and Pyers took turns bringing the ball down for USC.

While the guards, especially Cooper, were scoring from outside, the action was between Miller and Brown.

Brown got the first of her three first-half fouls with 18:03 gone in the game. Not surprisingly, Brown fouled Miller. Miller made both free throws, which was a start on erasing the memory of a poor free-throw performance the first time the teams met this season.

Brown picked up her third foul and a technical with 8:47 left in the first half. By then, Brown’s frustration was understandable--the 49ers were off their game and the Trojans held a 29-15 lead.

The 49ers didn’t help their cause with 31% shooting from the field in the first half. USC led by as many as 21 points and had a 48-31 lead at the half.

There were more technicals in the second half. Miller and the 49ers’ Shaundra McMichael were both assessed technicals for arguments they had with officials and each other.

“I was surprised one was called,” Miller said. “It was normal talking between two players. I think it was uncalled for.”

Brown was given her fourth foul with 7:21 left, and Miller picked up her fourth with 5:58 left.

By then, the game was academic, with USC holding a 84-56 lead. Long Beach came back with a surge, scoring six unanswered points. Those last two came as Brown sank two free throws after Nelson committed her fourth foul.

Nelson said there wasn’t much action between the two this time.

“At the beginning, there was some elbow-throwing,” she said. “But the officials talked to us and put a stop to it.”