UCLA, USC Women to Play Tonight at Pauley Pavilion

The UCLA women’s basketball team, which has moved into third place in the Pacific 10 Conference standings while winning six of its last seven games, gets a big test tonight at 7:30 against 15th-ranked USC at Pauley Pavilion.

But how big a test will it be for USC?

“We expect to blow them out,” said USC guard Rhonda Windham, who leads the Pac-10 in assists. “But every time we go out on the floor, we think we’re going to win. We’re a confident team. That comes from pride and tradition.”

Recent tradition says this is USC’s series. The Trojans have won 8 of the last 10 meetings, including both games last season. UCLA, however, is much improved over its 12-16 record last season The Bruins (10-5 overall and 4-2 in the Pac-10) have already won more home games (seven) than in all of 1985-86.

Junior forward Dora Dome is averaging 17.1 points a game and junior guard Jaime Brown 11.7, and Dome has been in double-figures in 14 of the last 15 games. The Bruins also rely heavily on a couple of freshmen, Shari Bouldin and Michele Wootton.

Cherie Nelson leads USC (11-4, 5-1) in scoring with 20.9 points a game, followed by Karon Howell at 15.3 and Monica Lamb at 14.6.

The Trojans play Monday night at Cal State Long Beach, which is ranked fifth in the nation.

Notes Tonight’s game will be shown on a delayed basis by Prime Ticket at 9:30, with Geoff Witcher and Brad Holland announcing. . . . USC’s Cherie Nelson has the top three single-game rebound marks in the Pac-10 this season at 21, 20, 18. She finished second in the conference last year as a freshman behind teammate Cheryl Miller. . . . The Trojans lead the conference in offense, averaging 84.2 points a game through Jan. 19. UCLA is ninth at 72.0.

Texas (16-1) is No. 1 in the nation, but that doesn’t mean the Longhorns are feeling so hot. Forward Clarissa Davis bruised her right foot against Tennessee in the championship game of the Orange Bowl Tournament Dec. 29 in Miami and has played only nine minutes in January. That was Jan. 6, when she was pressed into action in the second half of a close game at Arkansas--and got kicked in the sore spot. Then, center Doreatha Conwell, the former star at Locke High School of Los Angeles, blew out her right knee Jan. 14 at Texas A&M; and underwent reconstructive surgery last Friday. The team’s third-leading scorer (13.9 points) and third-leading rebounder (6.9) while starting all 14 games, she was expected to leave the hospital Thursday. . . . Louisiana State, the No. 9 team in the nation, suffered a big loss of its own when center Alisha Jones was declared academically ineligible. A two-time All-Southeastern Conference pick, she was leading the team in four categories.