Bruin Women Drop Trojans to 2-6 : Basketball: The two troubled teams play with only nine players on each roster.

UCLA and USC, two troubled women’s basketball teams, squared off Saturday at USC’s Lyon Center, with the Bruins winning, 83-68, in the Pacific 10 Conference opener for both teams.

It was the sixth consecutive loss for the Trojans, who are 2-6 under first-year Coach Marianne Stanley.

UCLA is 6-5 under Billie Moore, who is in her 13th season at UCLA.

Guard Rehema Stephens led the Bruins with 20 points, and forward Tammy Hammond had 20 for USC.

Both teams had only nine players on their rosters. UCLA lost center Molly Tideback and reserve guard Michelle Miles last week when they asked the school for to be released from their scholarships.

USC’s squad was also missing two players. Bolivia Gaytan, who had started two games at center, asked for and received a release from the school. Another player, reserve guard Julie Garcia, left the team after a confrontation with Stanley at a team practice Dec. 31.

The loss of the players affected both teams as few substitutes were available during the late stages of the game.

UCLA dominated the early going. But the Trojans, trailing 14-10 with 13:32 to play in the first half, scored 10 consecutive points to take a 20-14 lead.

The Bruins steadily chipped away at the Trojan lead and Nichole Anderson’s layup at 7:06 brought UCLA to within two at 26-24.

Then USC freshman forward Linda Kennedy’s three-point basket started a mini-run for the Trojans and they ended up with a 33-24 lead.

But once again, the Bruins came back, led by Anderson and Stephens. UCLA’s zone was effective in forcing 12 turnovers.

DeDe Moseman scored the last two baskets of the first half to cap the comeback. The first was a three-point shot that brought the Bruins to within three points of the lead. Her layup at the buzzer cut USC’s lead to 41-40.

Then came the second half, and the Bruins outscored the Trojans, 26-8, to take a 66-49 lead. USC’s Tammy Story, a good defensive player, sat out much of the game after getting three fouls early in the first half. The Trojans were much more effective whenever Stanley put Story in the game in the second half.

However, Story was not enough, as the Bruins capitalized on Trojan mistakes for the win.