Long Beach Keeps USC, Leslie at Bay, 71-61 : Women’s basketball: USC freshman held to season-low 15 points as 49ers prove too much.

Those involved in USC women’s athletics haven’t been this excited in years. They have Lisa Leslie, and the Trojans are once again emerging as a force in women’s basketball.

Perhaps, but on Wednesday night against a quick and experienced Cal State Long Beach team, the Trojans were reminded that one player cannot transform a young and inexperienced team into an instant success.

Long Beach held Leslie to a season-low 15 points on seven-of-23 shooting and held USC scoreless for the last 4:44 of the game for a 71-61 victory before 1,797 at the Sports Arena.

Long Beach (5-1) continued its dominance over USC (3-3), which hasn’t beaten the 49ers since 1986.

The 49ers, ranked 11th nationally, were able to maintain the pressure on the 6-foot-5 Leslie throughout and held the Trojans to 24% shooting from the field

“To say that I was exasperated by the shooting would be an understatement,” USC Coach Marianne Stanley said. “Nothing was going in for us.”

Said Long Beach Coach Joan Bonvicini: “I’ve seen Lisa play, and that wasn’t her at her best out there. We really worked on her and our kids did a super job. (Kari) Parriott did a really good job on her.”

Parriott, at 6-2, scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

“I didn’t think Kari had anything to do with my game,” Leslie said. “That was just me, myself. Playing like this isn’t going to take us anywhere.”

Long Beach guard Trise Jackson led three 49ers in double figures with a career-high 28 points.

“We are so much together, not just relying on one person,” Jackson said. “That’s going to be the key for us this year.”

With Leslie ineffective at the beginning, it looked as though the 49ers would turn the game into a rout, opening a 14-2 lead.

But the Trojans--with three three-point baskets from Tammy Story (one good for a four-point play) and one from Joni Easterly--took a 19-18 lead 9:15 into the game.

They managed to stay close until their inexperience--they started two freshmen, two sophomores and a junior--began to show with turnovers and missed shots.

With the score tied, 61-61, with 4:44 left, Long Beach guard Dana Wilkerson hit a bank shot and made a free throw, then converted on a bank shot to spark the 49ers.

Jackson hit from three-point range with 2:55 left to put the game out of reach, and Parriott converted from close range to end the scoring.

Notes

People are still waiting to see Lisa Leslie dunk during a college game, which the team boasts is only a matter of time. Leslie had the opportunity on a solo breakaway with 8:35 left. Not only didn’t Leslie dunk, but she missed the layup. “I thought about it when I got the ball, but I just didn’t want to miss, (so I didn’t try to dunk),” she said. “I don’t know how I missed the layup.” Long Beach forward Penny Moore has pneumonia and did not make the trip. Vjera Kaludjerovich started in her place and did not score in 16 minutes.