WOMEN’S BASKETBALL : Virginia Sweeps Area, Defeating USC, 71-52

The Virginia women’s basketball team blew into Southern California with the intensity of a winter storm, washed out its two overmatched opponents and will leave today with its No. 1 ranking safely intact.

A day after surging past UCLA, the Cavaliers on Sunday beat a stubborn USC team, 71-52, before an announced crowd of 1,425 at Pauley Pavilion.

The unranked Trojans made a game of it for much of the first half. They pushed and shoved and were down only two points with 1:45 left in the period.

But Virginia (9-0) scored the next seven points to close out the first half, ran up a 26-point lead in the second and breezed the rest of the way.

“We did a nice job weathering that storm,” Virginia Coach Debbie Ryan said. “It was the first time we’ve experienced something like that.”

The 6-foot-5 identical twins from Palos Verdes High, Heidi and Heather Burge, combined to frustrate their Morningside High rival Lisa Leslie, who sat out much of the first half in foul trouble.

Leslie, also 6-5, had a team-high 16 points but was six of 14 from the field. The Trojans (4-3) were out-rebounded, 43-23.

Heather Burge led all players with 18 points and 11 rebounds.

And as usual, the Cavalier guards, hampered some in the first half by an aggressive Trojan backcourt, proved too quick down the stretch.

Dawn Staley finished with 16 points, four steals, four rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot.

Her eight first-half points enabled Virginia to open a 21-10 lead that was overcome by a furious Trojan rally that closed the gap to 29-27.

“USC pushed us,” Ryan said, “but after that. . . .”

After that, the Cavaliers took the Trojans by storm.

Also at Pauley Pavilion, Amy Jalewalia scored 22 points and DeDe Mosman had 21 as UCLA (5-3) rolled to a 107-47 victory over Cal State Northridge (0-15).