Stanford Overcomes USC Lead : Women’s basketball: Trojans have halftime edge but shoot only 20.7% in second half of 73-51 loss.

The shot had definite play-of-the-day quality. USC reserve Tracy Adams put up a desperation 50-footer as time ran out.

It hit nothing but net. The three-pointer sent the crowd at Lyon Center into a collective frenzy. Adams was mobbed by her teammates.

Game over?

That might have been the problem. Adams’ miracle merely ended the first half. In the second, the Trojans’ 33-29 halftime lead evaporated in a wave of offensive errors as sixth-ranked Stanford defeated USC, 73-51, on Sunday afternoon before 944.

Stanford’s weekend sweep in Los Angeles put the Cardinal up by two games in the Pacific 10 Conference race. Stanford (19-2, 9-2) has won three games in a row since a surprising loss to Oregon State on Feb. 6.

USC (14-7, 7-4) is locked in a four-way tie for second place with California, UCLA and Washington.

The Trojans looked as though they were going to step out from the pack with their first-half performance, holding Stanford to a season-low 29 points. USC shot 53.3% to Stanford’s 36.1%, and punctuated the half with The Shot.

Stanford Coach Tara VanDeerver said it worked to the Cardinal’s advantage.

“They did a good job in the first half,” she said. “That basket at the end of the half, I don’t mean to say this in a bad way, I think it almost hurt them because they were so excited when they came down at halftime, and they were cheering so loud.

“Our team didn’t want to listen to that 20 minutes later.”

USC Coach Marianne Stanley didn’t agree, saying that her team didn’t even discuss the shot at halftime. But it ended up being the final highlight of the afternoon.

The Trojans scored season-low 18 points in the second half, shooting 20.7%. Stanford opened the second half with a 20-6 run.

“Our defense really got our offense going,” said Stanford’s Val Whiting, who led all scorers with 20 points. “Getting in our passing lanes and getting in some fast breaks got the other team tired.”

It also helped when USC’s Lisa Leslie got in foul trouble in the second half, picking up her fourth with 12:19 remaining. She sat for a stretch and fouled out with 4:18 left. By then, the game was way out of hand.

Leslie, who was six for seven in the first half, scored only two points in the second, finishing with 14. Kim Gessig (10) and Tammy Story (11) were the only other Trojans in double figures. Stanford had balanced scoring, getting 17 from Rachel Hemmer, 16 from Christy Hedgpeth and 12 from Molly Goodenbour.