Easterly Hits Shot That Counts Most : Women’s basketball: She goes 1 for 13 before making the decisive basket in USC’s 73-71 victory over UCLA.

It wasn’t that USC’s Joni Easterly didn’t have enough on her mind during back-to-back timeouts with 31 seconds remaining and the score tied, 71-71.

Teammate Tammy Story had lectured her during the timeouts, saying: “You need a game-winning shot.”

Then her dad showed up at the bench with a note that read: ‘Remember, you’re the best.”

What was next? Advice from the P.A. announcer?

And this was before USC Coach Marianne Stanley designed the final play, giving Easterly the chance to take the shot that could put USC ahead.

Never mind that Easterly had made one of 13 shots or that she was six for 25 in her previous three games.

None of this mattered.

With the shot clock winding down, Easterly hit a 12-footer from the key with eight seconds remaining that proved decisive in USC’s 73-71 victory over UCLA Saturday night before 2,059 at Pauley Pavilion.

UCLA’s Nicole Anderson took the inbounds pass after Easterly’s basket, dribbled the length of the court, but couldn’t get off a shot before time expired.

Here’s another interesting thing about that game-winning shot.

“I don’t remember shooting it,” said Easterly, who finished with four points.

Easterly may have lacked confidence in her shooting, but her coach didn’t.

“She struggled all game and I told her, ‘Just keep your cool, let the game come to you,’ ” Stanley said. “And she was just fighting to keep her composure. Joni’s going to find a way to win a game.”

The victory means that USC, 15-7 overall and 8-4 in the Pacific 10, is in third place in the conference, one game ahead of UCLA (14-8, 7-5) and Arizona State.

USC built a 14-point lead with 6:02 left in the first half, but UCLA kept chipping away and trailed by just one point, 39-38, at the half.

The Bruins took their first lead of the game, 48-47, with 15:04 remaining, but were never ahead by more than three points. There were 11 lead changes in the final 15 minutes.

USC’s Lisa Leslie had 21 points and 15 rebounds. UCLA’s Rehema Stephens had a game-high 24 points, and Natalie Williams had 19 points and 14 rebounds.