COLLEGE BASKETBAL / NCAA WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT : USC’s Second Option Proves Good Enough

Forward Joni Easterly of USC looked over at option No. 1, Lisa Leslie, and watched that choice disappear when Leslie was being triple-teamed by Stephen F. Austin.

Several seconds ticked off the shot clock. Easterly looked again. Leslie still wasn’t free.

Option No. 2?

Easterly didn’t hesitate to put up a three-point shot from the left side with only 18 seconds remaining. The shot hit nothing but net in USC’s 61-57 victory over fourth-ranked Stephen F. Austin on Thursday night in the NCAA West Regional semifinals before 3,623 at Hec Edmundson Pavilion.

Her shot sent Stephen F. Austin into disarray and had a similar result on the USC bench.The Ladyjacks were so stunned they didn’t call time out until seven seconds remained, and Lynn Corn’s three-point shot with five seconds to play misfired.

“Nothing but net,” said Coach Marianne Stanley of USC fo Easterly’s shot. “We had the ‘amen corner’ going there for the longest time. With a good shooter, when it leaves their hands, you usually can tell whether it has a good chance of making it.”

It was Easterly’s only three-point basket. She went one for three from that range, and the Trojans were only two for 15.

“We had set up a wall for Lisa, and I was kind of the second option,” said Easterly, who made winning shots against UCLA and Oregon.

“I just looked up, and I just let it fire.”

On Saturday, USC (23-7) will play Stanford, which beat Texas Tech, 75-63, Thursday.

It marks the first time the Trojans have reached the final eight in the NCAA tournament since 1986. Stephen F. Austin finished 28-3.

“That was not the prettiest basketball game that’s ever been played by either team,” said Coach Gary Blair of Stephen F. Austin. “You have to give credit to Lisa Leslie, who made two steals at the end; and Joni Easterly, who hit the big-time three.

“That’s the mark of turning the game into a game where they won it at the end instead of letting us lose it.”

Leslie, who finished with a game-high 25 points, had two steals in the final seven minutes and finished both plays with easy layups. The second steal and layup put USC ahead, 56-55. The Trojans never trailed after that.

Kim Gessig had 14 points and Easterly 13 for the Trojans. Tammy Story, who was particularly effective against Stephen F. Austin’s full-court pressure defense, had seven points and only two turnovers.

Guard Deneen Jackson scored 18 points to lead Stephen F. Austin. Lori Davis added 12 points.

Jackson and Davis were the only two Ladyjacks in double figures.

Blair said that the game turned after Leslie and Story left for about four minutes in the second half after each had picked up her fourth foul. USC led by two points and went with a smaller lineup of Easterly, Jualeah Woods, Gessig, Linda Kennedy and Sue Peters.

When Leslie and Story re-entered the game, USC had held its ground and was tied, 44-44.

“We were not able to do anything about it when they were out of the game,” Blair said.

Leslie and Story said they never worried when they sat on the bench.

“I wasn’t concerned,” Story said. “I’m not going to lie. They did a great job out there and kept it close.”

Said Leslie: “I was very confident when I was on the bench. I didn’t feel like, ‘Oh no.’ I wasn’t shaky or anything. And when I went back in, I didn’t think I was going to foul out.”