USC Runs Out of Steam and UCLA Takes Charge

The USC women’s basketball team took the early lead Friday and led by eight points at halftime, but then ran out of gas and could only watch as UCLA dominated the game in the stretch to win, 68-64, before 1,150 at Lyon Center.

The victory enabled UCLA (10-6, 5-2) to end a seven-year losing streak at USC. It was the Bruins’ fifth victory in their last six games. The Trojans fell to 7-9, 2-5.

USC played UCLA aggressively in the first half, holding top scorer Maylana Martin scoreless and running up a 38-30 halftime edge, helped by three Kristin Clark three-point baskets. Clark finished with a game-high 25 points.

The Trojans’ Adrain Williams made a 16-footer with 13:46 left for a 45-36 USC lead, but the team then began to tire. Only seven players played significant minutes and USC got only one field goal--another 16-footer by Williams--in the next 13 1/2 minutes.

The Trojans were missing starters Jodi Parriott (knee) and Kim Clark (back), and have lost five of their last six.

“We got tired,” USC Coach Chris Gobrecht said. “We had a very few players playing major minutes, and then we started getting into foul trouble.”

Once UCLA began getting passes to the 6-foot-3 Martin, who finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds, the game turned.

UCLA’s Marie Philman scored 17 points, Janae Hubbard had 15 and Martin 14.