Elmore Leads the Way as USC Beats Arizona State

Tiffany Elmore scored 16 points to lead five USC players in double figures Saturday in a 76-70 victory over Arizona State at the Lyon Center.

Erica Mashia scored 14 points, Tashara Carter 13, and Camille Norwood and Tiffany Washington each added 10 as USC, 11-11 overall and 6-6 in the Pacific 10 Conference, won its third in a row.

Rachel Holt scored 14 points for Arizona State (13-10, 6-7), which led by as many as 10 points in the first half.

Mashia made a three-point shot with 4:22 to play in the half to give USC its first lead at 25-24. The teams battled back and forth at the start of the second half before USC went on a 13-2 run sparked by Washington’s layup with 10:29 remaining.

The Sun Devils twice came within two points late in the game, but were held off by consistent free-throw shooting by the Trojans.

The Trojans made 19 of 21 free throws and had only 15 turnovers, both season-best performances.

Arizona State was even more effective at the line, making 26 of 27 free throws.

No. 5 Notre Dame 78, No. 8 Rutgers 74--Freshman Alicia Ratay forced overtime with two late three-point baskets and made two free throws with 22.7 seconds to play in the extra period as the Irish (23-2, 14-0) ran their winning streak to 19 games with the Big East victory over the Scarlet Knights (17-6, 9-4) at Piscataway, N.J.

Ratay and center Ruth Riley each scored 26 points as Notre Dame extended the nation’s longest winning streak after blowing an early 19-point lead, then rallying from a late seven-point deficit.

No. 10 Iowa State 101, Missouri 66--Megan Taylor scored 26 points and made six of her team’s school-record 18 three-point baskets, leading the Cyclones (19-5, 10-3) to the Big 12 rout of the Tigers (16-8, 6-7) at Ames, Iowa.

No. 12 Texas Tech 86, No. 20 Oklahoma 81--Keitha Dickerson scored 23 points as the Lady Red Raiders (21-3, 10-3) held off the Sooners (20-6, 10-3) in a Big 12 game at Lubbock, Texas.

No. 19 Boston College vs. Pittsburgh, ppd.--Travel problems because of inclement weather caused the Big East Conference to postpone the game at Pittsburgh. It has been rescheduled for today. Boston College was unable to travel out of Boston on Saturday because of poor weather conditions.

No. 20 Tulane 87, Memphis 67--Janell Burse had 34 points and 21 rebounds to help the Green Wave (23-3, 12-3) rout the Tigers (15-10, 9-5) in a Conference USA game at Memphis, Tenn.

Burse made 11 of 15 shots and 12 of 16 free throws as the Green Wave clinched the conference’s National Division title.