USC Holds Off Pepperdine, 64-63

USC blew a 10-point second-half lead but recovered in the final minute to edge Pepperdine, 64-63, before 512 at Firestone Fieldhouse.

The win continued the unique hold USC has over Pepperdine. The teams have now met 15 times, and the Trojans have won every game.

Aisha Hollans finished with 19 points and Ebony Hoffman had 18 points and 15 rebounds for USC (4-2). But the heroine for the Trojans was Jessica Cheeks (15 points), who twice drove the baseline for layups in the final minute, including the game-winning basket with 16.8 seconds left.

The Waves (2-3), who got 18 points from Shandrika Lee and 15 points from Damaris Hinojosa, took three shots in the final seconds but could not score.

It was also the 400th career victory for USC’s Chris Gobrecht, but few have come harder in her 24 years of coaching.

“We made [the win] way harder than we should have,” Gobrecht said. “But Pepperdine played very hard and seemed to own every loose ball. We’re thankful to get out of here with a win.”

-- Mike Terry

No. 4 Tennessee 60, Louisiana Tech 35 -- Gwen Jackson and Tasha Butts had 12 points apiece as the Lady Vols (6-1) held the Techsters (2-2) to a program-low point total.

Louisiana Tech’s previous low was 44 points against Tennessee during the 1986-87 season.

It was the home debut for Kurt Budke, who replaced Leon Barmore as the Techsters’ coach.

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Alicia Ratay scored 21 points as No. 9 Notre Dame (3-0) prevailed, 74-68, over host Valparaiso (2-4) despite not making a field goal in the final 4:52.... No. 10 Texas Tech’s Jia Perkins had a career-high 41 points and Plenette Pierson a career-best 31 to lead the Red Raiders (3-1) past Creighton (2-2), 98-70, at Lubbock, Texas.... Jess Brungo and Tanisha Wright scored 25 points apiece, and No. 11 Penn State Coach Rene Portland got her 600th victory as the Nittany Lions (5-1) beat Maryland (3-2), 101-74, at State College, Pa. She is the seventh NCAA Division I coach to reach the milestone.... Stacy Stephens had 17 points for No. 17 Texas (2-1), which beat Southwest Texas State (1-4), 98-36, at Austin, Texas.... LaToya Thomas had 25 points as No. 20 Mississippi State (5-1) beat Memphis (4-1), 79-63, at Memphis, Tenn.... Jocelyn Penn tied a school record with 50 points as No. 23 South Carolina (6-0) beat visiting Wofford (1-4), 99-46. Penn equaled Shannon Johnson’s 1996 record.

From Associated Press