USC Grinds Way Past Southern Methodist

Flu is taking its toll on USC, but neither illness nor Southern Methodist could keep the Trojans from grinding out a 64-48 victory Wednesday night before 427 at the Sports Arena.

Ebony Hoffman was one of those wheezing up and down the floor, but she still managed 18 points and 13 rebounds as the Trojans (3-3) won their second consecutive home game.

Rometra Craig had 15 points off the bench and Meghan Gnekow had 14.

Shanta Ramdhanny had 13 for the Mustangs, who dropped to 2-4.

The Trojans, who shot 41.3% from the field (26 of 63), closed out the first half with a 17-6 run to put them ahead, 32-19. USC’s biggest lead was 45-25 on an Eshaya Murphy layup with 12:09 left. SMU never got closer than nine point after that.

“I thought we played good defense tonight,” USC Coach Chris Gobrecht said. “We chose to put our effort on the defensive end. On the offensive end we were kind of lethargic but, again, people aren’t feeling good and its finals week.”

For the second consecutive game Gobrecht altered her starting lineup. Freshman Jamie Hagiya filled in at point guard for the injured Tiffany Hicks and sparked USC with eight points, four assists and three steals.

-- Mike Terry

UCLA 74, Cal State Northridge 66 -- Julia Pitts scored six of the Bruins’ last 13 points over the last three minutes and finished with 13 points to help UCLA break a 61-61 tie and answer a stiff challenge from the Matadors in a nonconference game in front of 582 at Northridge.

Playing without starting freshman guard Noelle Quinn, who was sidelined because of a stress fracture in her right foot, the Bruins (3-3) were behind much of the game and trailed, 59-52, after a three-point basket by the Matadors’ Ofa Tulikihihifo with 8:54 left.

But UCLA employed a full-court press the rest of the game and Northridge did not made a field goal for the next 8:39 while the Bruins took advantage of some timely baskets by Pitts, Nikki Blue (14 points) and Lisa Willis (13 points) to outpace the Matadors, 13-5, in the last 3:01.

UCLA senior forward Whitney Jones kept the Bruins within striking range early by scoring 12 of her 14 points in the first half of her second game since playing for the Bruin women’s soccer team. Jones also had a team-high six rebounds.

Tulikihihifo finished with 19 points and Brezya Rhodes had 15 to lead Northridge (1-4), which was 3-24 last season and 2-24 in 2001-02.

The Matadors’ largest advantage was 33-24 with 4:35 left in the first half after a three-pointer by freshman guard Jamie McCaa.

-- Lauren Peterson

No. 24 Michigan State 71, Pepperdine 55 -- Lindsay Bowen scored 20 points to lead the Spartans (7-1) over the Waves (2-5) at Malibu.