University of Louisville
USC
Cardinals Fall to USC in NCAA First Round
March 19, 2005 | Women's Basketball
March 19, 2005
Minneapolis, Minn. - The eighth-seeded Women of Troy showed off their balance, depth and quickness on Saturday in a 65-49 victory over ninth-seeded Louisville in the first round of the Kansas City Regional.
Chloe Kerr scored 14 points, Camille LeNoir contributed 13, Kim Gipson added 12 and Jamie Funn had 10 for Southern Cal (20-10), which reached 20 wins for the first time since 1997 -- the last time they won a tournament game.
Louisville's first tournament appearance in four years ended quickly. Sophomore center Jazz Covington, who averaged nearly 18 points per game, had a frustrating afternoon and finished with 13 points after some late layups once the game was out of reach.
Missy Taylor scored 11 points and Connie Neal made three 3-pointers for the Cardinals (22-9), who were outrebounded 45-32 and shot 34.6 percent (18-for-52) from the floor.
Eight different players led Southern Cal in scoring this season, and seven of them averaged 6.9 points or more per game. Rachel Woodward, one of USC's two seniors, sank back-to-back jumpers during an 8-0 run that put the Trojans in front, 24-20 with 2½ minutes left before halftime.
Then Southern Cal ran away with it in the second half. Kerr's turnaround in the lane made it 53-31 and capped an 18-0 spurt, a scoring drought that the Cardinals didn't end for 7½ minutes.
By the Associated Press
The Trojans consistently anticipated crosscourt passes on defense and came up with 12 steals. Had they shot from long range like they normally do, it would've been much more of a rout.
USC, whose 186 3-pointers (more than six per game) this season is a school record, went just 3-for-18 from beyond the arc.
