It was a fight to the finish in Seattle as the Trojans knocked down the Huskies 63-54 on Friday. The Trojans pulled off the comeback late in the fourth quarter with big games from sophomore forward Alissa Pili and junior guard Desiree Caldwell.
It was a slow start for the Women of Troy as they went 0-for-9 from behind the arc in the first quarter. However, six turnovers by the Huskies and six points in the paint from Pili gave the Trojans a one-point lead.
The 3-point trouble continued in the second quarter as the Trojans sank one of their four shots from downtown. USC ended the half going 1-for-13 from beyond the 3-point line.
“It was after the big win against Arizona State,” head coach Mark Trakh said. “So we were a little sluggish.”
Caldwell lit up in the third quarter, landing two 3-pointers that Trakh said helped the Trojans find their groove. With more Washington turnovers and a late 8-0 Trojan rally, USC was down by one to start the fourth quarter.
The Huskies hung onto their lead early in the fourth quarter but the Trojans continued to find their rhythm behind Caldwell. The Trojans’ nine fast-break points and their ability to draw fouls in the final quarter helped them seal the win as they went 15-for-15 from the free-throw line. They ended the night sinking 87.5% of their free throws.
Caldwell was a perfect 8-of-8 at the free throw line, ending her night with 16 points.
“I thought that [Caldwell] played great basketball,” Trakh said. “She has one turnover in the last 64 minutes of playing so she’s done a great job for us.”
Pili ended the night leading the Trojans with 17 points, marking her first game of the season in double digits. She also recorded six rebounds, second on the team to freshman forward Jordyn Jenkins’ nine.
“It’s our first road win — that’s big,” Trakh said. “Now we have a big game on Sunday against Washington State, who just beat UCLA.”
The Trojan win comes without the contributions of two of their regular starters, sophomore center Angel Jackson and graduate forward Jordan Sanders. While there has been no report of the two Trojans being injured, it is unclear whether they will play Sunday.
The Women of Troy will travel to Pullman, Wash. to take on the Cougars on Sunday at noon.