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It was a super tough last few minutes, but USC was able to squeeze by its first ranked opponent of the season. And, best of all, they were able to bring back Pili, whose season debut was clutch in today's W in overtime.
Areas for improvement: (1) Rebounds! They gave WSU way too many chances at the end there. (2) And, more importantly: CLOSING! As with Colorado, USC let WSU back into the game and let them believe they could win it after trailing by 12 in the 4th. Those last 13.1 seconds were a nail biter especially since WSU had all the momentum. USC allowed a steal off the inbound with under 6 to go, and right before that the WOT could have closed it but allowed WSU to force a 10-second violation. (3) Last-second foul on #5 in OT. That could have been a 4-point play. But with 4.5 seconds left, it wasn't enough after Jackson's rebound.
Positives: (1) Sanders has been a gem all season long. Now a regular started, she's making the right plays and serving as a mentor to these young players. (2) Overtime play. Sometimes teams will have lulls, even the best of them. That said, this is something team leaders and a good coaching staff need to find a way to turn around, which is what happened today. (3) Fouls have also been a strength. Murekatete fouled out, and on the 'SC side, they committed only a few to prevent WSU from getting to the line. (4) Jackson and Rogers did what was needed in overtime to secure the victory.
Next up UC Riverside on Sunday! Fight On!
Areas for improvement: (1) Rebounds! They gave WSU way too many chances at the end there. (2) And, more importantly: CLOSING! As with Colorado, USC let WSU back into the game and let them believe they could win it after trailing by 12 in the 4th. Those last 13.1 seconds were a nail biter especially since WSU had all the momentum. USC allowed a steal off the inbound with under 6 to go, and right before that the WOT could have closed it but allowed WSU to force a 10-second violation. (3) Last-second foul on #5 in OT. That could have been a 4-point play. But with 4.5 seconds left, it wasn't enough after Jackson's rebound.
Positives: (1) Sanders has been a gem all season long. Now a regular started, she's making the right plays and serving as a mentor to these young players. (2) Overtime play. Sometimes teams will have lulls, even the best of them. That said, this is something team leaders and a good coaching staff need to find a way to turn around, which is what happened today. (3) Fouls have also been a strength. Murekatete fouled out, and on the 'SC side, they committed only a few to prevent WSU from getting to the line. (4) Jackson and Rogers did what was needed in overtime to secure the victory.
Next up UC Riverside on Sunday! Fight On!
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