Cal slips past USC women

A pattern has developed for the USC women’s basketball team, coming so very close, but unable to get over the hump.

The obstacle for the Trojans on Friday night was California, which is spending its first week ranked in the nation’s top 10. But for the second time in successive games against a top 25 opponent, USC fell short.

This time, it was 57-52, the first loss of the season by the Trojans (8-6, 1-2) at the Galen Center and second in a row in Pacific 10 Conference play.

Last time out, it was a 66-63 setback against No. 24 Arizona State. On Sunday, USC plays host to No. 2 Stanford, which lost to UCLA, 69-56, Friday.

“Down the stretch, I have no doubt we’re going to start making timely shots,” said USC Coach Mark Trakh. “When we get that signature win, we’ll be on our way.”

Against three top 25 opponents this season, including No. 8 Georgia, USC has lost by a combined 10 points.

The difference this time was the post players for Cal (12-2, 3-0). The Bears outrebounded USC, 50-30, and had a 16-4 advantage on second-chance points.

“It’s just about heart,” said Camille LeNoir, who finished with eight points and whose layup with 24 seconds left cut USC’s deficit to 55-52.

“We have to come out and box out the Devanei Hamptons and Ashley Walkers and Stanford post players.”

Hampton, a 6-foot-3 junior forward in her fifth game back from knee surgery, had 21 points and 13 rebounds for Cal in her first start this season. Walker, a 6-1 junior forward, scored 12 with 13 rebounds. The saving grace for the Trojans was that they forced 25 turnovers, the last with 23 seconds left and trailing, 55-52.

With three-point threats LeNoir, Heather Oliver and Brynn Cameron on the floor, the best USC could do was a missed layup by Oliver and two short jump shots by Nadia Parker and Morghan Medlock. No three-point shots in that span.

Lauren Greif’s layup for Cal with two seconds left closed the scoring.

USC, which made only one of six shots in the final 61 seconds, was led in scoring by Medlock, who had 13 points and seven rebounds. Parker, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, got in first-half foul trouble and finished with eight points and eight boards.

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