USC Overcomes Halftime Deficit Despite Leonard's Strong Performance

Saturday, February 24

Los Angeles, Calif.

2:00 PM

Colorado

14-15, 5-13

USC

19-10, 9-9

Colorado

USC

Photo by: Jeremy Cannon

USC Overcomes Halftime Deficit Despite Leonard's Strong Performance

February 24, 2018 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Andy Schlichting, Assistant SID

LOS ANGELES – Southern California overcame a two-point halftime deficit to defeat Colorado 65-53 on Saturday afternoon at the Galen Center. The Buffs wrapped up the regular season with a 14-15 overall record, including 5-13 in the Pac-12, while USC heads into the postseason at 19-10 and 9-9.

STAT LEADERS: Kennedy Leonard led the Buffs with 19 points, five rebounds and five assists. She was the only Buffs player in double digits in scoring. Quinessa Caylao-Do and Mya Hollingshed each had nine and Annika Jank had eight.

Aliyah Mazyck led all scorers with 24 for USC and Kristen Simon had 16 points and 11 rebounds. Simon had 12 points in the second half.

HOW IT HAPPENED: CU was hot early, shooting 54 percent in the first quarter. The Buffs closed the period on a 10-0 run to lead 17-11 at the first break. Robinson capped the stretch by converting a 3-point play, scoring on a layup and then making the free throw after drawing the foul.

USC quickly tied the game at 17-17 early in the second quarter and the remainder of the period saw the two teams trade baskets for much of the way with four ties and two lead changes in the second. CU eventually went into halftime up 27-25 after two late layups by Caylao-Do.

The Trojans outscored CU 14-3 over the first four minutes of the second half to led 39-30. They stretched their lead to 11 at one point and held on to a 49-40 lead after the third quarter. Leonard caught fire late, scoring CU's final seven points of the third.

USC led by double digits for much of the fourth quarter until Leonard hit a 3-pointer with 1:03 left, cutting the deficit to 60-53. That was as close as the Buffs would get in the final period.

KEY STATISTICS: After shooting 44 percent in the first half, CU made just 32 percent in the second half to convert 38 percent in the game. USC outrebounded CU 40-24. The Buffs controlled the ball well, committing just nine turnovers while forcing 12.

NOTES: Leonard entered the game at 190 assists on the season, tied for her own single season record set last season, and broke the record early in the first quarter ... the loss makes a postseason berth difficult for CU as the Buffs need to get to .500 by the end of the Pac-12 Tournament, meaning they would have to advance to the semifinals to reach that mark ... the -16 rebounding margin for CU was the worst this season for the Buffs.

UP NEXT: The Buffs will open up the Pac-12 Tournament on Thursday and have earned the No. 9 seed. They will face the No. 8 seed Utah in the first round at 12:30 p.m. MT.

POSTGAME QUOTES:
JR Payne, head coach
General
"I think the biggest thing as I look at the stat sheet, it's all rebounding. We only turned the ball over nine times, we hit the same amount of field goals, free throws weren't that different, but we absolutely got crushed on the glass. As in most games for us, that will tell the story for us. Our attention to detail and where the success comes from."

On the physicality of the game
"We played physically, they played physically. Their physicality is bigger and stronger than our physicality and it showed on the glass. When we're out several post players and we only have a few that can play inside, those few have got to give the very best effort they can on the glass. I'm not saying we didn't try. But at some point you can't get doubled up on the boards in one half alone, we were tied at halftime. That is an area, that can't happen again for us to be successful."

On dealing with the pressure and physicality of USC
"I don't think we ever will (step away from a challenge), whoever we play we'll have a tough mindset and a really hard mindset. That's becoming the culture of our program, which I love. Against a team that is more physical, we have to, when they raise the bar in the beginning of the third quarter, we have to raise it with them. We can't be afraid to get in there and bang. We have to get in the weight room and get bigger, but until that time, you have to be mentally tougher to be able to compete with those teams."

On facing Utah in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament
"I'm excited to get another game, we split with them. It's a team that we know. I love their coach, she does a fantastic job and it will be a good match up. Between two teams that, at this point, we've probably both dropped a few we both think we maybe coulda, shoulda, woulda gotten. Two really hungry teams going into that 8-9 matchup in the tournament."