WNIT Brings USC to Marriott Center

After a convincing 102-63 victory over Utah State, the Cougar women’s basketball team (25-8) continues its run in the 2011 WNIT. BYU is set to host Pac-10 foe USC on Wed. Mar. 23 at 7 p.m.

The Trojans are in the third round of this year’s postseason WNIT after a 78-59 road win over Nevada.

The game will air live world-wide on BYUtv.

USC GAME PROMOTIONS

The first 500 All-Sport Pass holders get in FREE.

FREE large popcorn with purchase of a large drink for All-Sport Pass holders (1 per Pass)

Ticket prices for the game are as follows:

All reserved seats: $7

General Admission: $6

Students: $5

Courtside: $20

Children 5 and under are free. All-sport passes are not accepted and there are no group rates, coupons or vouchers.

2010-11 STATS SUMMARY

- Shooting from field: (.430, 870-2023)

- Shooting from three-point line: (.334, 233-697)

- Shooting from free-throw line: (.685, 332-485)

- Average points per game: 69.8

- Average rebounds per game: 39.3

- Average assists per game: 19.2

- Average steals per game: 8.4

- Average blocks per game: 4.2

- Average turnovers per game: 14.2

ABOUT BYU

-The Cougars are led in scoring by senior guard Mindy Bonham who averages 12.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. Senior forward Coriann Fraughton follows averaging 11.7 points and a team high 7.3 rebounds per contest. She also has the best free throw percentage at .754, 52-69.

-Bonham tops the list in assists with a total of 168.

-Haley Hall has the most steals on the team with 60.

-Freshman center Jennifer Hamson is tops in the field goal percentage category at .570, 90-158. She also has the most blocks on the team with 45.

-The BYU bench has outscored its opponents 727 to 416 as of 3/20/11. The most points scored by the Cougar bench to date are 44 in the win over BYU-Hawaii on 12/3/10. The most bench points from an opponent on the year are 31 recorded by BYU-Hawaii.

-BYU’s reserves are outrebounding their opponents 457 to 310 as of 3/20/11. The most rebounds by the Cougar bench are 28 vs. Utah State on 11/23/10. The most boards by the opponent bench are Utah State with 24.

ABOUT WNIT THIRD ROUND OPPONENT

SOUTHERN CAL (USC)

USC has compiled a 21-12, 10-8 record advancing to the third round of the 2011 WNIT with a home win over UC Santa Barbara (67-54) and a road win at Nevada (78-59). The Trojans tied for fourth place in the Pac-10 with Arizona. The team returns three starters and a total of eight letterwinners from last year’s team that went 19-12, 12-6. USC has four players scoring in double figures with Briana Gillbreath, a 6-1 junior forward, tallying 14.7 points and grabbing a team high 7.3 boards per game. Ashley Corral, a 5-9 junior guard is next with 12. 3 points and 3.5 rebounds. Jacki Gemelos is the third player putting up 12.0 points while grabbing 4.5 boards a contest. Teammate Cassie Harberts rounds out the double figure scoring output for the Trojans with her 102 points and 6.0 rebounds. Corral has the assists on the team with 116 while Gillbreath tops the list in steals with 81. Head coach Michael Cooper is in his second season at the helm of the women’s basketball program.

Series History

Overall Series Record: USC leads 4-3

BYU Record in Provo: 1-1

BYU Record in Los Angeles: 1-2

BYU Record in Neutral Sites: 1-1

BYU Record under Jeff Judkins: 3-0

BYU Record in Overtime Games: 1-0

Last Meeting

The last time these two teams played was on Dec. 6, 2008 in the Hukilau Invitational in Laie, Hawaii. In that contest, the Cougars picked up the one-point 65-64 victory.

WHAT’S NEXT

A home win in the third round of the 2011 WNIT would advance the Cougars to the quarterfinals. Those games are place on campus sites Mar. 26-28.