Sunday, January 28
Seattle, WA
2:00 PM
University of Washington
vs
USC
Huskies Look to Get Back in Win Column Sunday vs. USC
January 27, 2018 | Women's Basketball
SEATTLE --- Washington closes out its three-game homestand against USC on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. at Alaska Airlines Arena. Fans can listen to the radio broadcast with Gary Hill Jr. on KKNW 1150 AM in the Seattle area or online at gohuskies.com. A video stream of the game is also available on gohuskies.com.
The Huskies are coming off a tough loss against No. 13 UCLA in a game which saw 10 ties and 12 lead changes. Washington was on the upset track through three quarters before the Huskies went cold, failing to hit a shot from the field in the fourth and losing 86-69. Amber Melgoza again led the team in scoring with 20 points, her eighth game this season scoring 20 or more points. Hannah Johnson picked up her third-straight double-double with a career-high 17 points while pulling down 14 rebounds.
Scouting the Trojans
USC came into Pac-12 play with a stellar 10-1 record with its only loss a one-point defeat against Texas A&M. However, conference play has not been as kind to the Trojans, who have posted a 4-5 record in the Pac-12. USC snapped a two-game losing streak with a victory at Washington State on Friday, using a late 8-0 run over the final three minutes to pull out a 73-72 victory in Pullman.
The matchup features a battle of two of the top five scorers in conference play as UW's Amber Melgoza (19.4 ppg in Pac-12 play) faces off against USC junior guard Aliyah Mazyck (19.2 ppg). Mazyck is averaging 16.7 ppg over all this season, but had really taken off in Pac-12 play. She scored a game-high 25 points at WSU on Friday.
Leading the Trojans in scoring is senior forward Kristen Simon, who is averaging 18.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game this season. Simon finished just behind Mazyck with 24 points at Pullman, hitting a free throw with 1:00 left which proved to be the winning point.
Coaching Matchup Years in the Making
UW Coach Jody Wynn and USC Coach Mark Trakh have a storied history but are facing off as coaches for the first time. Trakh was Wynn's coach as Brea Olinda High School, leading the Wildcats to state championships three of Wynn's four years at BHS. After Wynn finished her collegiate career at USC, she became an assistant under Trakh, first for five seasons at Pepperdine, then five at USC. Since then they have gone their separate ways but stayed in close touch. Today's game is the first between the two as head coaches. For more on the story, read Rich Myhre's story on the UW website gohuskies.com.
All-Time Series Record
Washington holds a 37-28 edge in the all-time series against USC including winning the last eight games in the series. The Huskies last loss to the Trojans as a 62-55 home defeat on March 1, 2012. Overall, Washington is 20-9 all-time against USC at home but is 12-18 in Los Angeles.
Up Next
The Huskies head back on the road, traveling to the Arizona schools next weekend. Washington opens the trip at No. 25 Arizona State on Friday before heading south to take on Arizona on Sunday.
Last Time Out
Washington battled with No. 13 UCLA through the first three quarters, but the Bruins used a big fourth quarter to pull away for the 86-69 victory. Despite the final score, the game was incredibly close through three quarters, featuring 12 lead changes and 10 ties. Amber Melgoza led a trio of Huskies in double-figures with 20 points, reaching 20 for the eighth time this season. Hannah Johnson recorded her third-straight double-double and fourth in her last five games, scoring a career-high 17 points and adding 14 rebounds. Jenna Moser matched a career-high with four three-pointers en route to 16 points on the evening.
One Bad Quarter
The Huskies have been plagued by one bad quarter in all but two Pac-12 games thus far. In those bad quarters (which quarter differs in each game), UW has been outscored by an average of 13 points. However, in the other three quarters of those games, the Huskies have outscored their opponents by an average of five points.
Johnson Catching Fire
Junior forward Hannah Johnson has been red-hot since the start of conference play, especially over her last six games. Johnson is averaging a double-double over her last six games, averaging 12.7 points and 12.0 rebounds over that stretch. Since the start of Pac-12 play, Johnson leads the team and ranks fourth in the conference with 8.7 rebounds per game and is adding 11.1 ppg. That includes just six total rebounds through the first three games of Pac-12 play.
Johnson's rebounding has especially taken off lately as she has established then broke her career-high in rebounding four times over the last six games. Her latest record-breaking performance came on Sunday when she pulled down 17 boards vs. Washington State just days after recording 16 at WSU on Wednesday, giving her 33 in two games. Since the Pac-10/12 added women's basketball in 1986-87, Johnson is one of three Huskies to record at least 33 total rebounds over a two-game stretch (Johnson 2017-18; Chantel Osahor 2015-16 and 2016-17; Amber Hall 1997-98). On Friday, she had 14 rebounds and a career-high 17 points vs #13 UCLA.
What's been most impressive is the rebounding numbers have come against some of the best rebounders in the conference. Johnson recorded a then career-high 11 boards at Cal where she out-rebounded All-American candidate Kristine Anigwe 11-10. On Friday, Johnson out-rebounded another All-American Monique Billings 14-8.
Amber Alert
Sophomore Amber Melgoza continued her hot play with a 20-point performance to lead the Huskies against No. 13 UCLA on Friday. It was the eighth time this season Melgoza had scored at least 20 points and gives her 57 points in her last three games (19.0 ppg). Over the last 11 games, Melgoza is averaging 20.5 points per game and is currently third in the Pac-12 with 19.4 ppg in league play.
Earlier this season at Oregon, Melgoza scored a career-high 31 points–the most by a UW player since Kelsey Plum scored 38 against Oklahoma on March 20, 2017. Melgoza had just eight going into the final quarter, but erupted for 23 points, a Pac-12 record for points in a quarter.
Huskies in the Rankings
Washington is among the leaders in the conference in a number of categories. The Huskies lead the Pac-12 in turnovers forced at 18.8 per game and rank fourth in turnover margin at +3.55. Washington also leads the conference in three-point field goals attempted (526) and is third in three-pointers made with (165) and three-point makes per game (8.3). The Huskies also rank second in steals (203) and steals per game (10.2).
Individually, Amber Melgoza is third in scoring in Pac-12 games at 19.4 ppg and is fifth in the conference in overall scoring at 17.2 ppg, fifth in total points (344) and is eighth in free throw percentage at 74.2%. Jenna Moser is fourth in the conference in three-point field goal percentage at 42.9%, fourth in steals at 1.95 per game, and seventh in three-pointers made with 2.10 per game.
Everybody Starts, Everybody Plays
All 10 of Washington's active players have made a at least one start this season and each is averaging at least 13 minutes per game. Jenna Moser is the lone Husky to start all 20 games with Amber Melgoza making 16 starts, Hannah Johnson starting 15 games and Mai-Loni Henson starting 14. Moser also leads the team in minutes played, averaging 30.4 mpg with Melgoza playing 27.1, Henson playing 24.4 and Johnson checking in at 22.9 minutes per game. Overall, the Huskies have used 14 different lineup combinations through their first 20 games.
Strength of Schedule
The Huskies are not shying away from playing tough teams in the 2017-18 season as UW faces seven teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25 and two others receiving votes. In fact, the Huskies' have played the 30th toughest schedule to this point, and have the 30th most difficult schedule overall among the 349 NCAA DI WBB programs.
The Pac-12 conference is the main reason the Huskies' schedule is so tough as the conference boasts five teams in the AP top 25 with one other receiving votes (#7 Oregon, #13 UCLA, #17 Oregon State, #23 California, #25 Arizona State, with Stanford and Utah receiving votes). Besides their Pac-12 opponents, the Huskies have also squared off against #6 Texas and #12 Ohio State in non-conference games.
Seven in Double Figures
Washington saw a program-best seven players score in double-figures in the 93-67 victory against Portland on Dec. 3. Mai-Loni Henson and Amber Melgoza led the way with 14 points each while freshmen Kierra Collier, Alexis Griggsby and Missy Peterson each contributed 12 points in the game with Griggsby and Peterson scoring all of their points in the second half. Senior Jenna Moser was the seventh player to reach double-figures in the game, hitting a tough jumper in the lane with 1:23 left to give her 11 while freshman Khayla Rooks scored 10 in the game on 4-of-5 shooting.
No More Overtime, Please
UW's streak of games decided in regulation came to an end earlier this season as the Huskies needed OT to beat Seattle, 84-76, snapping a streak of 133 games without the extra period. Prior to that, Washington's last overtime game came on Jan. 17, 2014 when the Huskies beat Utah 53-52. Another longer UW OT streak ended at Washington State in mid-January as the Huskies lost their first overtime game since Feb. 5, 2012.
Road Warriors
The Huskies played the bulk of the first half of the season on the road, playing just seven of their first 18 games at home. However, beginning with the game against Washington State on January 21, Washington plays seven of its final 11 games at home. The Huskies' season includes one of its longest road trips in recent memory, a 2,432 mile trip to play North Carolina in Myrtle Beach, S.C. In addition, Washington traveled to Columbus, Ohio and to Las Vegas earlier in the season while also touring the Pacific Northwest.
Viva Las Vegas
Mai-Loni Henson had an impressive trip to Vegas, scoring 23 points in two games, earning her all-tournament honors. Henson scored a career-high 17 points, adding nine rebounds, three assists and three steals in the Huskies big win against Creighton. Overall, she averaged 11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists a game in Vegas.
Moser's Incredible Journey
Senior Jenna Moser's road to being a senior captain was not traditional. Moser started at UW as a practice player, not earning a roster spot until her second year. As a sophomore and junior she appeared in just 14 games, playing 30 total minutes and scoring four points. But as a senior, she was awarded a scholarship and has provided leadership to the young team both on and off the court, starting all 20 games and averaging 10.0 points, 1.9 steals and 2.5 assists per game.
Huskies Ink Talented Duo to NLIs
UW coach Jody Wynn announced the signing Haley Van Dyke (Moraga, Calif./Campolindo High School) and Tyiona "TT" Watkins (Walnut, Calif./Walnut HS) to National Letters of Intent during the November early signing period.
Van Dyke, a 6-0 forward, scored the fifth-most points in the state of California last season, pouring in 765 points in 32 games for a 23.9 points per game average. She ranks 21st among '18 forwards according to ESPN and as the No. 82 player overall by Prospects Nation. After an early season ankle injury, Van Dyke returned to the court with back-to-back 30 point performances in December. On Jan. 2, she scored a league record 56 points and added 27 boards in a 96-75 win over Brookside Christian.
Watkins is a 5-11 wing who will wrap up her high school career at Walnut High School in Walnut, Calif., after three seasons at Brea Olinda High School–the alma mater of Head Coach Jody Wynn and Coordinator of Player Development Anna Kim. She is ranked as the No. 14 wing in the class of 2018 by ESPN and No. 20 by Prospects Nation. Watkins, who had to sit out a quarter after transferring schools, just began playing with Walnut High School in early January.
Radio Show
UW Head Coach Jody Wynn joins Elise Woodward for the UW Coaches Show throughout the season at Chinook's at Fisherman's Terminal. The show is carried live on KOMO AM 1000 in Seattle at 6:00 p.m. on the following dates: Jan. 30, Feb. 6, Feb. 13, Feb. 20, Feb. 27 and March 5. The show can be heard on gohuskies.com or on the TuneIn App, which can be downloaded on either the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Versus The State of Idaho
The Huskies played all three DI programs in Idaho this season, posting a 1-2 record against Gem State teams. Washington recorded an 81-69 win at Idaho on December 1, but lost 85-62 at Boise State on Dec. 7 and 79-59 at home to Idaho State in the Huskies season opener.
The Huskies are coming off a tough loss against No. 13 UCLA in a game which saw 10 ties and 12 lead changes. Washington was on the upset track through three quarters before the Huskies went cold, failing to hit a shot from the field in the fourth and losing 86-69. Amber Melgoza again led the team in scoring with 20 points, her eighth game this season scoring 20 or more points. Hannah Johnson picked up her third-straight double-double with a career-high 17 points while pulling down 14 rebounds.
Scouting the Trojans
USC came into Pac-12 play with a stellar 10-1 record with its only loss a one-point defeat against Texas A&M. However, conference play has not been as kind to the Trojans, who have posted a 4-5 record in the Pac-12. USC snapped a two-game losing streak with a victory at Washington State on Friday, using a late 8-0 run over the final three minutes to pull out a 73-72 victory in Pullman.
The matchup features a battle of two of the top five scorers in conference play as UW's Amber Melgoza (19.4 ppg in Pac-12 play) faces off against USC junior guard Aliyah Mazyck (19.2 ppg). Mazyck is averaging 16.7 ppg over all this season, but had really taken off in Pac-12 play. She scored a game-high 25 points at WSU on Friday.
Leading the Trojans in scoring is senior forward Kristen Simon, who is averaging 18.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game this season. Simon finished just behind Mazyck with 24 points at Pullman, hitting a free throw with 1:00 left which proved to be the winning point.
Coaching Matchup Years in the Making
UW Coach Jody Wynn and USC Coach Mark Trakh have a storied history but are facing off as coaches for the first time. Trakh was Wynn's coach as Brea Olinda High School, leading the Wildcats to state championships three of Wynn's four years at BHS. After Wynn finished her collegiate career at USC, she became an assistant under Trakh, first for five seasons at Pepperdine, then five at USC. Since then they have gone their separate ways but stayed in close touch. Today's game is the first between the two as head coaches. For more on the story, read Rich Myhre's story on the UW website gohuskies.com.
All-Time Series Record
Washington holds a 37-28 edge in the all-time series against USC including winning the last eight games in the series. The Huskies last loss to the Trojans as a 62-55 home defeat on March 1, 2012. Overall, Washington is 20-9 all-time against USC at home but is 12-18 in Los Angeles.
Up Next
The Huskies head back on the road, traveling to the Arizona schools next weekend. Washington opens the trip at No. 25 Arizona State on Friday before heading south to take on Arizona on Sunday.
Last Time Out
Washington battled with No. 13 UCLA through the first three quarters, but the Bruins used a big fourth quarter to pull away for the 86-69 victory. Despite the final score, the game was incredibly close through three quarters, featuring 12 lead changes and 10 ties. Amber Melgoza led a trio of Huskies in double-figures with 20 points, reaching 20 for the eighth time this season. Hannah Johnson recorded her third-straight double-double and fourth in her last five games, scoring a career-high 17 points and adding 14 rebounds. Jenna Moser matched a career-high with four three-pointers en route to 16 points on the evening.
One Bad Quarter
The Huskies have been plagued by one bad quarter in all but two Pac-12 games thus far. In those bad quarters (which quarter differs in each game), UW has been outscored by an average of 13 points. However, in the other three quarters of those games, the Huskies have outscored their opponents by an average of five points.
Johnson Catching Fire
Junior forward Hannah Johnson has been red-hot since the start of conference play, especially over her last six games. Johnson is averaging a double-double over her last six games, averaging 12.7 points and 12.0 rebounds over that stretch. Since the start of Pac-12 play, Johnson leads the team and ranks fourth in the conference with 8.7 rebounds per game and is adding 11.1 ppg. That includes just six total rebounds through the first three games of Pac-12 play.
Johnson's rebounding has especially taken off lately as she has established then broke her career-high in rebounding four times over the last six games. Her latest record-breaking performance came on Sunday when she pulled down 17 boards vs. Washington State just days after recording 16 at WSU on Wednesday, giving her 33 in two games. Since the Pac-10/12 added women's basketball in 1986-87, Johnson is one of three Huskies to record at least 33 total rebounds over a two-game stretch (Johnson 2017-18; Chantel Osahor 2015-16 and 2016-17; Amber Hall 1997-98). On Friday, she had 14 rebounds and a career-high 17 points vs #13 UCLA.
What's been most impressive is the rebounding numbers have come against some of the best rebounders in the conference. Johnson recorded a then career-high 11 boards at Cal where she out-rebounded All-American candidate Kristine Anigwe 11-10. On Friday, Johnson out-rebounded another All-American Monique Billings 14-8.
Amber Alert
Sophomore Amber Melgoza continued her hot play with a 20-point performance to lead the Huskies against No. 13 UCLA on Friday. It was the eighth time this season Melgoza had scored at least 20 points and gives her 57 points in her last three games (19.0 ppg). Over the last 11 games, Melgoza is averaging 20.5 points per game and is currently third in the Pac-12 with 19.4 ppg in league play.
Earlier this season at Oregon, Melgoza scored a career-high 31 points–the most by a UW player since Kelsey Plum scored 38 against Oklahoma on March 20, 2017. Melgoza had just eight going into the final quarter, but erupted for 23 points, a Pac-12 record for points in a quarter.
Huskies in the Rankings
Washington is among the leaders in the conference in a number of categories. The Huskies lead the Pac-12 in turnovers forced at 18.8 per game and rank fourth in turnover margin at +3.55. Washington also leads the conference in three-point field goals attempted (526) and is third in three-pointers made with (165) and three-point makes per game (8.3). The Huskies also rank second in steals (203) and steals per game (10.2).
Individually, Amber Melgoza is third in scoring in Pac-12 games at 19.4 ppg and is fifth in the conference in overall scoring at 17.2 ppg, fifth in total points (344) and is eighth in free throw percentage at 74.2%. Jenna Moser is fourth in the conference in three-point field goal percentage at 42.9%, fourth in steals at 1.95 per game, and seventh in three-pointers made with 2.10 per game.
Everybody Starts, Everybody Plays
All 10 of Washington's active players have made a at least one start this season and each is averaging at least 13 minutes per game. Jenna Moser is the lone Husky to start all 20 games with Amber Melgoza making 16 starts, Hannah Johnson starting 15 games and Mai-Loni Henson starting 14. Moser also leads the team in minutes played, averaging 30.4 mpg with Melgoza playing 27.1, Henson playing 24.4 and Johnson checking in at 22.9 minutes per game. Overall, the Huskies have used 14 different lineup combinations through their first 20 games.
Strength of Schedule
The Huskies are not shying away from playing tough teams in the 2017-18 season as UW faces seven teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25 and two others receiving votes. In fact, the Huskies' have played the 30th toughest schedule to this point, and have the 30th most difficult schedule overall among the 349 NCAA DI WBB programs.
The Pac-12 conference is the main reason the Huskies' schedule is so tough as the conference boasts five teams in the AP top 25 with one other receiving votes (#7 Oregon, #13 UCLA, #17 Oregon State, #23 California, #25 Arizona State, with Stanford and Utah receiving votes). Besides their Pac-12 opponents, the Huskies have also squared off against #6 Texas and #12 Ohio State in non-conference games.
Seven in Double Figures
Washington saw a program-best seven players score in double-figures in the 93-67 victory against Portland on Dec. 3. Mai-Loni Henson and Amber Melgoza led the way with 14 points each while freshmen Kierra Collier, Alexis Griggsby and Missy Peterson each contributed 12 points in the game with Griggsby and Peterson scoring all of their points in the second half. Senior Jenna Moser was the seventh player to reach double-figures in the game, hitting a tough jumper in the lane with 1:23 left to give her 11 while freshman Khayla Rooks scored 10 in the game on 4-of-5 shooting.
No More Overtime, Please
UW's streak of games decided in regulation came to an end earlier this season as the Huskies needed OT to beat Seattle, 84-76, snapping a streak of 133 games without the extra period. Prior to that, Washington's last overtime game came on Jan. 17, 2014 when the Huskies beat Utah 53-52. Another longer UW OT streak ended at Washington State in mid-January as the Huskies lost their first overtime game since Feb. 5, 2012.
Road Warriors
The Huskies played the bulk of the first half of the season on the road, playing just seven of their first 18 games at home. However, beginning with the game against Washington State on January 21, Washington plays seven of its final 11 games at home. The Huskies' season includes one of its longest road trips in recent memory, a 2,432 mile trip to play North Carolina in Myrtle Beach, S.C. In addition, Washington traveled to Columbus, Ohio and to Las Vegas earlier in the season while also touring the Pacific Northwest.
Viva Las Vegas
Mai-Loni Henson had an impressive trip to Vegas, scoring 23 points in two games, earning her all-tournament honors. Henson scored a career-high 17 points, adding nine rebounds, three assists and three steals in the Huskies big win against Creighton. Overall, she averaged 11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists a game in Vegas.
Moser's Incredible Journey
Senior Jenna Moser's road to being a senior captain was not traditional. Moser started at UW as a practice player, not earning a roster spot until her second year. As a sophomore and junior she appeared in just 14 games, playing 30 total minutes and scoring four points. But as a senior, she was awarded a scholarship and has provided leadership to the young team both on and off the court, starting all 20 games and averaging 10.0 points, 1.9 steals and 2.5 assists per game.
Huskies Ink Talented Duo to NLIs
UW coach Jody Wynn announced the signing Haley Van Dyke (Moraga, Calif./Campolindo High School) and Tyiona "TT" Watkins (Walnut, Calif./Walnut HS) to National Letters of Intent during the November early signing period.
Van Dyke, a 6-0 forward, scored the fifth-most points in the state of California last season, pouring in 765 points in 32 games for a 23.9 points per game average. She ranks 21st among '18 forwards according to ESPN and as the No. 82 player overall by Prospects Nation. After an early season ankle injury, Van Dyke returned to the court with back-to-back 30 point performances in December. On Jan. 2, she scored a league record 56 points and added 27 boards in a 96-75 win over Brookside Christian.
Watkins is a 5-11 wing who will wrap up her high school career at Walnut High School in Walnut, Calif., after three seasons at Brea Olinda High School–the alma mater of Head Coach Jody Wynn and Coordinator of Player Development Anna Kim. She is ranked as the No. 14 wing in the class of 2018 by ESPN and No. 20 by Prospects Nation. Watkins, who had to sit out a quarter after transferring schools, just began playing with Walnut High School in early January.
Radio Show
UW Head Coach Jody Wynn joins Elise Woodward for the UW Coaches Show throughout the season at Chinook's at Fisherman's Terminal. The show is carried live on KOMO AM 1000 in Seattle at 6:00 p.m. on the following dates: Jan. 30, Feb. 6, Feb. 13, Feb. 20, Feb. 27 and March 5. The show can be heard on gohuskies.com or on the TuneIn App, which can be downloaded on either the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Versus The State of Idaho
The Huskies played all three DI programs in Idaho this season, posting a 1-2 record against Gem State teams. Washington recorded an 81-69 win at Idaho on December 1, but lost 85-62 at Boise State on Dec. 7 and 79-59 at home to Idaho State in the Huskies season opener.
Players Mentioned
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