Huskies Guard Combo Leads Win over Trojans 

    Eighth seeded Washington Huskies take down ninth seeded USC Trojans 76-64 to start the second round of the Allstate Big Ten Tournament Thursday Afternoon at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Washington is 21-9 and face Top Seed UCLA 28-1 in the first quarterfinal at Noon tomorrow. USC is 17-13 and will await a postseason tournament bid.

    Elle Ladine scored 25 points as four Huskies scored in double figures. Avery Howell who transferred from USC scored 18 points and 9 rebounds against her former team. Hannah Stines added 12 points, and Brynn McGaughy added 10 points along with 10 rebounds from Yulia Grabovskaia. Washington was 29-58 from the field for 50%, 6-20 from three-point range for 30% and 12-17 from the free throw line for 70%. The Huskies had 44 rebounds, 16 assists, 2 steals, 0 blocks and 18 turnovers. Washington scored 40 points in the paint, 10 second chance points, 9 points off turnovers, 7 bench points and 5 fastbreak points.

   Londynn Jones scored 19 points to lead USC in scoring with Kennedy Smith adding 14 points. Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jazzy Davidson scored 8 points and Laura Wiliams pulled down 13 rebounds and scored 9 points. USC was 18-58 from the field for 31%, 8-30 from three-point range for 26% and 20-29 from the free throw line for 69%. USC had 27 rebounds, 13 assists, 7 steals, 3 blocks and 9 turnovers. USC scored 19 second chance points, 14 points in the paint, 14 points off turnovers, 8 bench points and 6 fastbreak points.

   Washington jumped out a 4-0 lead with former USC Player Avery Howell scoring the first basket of the game a minute and three seconds into the game. The Trojans answered with a 6-0 run as a bucket by Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jazzy Davidson that was waived off due to a shot clock violation. Washington scored the next three points to end the first quarter, leading 8-6 and a rough start for both teams as there were four video reviews in the first quarter including at the end of the quarter when Davidson’s bucket was taken away that would have tied the game to 8-8 after ten minutes of action. There were 2 ties and 2 lead changes.

   Washington used a 6-0 run to lead 16-10 with 5:32 left in the second quarter. The Huskies came out of the timeout with an Avery Howell triple to make it a nine-point lead at 19-10 as the Trojans were held scoreless for three minutes and two seconds until Jazzy Davidson made two of her three free throws to make it 19-12 with 4:54 left before halftime. After hitting to free throws to make 21-12 Elle Ladine hit a triple to make 24-12 and the Trojans broke their three-point shooting slump with a Kara Dunn triple as USC started the game 0-7 from beyond the arc as Trojans trailed 24-15 with 3:32 to go. Washington outscored USC 8-5 for the remaining 3:32 of the second quarter as Elle Ladine scored on a catch and shot to beat the buzzer and the Huskies outscored the Trojans 24-14 in the second period to lead 32-20 at halftime as Huskies made their last seven shots from the field and the Trojans made one of their last seven going into the break.

   Elle Ladine and Avery Howell combined for 23 of the Huskies 32 first half points as Ladine scored 13 and Howell scored 10. Washington went 13-31 from the field for 42%, 2-12 from three-point range for 16% and 4-7 from the free throw line for 57%. The Huskies had 26 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, no blocks and 11 turnovers. Jazzy Davidson and Kenndey Smith had 5 points each as the Trojans struggled in the first half going 6-24 from the field, 2-10 from three point for 20% and 6-9 for 66% from the free throw line. USC had 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 1 block and 7 turnovers.

   In the third quarter Washington pulled away as the Huskies outscored the Trojans 24-16 in the third quarter to lead 56-36 going to the fourth quarter. USC battled back in the fourth quarter outscoring the Huskies 26-20 in the fourth quarter but the deficit at the end of the third quarter was too much and Trojans did not hit a field goal for the last 2:27 of the game as the Huskies advanced to face UCLA and Trojans head back to Los Angeles to await their postseason fate.