LOS ANGELES — All the extra running first-year USC coach Michael Cooper had his players do in the preseason paid off when competing against high-octane Oregon.
Briana Gilbreath scored 19 points to lead the third-seeded Trojans past the sixth-seeded Ducks 80-76 Friday in the quarterfinals of the Pac-10 Conference tournament.
Ashley Corral had 16 points and Kari LaPlante 15 for the Trojans, who won their sixth straight.
The game resembled a track meet at times, with both teams pushing the ball incessantly.
“They were running and running and kept running,” Cooper said. “It kind of took a toll on us in the first half, but we got our second wind and were able to come back.
“They’re a team that you’ve got to put the track shoes on and come ready to play. We got after them, and they got after us.”
USC (19-11) plays second-seeded UCLA in the semifinals today.
The Ducks pulled as close as 72-71 when Micaela Cocks made two free throws with 1:09 remaining. But Jacki Gemelos sank four free throws in the final 15 seconds to preserve the victory.
Taylor Lilley led the Ducks with 22 points. Victoria Kenyon had a career-high 18 points and Nia Jackson added 18 for Oregon (16-15), which has lost seven straight.
Cal 60, Arizona State 50
LOS ANGELES — Alexis Gray-Lawson scored 15 points, DeNesha Stallworth added 14 points and eight rebounds, and California pulled away in the final minutes to advance to the Pac-10 tournament semifinals.
Natasha Vital scored 12 points for the fourth-seeded Golden Bears (18-12), who broke open an even quarterfinal game with 8 minutes to play.
Cal went on a 14-4 run led by Gray-Lawson, the fifth-year senior and the Pac-10’s second-leading scorer. Stallworth, the Bears’ promising freshman, scored 12 points in the second half.
Becca Tobin had eight points and seven rebounds for the Sun Devils (17-13), who made less than 30 percent of their shots and foundered late in their third consecutive loss.
No. 2 Stanford 72, Arizona 52
LOS ANGELES — Nnemkadi Ogwumike scored 25 points and No. 2 Stanford got a second-half boost from injured star Jayne Appel in a victory over Arizona.
Jeannette Pohlen scored 15 points for the Cardinal (29-1), who won their 20th straight and advanced to face California in today’s semifinals.
Yet the mighty Cardinal had trouble shaking the Wildcats (14-17), who only dressed eight players and had to win a play-in game Thursday.
Stanford led 43-40 with 13:21 to play when coach Tara VanDerveer finally used Appel, who has a sore right ankle that kept the All-American center out of last week’s win over Cal. The Cardinal immediately scored eight straight points and made a 19-6 run.
UCLA 60, Oregon St. 44
LOS ANGELES — Jasmine Dixon scored 14 points, Markel Walker added 10 and No. 23 UCLA rolled into the Pac-10 tournament semifinals.
Erica Tukiainen hit three 3-pointers for the second-seeded Bruins (23-7), who have won nine straight and 13 of 14 in coach Nikki Caldwell’s impressive second season.
UCLA’s third easy victory over the Beavers this season set up an all-California rivalry slate in Saturday’s semifinals. No. 2 Stanford will face California before the Bruins take on USC in the Trojans’ home gym.
Julie Futch scored 13 points and Haiden Palmer added 10 for Oregon State (11-20), which set a Pac-10 tournament record and season high with 33 turnovers in its 18th loss in 20 games.
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