Murphy Rules in Trojans’ Victory

For all their success last season, the USC Trojans did lack a go-to scoring threat.

Eshaya Murphy may fill that role this season. The junior guard delivered a career-high 22 points and nine rebounds Sunday at the Sports Arena, helping USC hang on to a 65-62 victory over Texas Christian. She has averaged 15.8 points through the Trojans’ five games, more than double the 7.1 she averaged over her first two years.

“She [Murphy] did this against a good team, which I’m really happy about,” said Coach Mark Trakh, whose Trojans had lost their previous two games. “She made some big shots down the stretch.”

Murphy, who made eight of 15 shots (including five of nine from three-point range), attributed some of her improvement to working out hard this summer.

“I’m glad my teammates have confidence in me to get the ball,” Murphy said. “I feel I can hit the open shots, the game-winning shots. But we have several go-to players like [point guard] Camille LeNoir, who can create her own shot.”

LeNoir had 11 points and Meghan Gnekow added 12 as USC (3-2) used a 24-5 first-half run to take a 39-30 halftime lead. The Trojans remained in control, leading, 50-39, with 11 minutes left before their shooting (35.9%) betrayed them from the perimeter.

The Horned Frogs (2-4), led by Adrianne Ross’ 21 points, closed to within one at, 63-62, with 20 seconds left. Then Trojan center Chloe Kerr made two free throws with two seconds left, accounting for the final points.

Brynn Cameron, who led USC in scoring last season but had sat out the first four games because of hip surgery, played 15 minutes and made two of eight shots, scoring five points.

-- Mike Terry

In selected top-25 games:

No. 1 Duke, 84, No. 16 Texas 70 -- Monique Currie scored 23 points and the Blue Devils (6-0) overcame a surge from the Longhorns’ new freshmen-heavy lineup at Austin, Texas. Freshman Erika Arriaran’s 16 points led Texas (3-3), which made only three of 16 shots over the last nine minutes after tying the game, at 61-61.

No. 2 Tennessee 74, No. 12 Stanford 67 -- Candace Parker had 21 points, 12 rebounds, three steals, two assists and a blocked shot, and the Lady Vols (7-0) ended the Cardinal’s 23-game home winning streak at Maples Pavilion. Kristen Newlin finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds for Stanford (4-2), which had started its home streak after its 70-66 overtime loss to Tennessee on Dec. 14, 2003.

No. 6 Rutgers 57, Iowa 51 -- Cappie Pondexter’s 22 points helped the Scarlet Knights (5-0) hold off the Hawkeyes (4-3) in the Hawkeye Challenge tournament at Iowa City, Iowa. The victory capped an emotional weekend for Rutgers’ Vivian Stringer, who coached against her former team for the first time since leaving Iowa City in 1995 to take the Scarlet Knights’ job.

No. 11 Notre Dame 77, Wisconsin 72 -- Megan Duffy scored 20 points to lead the Irish (6-0) over the Badgers (4-3) at Madison, Wis. Notre Dame Coach Muffet McGraw, who was ill, did not make the trip from South Bend, Ind.

No. 13 Michigan State 82, Pepperdine 64 -- Liz Shimek had 28 points and 12 rebounds to lift the Spartans (4-2) at East Lansing, Mich. The Waves (1-5) shot 32.7%, made 19 turnovers and were outrebounded, 48-34.

Penn State 78, No. 24 Texas Tech 72 -- Courtney Molinaro scored on a breakaway layup and made three pivotal free throws, and Kamela Gissendanner finished with 34 points, helping the Nittany Lions (3-3) beat the Red Raiders (2-5) in double overtime at State College, Pa.