[81alum]

Does anyone know about Rayah Marshall's availability for Friday's game?
She played 28 minutes on Sunday in the Oregon State game.  She came out late in the third quarter, never to return again.  The announcers were speculating that she was injured when she took a seat at the end of the bench.  Given the tightness of this overtime game, it's fair to assume that injury was a factor.

Warren, Rayah Marshall clearly did not make the trip, and we still had issues.  This is troubling to me, given that she is one of their two best defenders.

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A big aspect of the game that can't be scouted is the refs.  Tight or loose?  Benefit to the home team or not?

Good point MT.  If both offenses were left free to roam and operate as they would like--meaning a closely called game that restrains both defenses--then I think we win easily.  Our offense flourishes with lots of movement and lots of assists.

If the refs "let both sides play" and call very few fouls then I think things become somewhat equalized.  That would play into USC's natural strength.  We can be strong and physical on defense too, but a sumo-wrestling or WWF style basketball game would neutralize our offensive strengths.

USC knows this so I imagine they will commit lots and lots of fouls, and just dare the refs to call them all.  Colorado has done that for years--overload the fouling so much that it tends to normalize itself as the game goes on.  Some of those games get to the point where one would think only an overhead body slam would get called.

Quoting myself here, but it bears repeating.  We got the worst possible kind of officiating and we still managed to pull out a victory.

[81alum]

Does anyone know about Rayah Marshall's availability for Friday's game?
She played 28 minutes on Sunday in the Oregon State game.  She came out late in the third quarter, never to return again.  The announcers were speculating that she was injured when she took a seat at the end of the bench.  Given the tightness of this overtime game, it's fair to assume that injury was a factor.

Warren, Rayah Marshall clearly did not make the trip, and we still had issues.  This is troubling to me, given that she is one of their two best defenders.

---

A big aspect of the game that can't be scouted is the refs.  Tight or loose?  Benefit to the home team or not?

Good point MT.  If both offenses were left free to roam and operate as they would like--meaning a closely called game that restrains both defenses--then I think we win easily.  Our offense flourishes with lots of movement and lots of assists.

If the refs "let both sides play" and call very few fouls then I think things become somewhat equalized.  That would play into USC's natural strength.  We can be strong and physical on defense too, but a sumo-wrestling or WWF style basketball game would neutralize our offensive strengths.

USC knows this so I imagine they will commit lots and lots of fouls, and just dare the refs to call them all.  Colorado has done that for years--overload the fouling so much that it tends to normalize itself as the game goes on.  Some of those games get to the point where one would think only an overhead body slam would get called.

Quoting myself here, but it bears repeating.  We got the worst possible kind of officiating and we still managed to pull out a victory.