WOMEN’S BASKETBALL : Locals Face Oregon Schools; Stanford Is Pac-10 Favorite

The women’s basketball teams at UCLA and USC begin their Pacific 10 Conference seasons tonight in a race many observers are calling Stanford’s to lose.

UCLA (5-4) entertains Oregon (7-2) at 7, and Oregon State (8-1) visits USC (7-1) at 7:30. The Oregon schools then switch sites for games Saturday, Oregon State playing at UCLA at 2 p.m., Oregon at USC at 7:30.

Stanford, ranked fifth and winner of seven in a row since losing Dec. 1 to top-ranked Tennessee, plays Washington and Washington State tonight and Saturday.

Cheryl Miller, former USC All-American, begins her second season of conference play as the Trojans’ coach. USC has won six in a row since a 65-55 loss at Iowa Nov. 27.

USC reached the final eight a year ago, losing in a regional final to Louisiana Tech, eventual national runner-up.

Early in USC’s post-Lisa Leslie era, Miller is getting rebounding production from Tina Thompson, who is averaging 10.5 rebounds a game. Rashida Jeffery is averaging 6.3 rebounds, Michelle Campbell 6.1.

For UCLA’s Kathy Olivier, another second-year coach, the top player is 6-4 junior Kisa Hughes, who already has 30-point and 20-rebound games.

Hughes is averaging 17.2 points and 11.6 rebounds, and was the Pac-10’s leading rebounder by a wide margin in nonconference play.