USC Women Open League Play at Fullerton

The USC women’s basketball team, which had a week off after its recent 0-3 trip, will begin Western Collegiate Athletic Assn. play tonight at 7:30 against Cal State Fullerton in Titan Gym.

Fullerton (11-4) has won 9 of its last 10 games, including conference victories over Stanford and UCLA, and has been led by the play of senior forward Meg Gallagher, a former teammate of USC’s Cheryl Miller at Riverside Poly High.

Gallagher leads her team in scoring with 17.7 points a game, assists with 61, and steals with 53, and is second in rebounding with 6.4 a game. Center Terri Withers and guard Robin Holmes are each averaging 11 points a game for Fullerton.

Miller strained her knee in last Friday’s 52-48 loss to top-ranked Old Dominion but will start tonight for the eighth-rated Trojans (10-3). The junior forward ranks fifth in the nation in scoring with 25.6 points a game, and second in rebounding with a 17.3 average.

Trojan center Cyndie Thomas, out for the last month with a knee injury, is still recovering and will not play tonight.