After playing in six games for the women’s basketball team, freshman Catherria Turner has been granted her release from the University.
“Catherria has asked to be released from her scholarship for the 2002-03 academic/athletic year, and this request has been granted,” head coach Bev Smith said.
In a guard-heavy lineup, Turner posted five points and three steals in limited action this season. The Tucson, Ariz., native averaged a triple-double her senior season at Amphitheatre High.
The 5-foot-6 Turner was one of six freshman to join the Ducks this season. The recruiting class was the nation’s 17th-ranked class in the country.

Stanford ready to return to top
Here’s a trivia question for all you Pacific-10 Conference buffs out there.
Name one sport Stanford doesn’t excel at.
Football? Nope, they’ve got that covered.
Baseball? They’ve been to the championship game of the College World Series the last two seasons.
Volleyball? Think again. They just won the national championship.
Basketball? Well, that’s the most obvious of all. Their men’s team is as tough as ever, and the Cardinal women, well, they are annually one of the best in the nation.
This season is no different for the women from Palo Alto, Calif. Ranked fifth in the Associated Press Top 25 poll and sixth in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25, the Cardinal are 14-1 overall, and have already begun conference play with a perfect 4-0 record.
The Cardinal return 10 letterwinners from a squad that won a share of the Pac-10 championship last season. Name a position, and Stanford has depth at it.
“I think the conference tournament will reward depth, and that will be one of our strengths,” Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer said at the outset of the season.
The 2001 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, Nicole Powell, returns to the Cardinal this season after posting 14.1 points per game last season. The Phoenix, Ariz., native has picked up where she left off, averaging 15.8 points per game, and has recorded two triple-doubles this season. No other Pac-10 player has ever had more than one career triple-double; Powell has three.
“She is special,” VanDerveer said after Powell posted eight points, nine rebounds and six assists in Stanford’s win over Fordham last week. “She rebounds, pushes the ball well in transition, and is a special playmaker. Very unselfish.”
In what could be the biggest game of the Pac-10 season to date, Oregon (9-6 overall, 4-2 Pac-10) travels south to take on the Cardinal on Sunday. The winner of that game may hold an inside edge to the conference’s regular season championship.

Huskies, Trojans do battle
What do you get when you throw two of the conference’s top teams into the same arena? Well, in the case of Washington and USC, you get a game that goes down to the wire.
Down 79-78 with 4.8 seconds remaining in the game, Washington (4-1 overall, 9-5 Pac-10) junior Loree Payne drove to the hoop and put the Huskies ahead by one with a lay-in. She was fouled on the play, but missed the free throw, setting the table for USC (4-2, 8-7) to come back. However, it was not to be as freshman Rachel Woodward missed a half-court shot just before time ran out.
“I am very excited about this win tonight, because it proves that our intensity level has risen,” Washington head coach June Daugherty said. “We are blossoming against tough teams. Everyone played hard at their position, and I am proud of this team for battling so hard.”
Washington’s win pushes them into sole possession of second place in the Pac-10, just a half game behind Stanford. USC fell to a three-way tie with Oregon and Oregon State for third place.

USC lands Craig
Known as one of the top athletically minded schools in the country, USC has attracted some top players in its past. Mark McGwire played baseball for the Trojans, Keyshawn Johnson was a star wide receiver and Cheryl Miller once ruled the hardcourt for the Women of Troy.
But the recent past has not been kind to the Trojans. USC football has fallen a bit, the baseball team is not a nationally prominent program anymore, and basketball has not been its strongest suit.
All that is beginning to change.
Jaime Carroll, daughter of head football coach Pete Carroll, is a member of the USC volleyball team. She has not had a major role on the squad yet, but looks to be a prominent force for the team in her next two seasons.
And with help from future transfer Rometra Craig, women’s basketball may soon return to the Pac-10 powerhouse.
Yesterday, the Trojans announced the signing of Craig, who will transfer from Duke. Because she announced her plans to transfer in December, the soon-to-be redshirt sophomore will be eligible to play for the Trojans midway through next season, and will have two years left.
“I wish Duke the best for the rest of the season, but this was a decision I had to make,” Craig told ESPN.com when she announced her plans to transfer. “It has been really hard being away from my family and I just want to be closer to home.”
If the name sounds familiar, it’s because she is the daughter of famed NFL running back Roger Craig. Her cousin, Corey Maggette, starred for Duke during the 1998-98 season, and now plays for the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers.