KEVIN KLAUS/Arizona Daily Wildcat UA sophomore guard Aimee Grzyb drives to the basket earlier this year in McKale Center.

Women's hoops hits road for pair of matches in L.A.

The Arizona women's basketball team will try to even out its record tonight against Southern California, but it won't be easy.

The road has been anything but kind to the Wildcats (7-9 overall, 3-4 Pacific 10 Conference), who have dropped 13 of their last 14 road games dating back to last year.

"We need to take care of business and win games in (Los Angeles)," UA head coach Joan Bonvicini said. "Basketball is tough and it's about doing the little things to get better; that's how you're going to win games."

Arizona failed to do a lot of the little things in the 94-80 loss it suffered to UCSB Monday night.

One of those little things was not getting the ball into the hands of their forwards, primarily senior Elizabeth Pickney and junior forward Krista Warren.

Also, the Wildcats need to do a better job on the boards as they were out-rebounded 41-33 Monday night.

"They were getting the long rebounds and that was hurting us," junior guard Julie Brase said. "Those are mental errors and we can't break down like that."

USC (9-7 overall, 5-2 Pac-10) is still riding high after a 67-57 win over rival UCLA Sunday.

USC sophomore guard Aisha Hollans leads the team in scoring, averaging 18.3 points per game.

The Women of Troy's top rebounder, Ebony Hoffman, is averaging 8.7 rebounds per game and is second on the team in scoring, with an average of 14.2 points.

Senior guard Tiffany Elmore and freshman forward Rachel Woodward average 11.7 and 10.8 points per game, respectively.

The Wildcats have won nine of their last 12 games against the Trojans.

After tonight's game against Southern Cal, the Wildcats will play the Bruins Saturday night at Pauley Pavilion.

Last season, Arizona snapped a five-game losing streak to the Bruins with an 89-79 win in McKale Center.

However, UCLA holds a strong 34-12 series lead over Arizona.

Bonvicini attributed Monday night's loss to the Gauchos to mental and physical fatigue, but said it wasn't meant to be a confidence-building game - especially after the two key wins they had a few days before.

UA tasted success with back-to-back wins against Washington and Washington State, both of which helped rebuild the Wildcats' confidence after they lost five of their seven games over winter vacation.

Arizona will head north to wrap up its four-game road trip with a pair of games the following weekend at Stanford and California.