USC riding momentum into Pac-12 women’s hoops tourney

LOS ANGELES — The postseason hopes for USC’s women’s basketball team flickered last week.
The Trojans trailed Utah by a basket in overtime of their second-to-last game of the regular season when Kristen Simon caught an inbounds pass atop the key in the final seconds. A loss had threatened to blemish the Trojans’ NCAA Tournament résumé.
The play was designed to tie the score at 52 apiece and force a second overtime to extend the game. Simon had set a screen f