Dominguez Hills Newest ‘Home’ for USC

USC basketball Coach Stan Morrison scouted Saturday’s game between Stanford and Washington State at Pullman, Wash., and, while driving to Spokane afterward, listened to a postgame radio show.

“The announcer was talking about Washington State playing USC next Saturday at Cal State Dominguez Hills,” Morrison said. “He said: ‘If we can find it, we’ll be there. Is it anywhere near Tijuana?’ ”

Over the years, USC’s home basketball court has been almost anywhere. The Trojans have played in their own gym, the Sports Arena, the Shrine, Olympic and Pan-Pacific Auditoriums, Long Beach City College, Long Beach Arena, Cal State Los Angeles, Fullerton City College, Loyola Marymount and the Forum.

Now, Cal State Dominguez Hills will serve as USC’s temporary home court for games with Washington Thursday night and Washington State Saturday afternoon.

The Sports Arena has been USC’s usual home court since 1959, but the Trojans have to find other places to play occasionally because the Sports Arena also books other events.

This week, for example, an ice show at the Sports Arena leaves USC out in the cold.

USC is the only conference team that doesn’t have a campus facility for basketball games. That creates a problem.

The Pacific 10 provides member schools with a tentative basketball schedule the summer preceding the season. The schedule is then revised by the conference in the fall to accommodate television.

That causes no hardship for the schools that play their home games on campus, but the Sports Arena has some events booked more than a year in advance and can’t wait for the conference schedule to be completed in order to accommodate USC.

Still, some USC officials believe that the school should be given preferential treatment because it has been a tenant at the Sports Arena since the doors opened in 1959.

“USC is a very special tenant at both the Coliseum and Sports Arena,” said Glenn Mon, assistant general manager of the Sports Arena. “The conference should recognize USC’s special circumstances. USC could get home dates from us that are available and present them to the conference. Our schedule is pretty consistent and our business is keeping the place occupied.”

There wouldn’t be a problem, of course, if USC had a campus basketball facility. Plans for such an arena are in the works.

“Mike McGee (athletic director) and Don Winston (an associate director and a fund raiser) are battling for a multi-purpose center on campus,” Morrison said.

Such a facility just for students’ needs would cost $12 million. A basketball arena would cost another $12 million, and that money has to be raised by the athletic department.

So, in the meantime, the Trojans must wander to places such as Cal State Dominguez Hills. Although the facility there can be hardly called a pit, the Trojans will have practiced in it only a few times before this week’s conference games with the Washington schools.

It will be a cozy environment.

“I think it holds 4,000,” said Tim Tessalone, USC’s sports information director. “No one is sure because it has never been filled to capacity.”

USC won only one road game during the entire 1983-84 season. The Trojans (7-3) have already won three on the road this season, including the 63-59 victory over Oregon in its conference opener last Thursday night at Eugene, Ore.

Now, the Trojans will be tested by Washington, the conference co-favorite along with Oregon State, and Washington State, the surprise team of the Pac-10. The Cougars, who were generally picked to finish in last place, have won nine straight games for a 10-2 record, 2-0 in the Pac-10.

The Huskies (9-3 overall and 1-1 in the Pac-10) have a formidable front line composed of West German Olympians Detlef Schrempf, 6 feet 9 inches, and Christian Welp, 7 feet, and 6-9 Paul Fortier.

Morrison will counter with 6-10 Clayton Olivier, 6-8 Wayne Carlander and 6-6 Derrick Dowell.

“The boards will be critical,” he said. “We must find a way to negate their size advantage. Washington doesn’t have big people who just lumber up and down the court. They can get back quickly and they’re agile.”

Morrison is most concerned about Schrempf, who is so versatile that he sometimes brings the ball up against pressing defenses. He is a complete player and is averaging 16.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists a game.

Trojan Notes

Directions to Cal State Dominguez Hills from downtown: Take the Harbor Freeway south to the Artesia Freeway (91) and go east. Get off the Artesia Freeway at Central Avenue and turn right (south). Central ends at Victoria Street. Turn right (west) on Victoria, proceed to Avalon Boulevard and turn left (south). Take Avalon to 190th street and and turn left (east). Public parking is in Lot 4 on the left (north) side of 190th.