Trojans Win on Friendly Shot, 60-58

“It was just one of my old playground moves,” Larry Friend said. “I just threw it in.”

USC’s point guard was describing a shot that beat Oregon State, 60-58, in the final second Monday night at Gill Coliseum. But the shot defies description.

Call it a blend of a hook shot and a baseball throw. In any event, it found nothing but net.

It would be an understatement to say that a partisan crowd of 10,400 was stunned. There wasn’t a sound from the stands. What were those Trojans doing yelling and whooping it up on the floor?

The public address announcer had to inform the crowd that the game was, indeed, over.

Friend’s desperation 18-foot shot from an angle might turn out to be the biggest of the season for USC. By winning, the Trojans, who were previously tied with Oregon State for the Pacific 10 lead, gained sole possession of first place.

USC (13-5 overall, 7-2 in conference) is unbeaten on the road (4-0) in conference play this season.

It was USC’s first win at Gill Coliseum since 1974 after 10 straight losses. And it was accomplished in a most improbable manner.

The Trojans played what Coach Stan Morrison said was their best first half of the season in building a 38-25 lead.

But Oregon State almost blew USC off the court early in the second half with a relentless, pressure defense. USC led, 40-25, when OSU went on a 16-0 run, capitalizing on Trojan turnovers.

Then, the game settled down to a tight, lead-changing struggle.

Oregon State got its last lead, 58-56, when guard Darryl Flowers took a pass from center Steve Woodside and scored on a back-door layup.

With 49 seconds remaining USC center Clayton Olivier rebounded teammate Derrick Dowell’s missed layup. Olivier didn’t score, but he was fouled. The 6-10 senior then went to the line and made both free throws, drawing USC even, 58-58.

Then, USC got a break. OSU guard Dean Derrah threw a pass that Woodside couldn’t reach, and the ball went out of bounds.

USC called time out with 22 seconds left and, when play resumed, Morrison’s team began probing Oregon State’s defense.

“We called No. 1, our power play,” Morrison said. “We wanted to get the ball to Dowell or Olivier on the post. But A.C. Green was sagging inside. As they say, it’s better to be lucky than good.”

Friend was trapped on the side by Flowers and OSU guard Eric Knox. It didn’t seem possible that he could get any kind of shot off.

But the 5-11 guard from Jordan High twisted his body and literally threw the ball at the basket.

“No, I’ve never taken a shot like that before in a game,” Friend said. “I’ve only made shots like that when I’ve been playing horse on the playground.”

Friend has had dental problems recently, and it was difficult for him to talk. But the junior guard has provided USC with two big plays in four days.

He made two free throws with 16 seconds remaining in double overtime to give USC the cushion it needed to beat UCLA, 78-77, Friday night at the Sports Arena.

That was an orthodox maneuver. He saved the unexpected for the Beavers.

“We have the utmost confidence in Larry,” USC wingman Ron Holmes said. “He shows us shots like that in practice.”

Friend is a reluctant shooter. He says that his role is to get the ball to the other shooters. That’s why he leads the Pac-10 in assists.

He took only five shots from the floor Monday night, making three.

“I was trying to get the ball to someone in low,” Friend said, talking about his last shot. “But Green sagged in, and I looked up at the clock and saw that there were just five seconds left. So, I just threw it in.”

Friend seemed calm under pressure. But Olivier said he was shaking when dropped in two free throws with 49 seconds to play.

“My feet have been hurting me,” the red-haired center said. “I played 40 minutes against UCLA and I played 36 tonight.”

It’s doubtful that USC could play any better than it did in the first half. The Trojans shot 72% from the field and repeatedly pounded the ball inside against the Beavers, who are regarded as a fine defensive team.

When the Trojans weren’t scoring on layups or follow shots, Holmes was hitting from outside. He was 5 for 7 in the first half. So was forward Wayne Carlander. Dowell was 4 for 6.

“We were running in the first half, but we played more of a tempo game at the start of the second half,” Holmes said. “I think we were a little complacent.”

USC had only three turnovers at halftime, but OSU forced several in its 16-0 run with Flowers, Green and freshman guard Knox leading the offensive charge.

“Last year’s team would have cracked,” Holmes said, referring to the Beavers’ blitz. “But this team has a lot more maturity.”

The Trojans went 5 1/2 minutes without scoring in the second half after holding what seemed to be a comfortable 15-point lead.

Holmes finally ended the drought with a looping shot from the baseline. He finished with 14 points while Carlander and Dowell each had 15.

Oregon State (16-4, 6-3), a preseason favorite along with Washington to win the conference championship, is tied for second with UCLA, Arizona and Washington.

The Trojans move on to Seattle Thursday night to meet the Huskies before encountering Washington State (2-7) Saturday afternoon. PAC-10 STANDINGS

Conference All Games W L W L Pct USC 7 2 13 5 .722 UCLA 6 3 9 9 .500 Oregon St 6 3 16 4 .800 Arizona 6 3 15 6 .714 Washington 6 3 15 6 .714 Arizona St 4 5 9 10 .474 California 3 6 11 8 .579 Oregon 3 6 10 12 .455 Stanford 2 7 10 9 .526 Washington St 2 7 10 9 .526