Rudometkin’s Record Falls; So Do Trojans, 71-70

Wayne Carlander broke John Rudometkin’s all-time USC scoring record with a typical basket by the senior power forward Sunday afternoon against Texas.

It was a five-foot bank shot that tied the score at 65-65 with 2:23 left in the game at the Erwin Center.

It would be an appropriate story angle from a USC viewpoint if the Trojans went on to win the nonconference game.

But Mike Wacker, a senior forward, playing his last home game for the Longhorns, made the most dramatic play. It was a left-handed tap-in with nine seconds remaining to provide Texas with a 71-70 victory over USC.

USC called time out with eight seconds left before Texas called another timeout. When play resumed, reserve forward Troy LeMar inbounded the ball to guard Glenn Smith, who hustled over the center-court line.

Then, Smith passed off to wingman Ron Holmes, who cast off from about 22 feet. The ball hit the rim, bounced away and the Trojans, who have won many close games this season, were on the short end this time.

It was appropriate for Holmes to take the last shot. He kept USC in the game with his high, arching outside shots and finished 20 points. Carlander wound up with 16 points, breaking Rudometkin’s career-scoring record by one point. Carlander has 1,485 points in his four years at USC, while Rudometkin got 1,484 in three seasons from 1960 through 1962.

Rudometkin, who lives in Newcastle, Calif., near Sacramento, will be in Los Angeles Thursday night to present Carlander with the game ball used here against Texas.

The ceremony will take place before or at halftime of USC’s game with Oregon at the Sports Arena.

Carlander wasn’t thinking about Rudometkin’s record immediately after Sunday’s game. He has more significant things on his mind and so do his teammates.

USC, with a 12-4 Pacific 10 record, is striving to win its first conference championship in 24 years. The Trojans are one-game ahead of Oregon State and Washington, each 11-5, and need to win one more game to clinch a tie for the conference title.

The Trojans would also get the tie if Oregon State or Washington loses a game next week. The Beavers play UCLA Thursday night at Pauley Pavilion before playing USC on Saturday afternoon at the Sports Arena.

Washington meets California and Stanford Thursday night and Saturday afternoon, respectively, in the Bay Area.

Asked if he had been thinking about the record, Carlander said: “Not really, although it has been on my mind from time to time. It’s kind of good to get it out of the way.”

Carlander has started 113 straight games, or every one USC has played since the 6-8 forward was a freshman.

Putting the record in perspective, Carlander said: “It means consistency and just being there.”

Carlander has always been a tough, aggressive player, and Texas countered with strong inside players in the 6-9 Wacker and 6-10 center John Brownlee.

Wacker, who was accorded a long introduction before the game that attracted a crowd of only 3,441, finished with 24 points. Brownlee had a career-high 31 points.

Texas, 15-12 overall and 7-9 in the Southwest Conference (seventh place), beat USC at its own game--strong, inside play.

“Those two big guys just tore us apart inside,” USC Coach Stan Morrison said. “They did a great job of getting the ball to them, and it was appropriate that the game was won by one of the big guys.”

Texas had a 34-30 halftime lead and led most of the second half with leads ranging from four to seven points.

But USC’s pressure defense forced a couple of turnovers in the closing minutes and, when LeMar took Derrick Dowell’s pass and converted it into a layup, the Trojans led, 70-69, with 31 seconds left.

Texas called a timeout with 19 seconds left to set up a final shot. The Longhorns were able to put the ball up three times.

Guard Karl Willock missed from the baseline, Brownlee came up short on a follow shot and then Wacker found a hole in USC’s defense and got the ball down with his tap-in.

Wacker plays with his left knee heavily taped. Texas says it’s miraculous that he plays at all. He tore up his knee, ligament damage and a shattered kneecap in 1982, and wasn’t expected to play again.

But Wacker, the son of TCU football Coach Jim Wacker, went through an arduous rehabilitation regimen and, surprisingly, came back this season to become his team’s leading scorer and rebounder.

He’s a popular player here and his teammates wanted to win the game for him. They had never heard of John Rudometkin, nor of Carlander’ quest to break the 23-year-old record.

Texas had its own emotional impetus.

Morrison constantly revised his lineup in an effort to shut down Wacker and Brownlee. Center Clayton Olivier fouled out trying, Rod Keller was used, Charlie Simpson made a cameo appearance and then LeMar, who seldom plays, came in to front the post along with Carlander.

“We had three major problem areas,” Morrison said. “In the first half, it was our sloppy ball handling, cuts at half speed and missing some easy shots.

“We also missed some free throws (USC was 8 for 15 from the line and Texas 21 of 28) and, of course, there were those big guys from Texas.”

Brownlee transferred to Texas from North Carolina, where he wasn’t getting much playing time under Dean Smith. He sat out last season and became a starter this year.

He made 11-of-18 shots, most of them from close range.

“It’s one of the best games we’ve played,” Brownlee said. “We’re a physical team and so is USC, and the officials let us do our own thing. USC is definitely a top-20 team (the polls would disagree) and it must have been difficult for them considering they had to travel across the country after playing that four-overtime game against UCLA Thursday night.”

Texas continues its season next week in the Southwest Conference tournament. USC, now 18-8 overall, is shooting for the Pac-10 championship and a berth in the NCAA tournament.

The Trojans most likely will get into the tournament even if they don’t win the conference championship. The NCAA field has been expanded to 64 teams this year and the Pac-10 may place as many as four teams into the tournament.

Trojan Notes Ron Holmes, with his 20 points (10 of 12 from the field), is now seventh on USC’s all-time scoring list with 1,171 points. . . . Derrick Dowell (15 points), Wayne Carlander and Holmes accounted for 51 of USC’s 70 points. . . . Texas out-rebounded USC, 26-22. . . . Carlander said that Texas is unlike any Pac-10 team USC plays in the sense that it has two physical players who post up all the time.