Cougars Spoil Raveling’s Return to Pullman, 70-60

For the first time since he left here four years ago, George Raveling was loose on the Paloose again. There he was Saturday, roaming up and down the sideline, just like always, in the building where he used to work.

Raveling, who coached Washington State for 11 years, brought his new team, the USC Trojans, into town Saturday to play his old team at Friel Court in Raveling’s first appearance since he left these rolling hills and farmland and took off for Iowa.

But as it turned out, Homecoming Day was kind of a mixed bag for Raveling, as his Trojans lost their Pacific 10 opener, 70-60.

But Raveling still was glad to be back, right in the middle of all that southeastern Washington has to offer.

The game was a far less pleasurable experience for Raveling than seeing his friends again as Washington State, playing for the second time in 18 hours, said hello to its former coach and then beat him.

If Raveling’s return seemed likely to overshadow the game, the upstart Cougars made sure it did not.

Just as he had done Friday night, when he scored 34 points in a victory over UCLA, senior forward Joe Wallace, who had been a Cougar recruit of Raveling, led a front line that overpowered the Trojans by scoring 23 points.

The Trojans (4-4) led, 35-34, at halftime behind Derrick Dowell, who had 20 points by then.

But USC faded badly after Dowell reinjured his jammed left thumb early in the second half.

Dowell scored only six points in the second half.

“I don’t want to alibi,” he said, “but when I caught the ball, I would have to change my grip, and it also affected my shooting.”

Nothing much bothered Wallace’s shooting, especially in the first half, when he made 4 of 7 three-pointers. The Trojans fell behind, 30-19, but then moved their defense out and took a lead into the locker room at halftime after Dowell had success inside.

But in the second half, Washington State handled USC’s trapping half-court defense and worked the ball inside where 6-8 Brian Quinett, who had 16 points, and 6-9 Dwayne Scholten, who had 14, established superiority.

When the Trojan guards began committing turnovers, the Cougars ran away. Wallace’s three-pointer, his fifth of the game, inflated the lead to 63-44 and put Washington State atop the Pac-10 standings at 2-0.

It also made Coach Len Stevens, who had been an assistant to Raveling, a very happy person.

“I don’t even care if I get a present for Christmas,” said Stevens, who was not nearly as concerned about Ravling’s homecoming as the possible effects of playing two games in less than 24 hours.

“This is the fourth year that he’s been gone now,” Stevens said. “Most of the students weren’t even here when George was.”

Raveling tried his best to distance himself from all the emotions of coming back to Pullman and coaching against his former team. He asked that there be only one social function to celebrate his return and 150 turned out for that one, a Saturday breakfast put on by the Pullman Chamber of Commerce.

“Honestly, I tried not to get caught up in all that,” Raveling said. “But I am deeply appreciative of the people’s feelings for me.”

Raveling twice clapped along with the small crowd of 3,200 who chanted “Sit down, coach” when he stood up to shout instructions to his players during the game.

“Other than that, I don’t think I even thought about it,” he said.

There is something more for Raveling to think about and that is how to get more offense out of the Trojans. Besides Dowell, guard Rich Grande was the only other USC player to score in double figures. Grande also had six turnovers.

“We have to have a more potent offense,” Raveling said.

How?

“Recruit better players,” he said.

Trojan Notes

USC Coach George Raveling was impressed by Washington State, which he believes will be a factor in the Pac-10 race. “They beat one team they shouldn’t have (UCLA) and beat another team they probably should have,” Raveling said. “And they did it in less than 24 hours.” . . . Center Rod Keller, who was leading the Pac-10 in blocked shots, did not have any against Washington State. Keller played 30 minutes and scored two points. Another front-line starter, freshman Bob Erbst, had six points in 38 minutes. . . . Derrick Dowell was unhappy with the way the Trojans played. “We can’t be having this,” he said. “We seem too content. We have to change our mental outlook and get a killer instinct. To come out and play the way we did is really frustrating.” . . . USC plays at Washington in another Pac-10 game Tuesday night at Seattle.