Tulsa Defeats USC, 75-71, for Fifth Place in Honolulu

Jamal West scored 20 points, including a pair of free throws with 5 seconds left in the game, as Tulsa defeated USC, 75-71, Friday for fifth place in the Rainbow basketball tournament.

Center Ray Wingard added 16 points for Tulsa, which improved to 6-4. Michael Scott and Lamont Randolph got 10 points each.

Anthony Pendleton paced USC with 24 points, including 7 3-point shots. Ronnie Coleman added 16 for the Trojans, who dropped to 7-5.

USC tied the game, 65-65, when Pendleton capped a 7-0 run by sinking a 3-pointer with 3:10 to play. He had sparked the streak with a 3-point basket after Mark Giorgi gave Tulsa a 65-58 lead with 4:46 left on a 3-point field goal.

Tulsa took the lead for good on its next possession when Wingard hit a 12-foot jumper with 1:50 remaining.

Tulsa streaked to a 16-6 lead in the opening 8 minutes for its largest lead of the day. But Pendleton capped a 9-2 USC run with consecutive 3-point baskets, cutting the Golden Hurricanes’ lead to 24-22 with 4:52 left in the first half.

West had 11 points by halftime, giving Tulsa a 29-27 edge.