Trojans, 0-9 in Pacific 10, Play Oregon

USC guard Anthony Pendleton hopes to be at full strength for today’s game against Oregon at the Sports Arena at 3 p.m. He was bothered by a sore back in USC’s 74-65 loss to Oregon State Thursday night.

Pendleton, the Trojans’ leading scorer with a 16.0 average, strained his lower back at Washington State last weekend and played 4 scoreless minutes against Oregon State.

“We took a gamble playing him hoping he’d get lucky and hit a couple of baskets,” USC Coach George Raveling said.

The Trojans have a 9-game losing streak. They led Oregon by as many as 11 points in a game last month but eventually lost, 64-62, on a last-second shot.

USC is 7-13 overall and 0-9 in the Pacific 10 Conference. Oregon (7-12 and 2-7) has lost four straight.

Frank Johnson, a 6-foot 1-inch senior guard, is the Ducks’ top player. He had 17 points and 12 rebounds in an 80-74 loss to UCLA on Thursday night.