Coleman’s Late Flourish Helps USC Win : College basketball: He scores seven of Trojans’ final 10 points as they win, 76-73. Pack keeps them ahead in early going.

For USC’s basketball team, winning is never easy. Saturday at the Sports Arena, the Trojans kept true to form with a 76-73 nonconference victory over St. Francis of Pennsylvania before 1,236.

In a game in which it never led or trailed by more than eight points, USC needed late second-half heroics from junior forward Ronnie Coleman and freshman guard Harold Miner to improve to 3-3.

St. Francis, a Division I school from Loretta, Pa., with an enrollment of 1,200, is 5-2.

After a slow first half, Coleman scored 13 of his 16 points in the second half, including seven of the Trojans’ last 10 in the game.

It was Coleman’s three-point play after a nifty inside assist from Miner that put USC ahead, 75-73, with 48 seconds remaining.

After Miner got the ball to Coleman, he hit a short bank shot, was fouled by Antoine Patterson and made the free throw.

Miner also had a key offensive rebound and basket in the final two minutes.

“I think that this was Harold’s best game since he has been here,” USC Coach George Raveling said.

“He made two big plays for us down the stretch that were senior-type plays.”

Miner, who finished with 15 points, including a twisting one-hand scoop shot early in the second half, agreed.

“I knew that I had to come through for us at the end,” said Miner, who scored 25 points in USC’s season-opening victory over Prairie View A&M.;

“Overall, this was definitely my best game.”

USC guard Robert Pack, who finished with a game-high 23 points, kept the Trojans in front early with his outside shooting.

Pack, who went into the game making 12.5% of his three-point attempts, made four of five Saturday. The Trojans made six of 14 from long distance, after making only six as a team before Saturday’s game.

“I had to take the shot because their game plan was to back off inside,” Pack said. “They were leaving me wide open and I was able to see it there.”

Raveling praised Pack’s efforts both on both offense and defense. Pack was a key reason why Red Flash scoring guard Mike Iuzzolino attempted only 11 shots.

“Pack played an excellent game,” Raveling said. “He played really smart on their guard (Iuzzolino) in the second half.”

The Trojans took a 24-18 lead before the 10-minute mark, but St. Francis pulled to within 32-30 with 6:13 remaining on its outside shooting.

Behind the scoring of forward Joe Anderson and Iuzzolino, the Red Flash tied the score three times in the last six minutes of the first half, before Pack made a jumper giving the Trojans a 44-42 halftime lead.

Pack had 19 points in the period.

With center Chris Munk in foul trouble for most of the game, the Trojans relied on the inside play of junior forward Calvin Banks, who finished with eight rebounds.

With Coleman scoring two baskets and Banks controlling the boards early in the second half, USC increased its lead to 53-45.

But St. Francis again rallied, with Anderson scoring seven points, to take a 69-68 lead with 3:52 remaining in the second half, setting up Coleman and Miner’s finish.

Coleman, who was making only 38.2% of his free throws going into the game, made two key foul shots late in the game, which he credits to extra practice during the week.

“I was shooting 200 to 500 extra foul shots a day trying to get my shot consistent,” Coleman said. “My problem was that I wasn’t following through.”

Coleman also blocked a driving layup by Red Flash guard Harkeem Dixon, giving the Trojans possession with 28 seconds left.

St. Francis was led by Anderson, who finished with 17 points, and Iuzzolino, who entered the game with a 19.8 scoring average and finished with 18 points. He had only eight points in the second half.

USC will play host to Central Connecticut State at 3 p.m. Thursday at the Sports Arena.