Payton’s ‘C-Minus’ Performance Beats USC Despite 37 by Miner

Harold Miner, USC’s extraordinary freshman, put on a shooting clinic in Thursday night’s game against Oregon State, scoring 37 points, two shy of the school single-game freshman scoring record.

And Gary Payton, Oregon State’s All-American, put on a point guard clinic, scoring 28 points and getting 12 assists as the No. 17 Beavers defeated the Trojans, 92-82, before 2,129 at the Sports Arena.

Payton also played to the crowd. After throwing a no-look pass to set up teammate Will Brantley for a layup, Payton glared at the USC student section that had been taunting him.

Payton, who made 11 of 18 shots, including four three-point baskets, before fouling out with 17 seconds left, said it was one of his worst efforts of the season.

“I think it was a C-minus,” Payton said when asked to grade himself. “I don’t think I played really well, but I kicked it up a little bit at the end. I think we played average and that’s because I wasn’t controlling the team like I was supposed to.

“It was all my fault that we weren’t playing right. When I started taking over the game and getting people the ball, I think we started playing better.”

USC Coach George Raveling thought Payton was too hard on himself.

“If that was a C-minus effort by Payton, then that just proves how great he is,” Raveling said. “I think most coaches in the country would be very happy to have Payton in the lineup playing at a C-minus level.

“I didn’t go into the game with any idea that we would come up with any radical defense to stop Payton. The only three things I know to stop Payton with are ineligibility or to kidnap him or shoot him. That’s about the only way you can stop him.

“The only thing you can do is play defense against him and pray.”

Oregon State didn’t play very good defense against Miner in the first half, during which he scored 23 points. The 37 total points equaled his best performance of the season, in a 92-68 victory over Central Connecticut State.

“I think it’s becoming more and more evident that he’s one of the top five freshmen in the country,” Raveling said of Miner.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s certainly up there in an elite class.”

Miner missed a jumper with eight seconds remaining that would have tied Cliff Robinson’s USC freshman record of 39 points.

“I’m not worrying about records right now,” Miner said. “I just want to win.”

Miner made 13 of 24 shots from the field, including six three-point attempts. He also made five of six free throws.

While Miner was USC’s main weapon, Oregon State (15-2 overall, 8-0 in Pac-10 play) displayed more balance in winning its 10th consecutive game. The Beavers had six players in double figures.

Forward Teo Alibegovic scored 15 points in the second half and Brantley also had 15 points.

The Trojans lost their third in a row to fall to 6-9 and 1-7. Forward Ronnie Coleman scored 24 points, making 11 of 19 shots, but the Trojans’ other starters weren’t as productive.

Center Chris Munk had eight points, guard Robert Pack six and forward Calvin Banks two. Munk missed seven of nine shots.

“Besides Payton, the thing that led to our ultimate demise was that we didn’t get enough production out of the three other positions besides Coleman and Miner,” Raveling said.

“If we had, we might have made the game more interesting.”

Trojan Notes

The Trojans will play Oregon Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Sports Arena. . . . The USC-UCLA game, originally scheduled for 8:30 p.m. next Thursday at the Sports Arena, has been rescheduled to 8 p.m.