Everything Goes Wrong for Trojans

USC Coach George Raveling simply shook his head after the Trojans embarrassed themselves in an 82-65 loss to Washington Thursday night before 2,316 fans at Hec Edmundson Pavilion.

The Trojans, who shot a season-low 36.9%, didn’t look very much like a team fighting for an NCAA tournament bid as the Huskies handed them their most decisive loss since a 17-point defeat at UCLA on Jan. 2.

“The wheels just fell off tonight,” Raveling said after the Trojans had a three-game winning streak snapped. “It’s just a total shock to me that at this point in the season that we would play a game like we played tonight, especially with so much riding on it.

“I don’t have an answer for it. I thought our preparation coming into the game was good and I thought our concentration was good.

“I’m hurt. I’m shocked. It’s been a long, long time in my coaching career since I’ve been more hurt than I am with this game.”

“As I told them in the locker room, I didn’t recognize anybody on the floor tonight. It was just a disaster.”

Raveling says the Trojans (16-9 overall and 7-8 in Pacific 10 Conference play) must win their final three games to earn their first NCAA bid since 1985. The Trojans play at Washington State Saturday and end the regular season against Washington and Washington State next week at the Sports Arena.

“Some guy seeing us for the first time would wonder how we ever got in a position to be considered for the NCAA, because we sure didn’t do anything here to leave an impression that we deserve consideration for the tournament,” Raveling said. “I don’t think at this late juncture of the season that a team that has a chance to go to the tournament should be playing the way we played tonight.”

Unable to penetrate Washington’s zone defense, Trojan guards Harold Miner, Robert Pack and Duane Cooper couldn’t hit from the outside and combined to make only seven of 34 shots. Cooper made one of 10, Miner seven of 17 and Pack three of seven.

“We just came out flat,” said Miner, who had a team-high 19 points. “Maybe we took them too lightly. I really can’t explain a game like this.”

The Trojans scored a season-low 26 points in the first half and shot a season-worst 31.4% in the first 20 minutes.

“Right from the very start, we just never gave an effort that you would think a team that had an opportunity to go to the NCAA would exhibit,” Raveling said. “Our defense was poor and we didn’t have any offense to carry us.”

The Trojans, who trailed by as many as 21 points in the second half, were as baffled as Raveling by their lack of effort.

“We just came out flat and they came out playing well,” said forward Ronnie Coleman, who had 18 points and 13 rebounds. “We rebounded well, but our defense was horrible.”

All five starters scored in double figures as the Huskies (4-11, 13-12) ended a seven-game losing streak and posted their biggest margin since a 26-point victory over UCLA in 1986.

Forward Dion Brown had 19 points and forward Doug Meekins added 16. Center Mike Hayward and guard Brent Merritt scored 14 points apiece.

‘It’s good to get the monkey off our back,” Washington Coach Lynn Nance said after the Huskies won their first game since Jan. 26.