Flight of Fancy Ends for USC : College basketball: Trojans’ visions of victory and an NCAA tournament bid are dashed by Arizona, 87-76.

It was only a dream, but it was fun for USC while it lasted. Surprisingly, it lasted a long time against the best team in the Pacific 10 Conference on Thursday night.

Arizona, winning its 15th consecutive home game, outlasted the Trojans, 87-76. It was the eighth time in a row USC (16-10 overall, 9-8 in the Pac-10) lost at McKale Center.

Although the Trojans sank only four of their first 18 shots, the three-point shooting of Phil Glenn and Dwayne Hackett helped make it a game until there was 5:42 to play.

Arizona (23-3, 16-1) led, 67-58, but the Trojans lost their last hope when Lorenzo Orr, picking up two fouls in three seconds, fouled out.

That freed Chris Mills, hounded by Orr all night, to accelerate on offense. Mills scored 13 of his game-high 28 points from there out to close out the victory.

Mills also had 16 rebounds to give the Wildcats a big edge.

Coach George Raveling had said all week it was his dream to win twice in Arizona, finish with an 18-9 record and go to the NCAA tournament.

Instead, the best he can hope for is a split on the trip, with a victory at Arizona State on Saturday, and a bid to the National Invitation Tournament.

Though the Wildcats seemed listless early, and USC was getting shots in bunches, only Glenn--who set a season three-point record with 86, three more than Anthony Pendleton had in 1989--could sink anything in the first half.

Glenn was four for six on three-point shooting and five for eight overall from the field in the first half.

The rest of the team was six for 30--a mere 20%--and USC was behind, 38-31.

“I think the terrible shooting early beat us,” Raveling said. “We must have had 10 layups we missed early.

“It was really disappointing. They gave us a chance to steal it, and we failed to do it.

“It’s like somebody leaving the door open and the windows, too, and the robber not finding anything of value.”

One of the reasons the Trojans stayed in the game was that they never stopped shooting. They had a season-high 74 shots, and most of them were shots Raveling wanted them to take.

A three-pointer by Glenn and the second basket of the night by Orr cut the lead to two points in the first two minutes of the second half.

Arizona guard Damon Stoudamire, who finished with 16 points, restored order, leading an effort that rebuilt a 10-point lead.

The Trojans rallied again, this time with Hackett--whose has shot poorly from three-point range of late--sinking three in a row.

The Arizona lead was cut to six points, and several times the Trojans were in position to get closer. But their mistakes were costly.

Glenn finished with 25 points and Hackett had 15.

Although Raveling said he thinks Arizona will do well in the NCAA tournament, the Wildcats haven’t looked sharp in their last three games. After losing to California a week ago, they played poorly in beating Stanford and easily could have lost Thursday.

“I think Lute (Olson) has done a great job,” Raveling said. “This is a better team than he’s had for the last two years. For one thing, they seem to like each other real well. They play as a team, and everyone seems to understand his role.

“Mills is a really fine player, but I think Stoudamire is a key, too. If they can keep these two out of foul trouble, the Wildcats can go a long way.”

This was the fifth time this season the Trojans made 14 three-point shots. That’s one below the school record.

They shot 30.

No Trojan had more than four rebounds. Five players had four apiece.

Olson praised the Trojans for their hard work and Mills for a great game.

Of USC, Olson said: “They scare you with the three-pointers.”