USC Savors Victory Over Notre Dame : College basketball: It’s not football, but Trojans have beaten Irish two years in a row and lead series, 5-4.

So what if it wasn’t football. A victory over Notre Dame is always special to USC, no matter what the sport. Especially when the Trojans have not defeated the Irish football team in 11 years.

That was the feeling Saturday for the Trojans after they defeated Notre Dame, 75-64, before 4,296 at the Sports Arena.

“It’s not just a basketball game,” USC forward Lorenzo Orr said. “It’s the big rivalry between the two schools: USC and Notre Dame. It’s great beating Notre Dame in any sport.”

From Orr’s alley-oop two-handed dunk that opened the game, USC dominated the Irish to win its fourth consecutive game and improve to 4-1.

USC has defeated Notre Dame two years in a row and leads the series, 5-4.

The Trojans never trailed and were never really threatened as they bullied Notre Dame--leading by as much as 19 in the second half--with aggressive defense and balanced scoring.

Leading the Trojans were Brandon Martin, who made three three-point baskets for a career-high 19 points, and Burt Harris and Mark Boyd, who scored 15 points each.

As usual, Orr, a 6-foot-7 junior, got USC off to a fast start with 11 first-half points on four-of-four shooting from the field. But it was on defense that he and his teammates set the tone by shutting down Notre Dame’s leading scorer, Monty Williams.

“No question, in the first half we came after them and were physical,” USC Coach George Raveling said. “That’s the way we have to be. We can afford to be physical because we have such great depth.”

With Orr, Boyd and Tremayne Anchrum guarding him closely, Williams, who was averaging 30 points before the game, had only four points with 5:35 left.

On offense, USC got the ball inside to Orr, challenging Williams defensively. The Trojans took a 41-27 halftime lead.

“We really knew what they were trying to do,” said Harris, who had three assists and two three-point baskets. “They didn’t surprise us with anything. The coaches had us really prepared for them.”

With the same starting lineup of Orr, Boyd, Martin, Harris and freshman Jaha Wilson for the second consecutive game, USC looked like a team that might be a force in the Pacific 10 Conference.

The Trojans forced 23 turnovers and outrebounded Notre Dame, 36-24, with Boyd leading the way with nine.

The only time the Irish challenged in the second half came after Ryan Hoover’s consecutive three-pointers with 14 minutes remaining. That made it 44-37.

USC, however, responded with an eight-point spurt with Harris scoring five and Boyd three.

“I was really impressed with Southern Cal,” said Notre Dame Coach John MacLeod. “They really fight and scratch for everything, and they are really deep in talent.”

Williams led the Irish with 17 points, but most came late in the second half when the outcome was all but decided.

“Based on how we commenced the season, this game was a benchmark for us,” Raveling said, referring to the Trojans’ 77-62 loss to Pennsylvania in the season opener.

“I felt, if in fact we were going to grow and be a serious contender in the league, we had to beat Notre Dame and beat them in a manner we could feel good about.”

Trojan Notes

Lorenzo Orr, who injured his right ankle in the second half but returned, took only one shot in the second half and finished with 11 points, five rebounds and two blocks. . . . USC made only 10 of 24 free throws in the second half. . . . USC has a 43-5 record at the Sports Arena since March 1990. . . . . Because of final exams, the Trojans will not play until Saturday against Cal State Sacramento at the Sports Arena.