Trojans Hold On for 53-46 Victory : College basketball: Despite Raveling’s recent involvement with Black Coaches Assn., they ‘keep focus’ and survive Washington rally.

For 22 minutes Thursday night at Hec Edmundson Pavilion, USC played some of its best basketball of the season.

But after the Trojans built a 16-point second-half lead over Washington, the Huskies came back to trail by only three before Tremayne Anchrum’s put-back of an offensive rebound with 3:14 to play ended the rally to secure a 53-46 USC victory.

The Trojans improved to 10-2 overall, 3-0 in the Pacific 10 Conference. The Huskies fell to 2-10 and 0-3.

Coach George Raveling thought that under the circumstances the Trojans did quite well. Raveling, involved in the Black Coaches Assn. protest and planned boycott, spent most of theweek on the telephone and being interviewed.

“I am proud of the way these kids were able to keep their focus,” Raveling said. “I’m happy it turned out this way. I think the kids wanted to protect the old man.”

Raveling would not commit on whether the scheduled game with Washington State will be played Saturday at Pullman, Wash. But he will hold a news conference today at noon at the team hotel in Moscow, Idaho.

The Huskies made three three-pointers early in the game, but their shooting, except for that of junior forward Scott Didrickson, was atrocious as the Bruins opened a 36-22 halftime lead. Didrickson was four of five in the half, the rest of the team two of 16.

In the second half, the Trojans, after making two baskets in the first two minutes, went six minutes without scoring and made only five more points in the next 12 minutes.

They wound up with only 17 points.

The Trojans might have had an easier time if they could have done well from the free-throw line. They thought the problem was solved last Saturday when they shot 81% from the line against Oregon. Against the Huskies, they were six of 19. Lorenzo Orr, who had eight points to trail Brandon Martin for scoring honors by a point, missed all four attempts.

Didrickson, with all his points coming in the first half, led all scorers with 11, the only player in double figures.

Washington, with Jamie Booker giving the team momentum, ran off a 9-2 streak late in the game that closed the gap to 47-44 before Anchrum put back a Burt Harris miss to make it 49-44, and Washington didn’t score again until they made two free throws with one second left.

Raveling was lavish in his praise of new Washington Coach Bob Bender, only 36 and coaching a team missing all of last year’s top players.

“He is getting as much out of his talent as anybody possibly could,” Raveling said. “They don’t win very often, but they are a tough team to beat. They give everyone a battle.

The Trojans, who shot 39.7% from the field, shot 31.6% from the free-throw line. The Huskies shot 27.3% and 60%.