USC Rally Comes Up Short at Buzzer : College basketball: Parker’s halftime ‘talk’ inspires Trojans, but last-gasp shot to tie misses and Utah wins, 72-70.

The growing pains continued for USC basketball Saturday in a dramatic 72-70 loss to Utah at the Sports Arena.

After spotting the Utes an 11-point halftime lead, USC rallied in the second half, only to have Brandon Martin miss a potential game-tying jumper from just inside the three-point line at the buzzer as the Trojans lost for the third time in four games this season.

With four seconds remaining in the game, USC had shooting guards Burt Harris, Cameron Murray, Ty Reuter and Martin in the lineup for the last shot. Murray in-bounded the ball to Harris, who drove to the top of the key before passing to an open Martin.

“We ran a play where everybody had a chance to (shoot),” USC Coach Charlie Parker said. “Burt (Harris) was our first option, but he was doubled. . . . We had a good shot, it just didn’t go in.”

In their three losses, the Trojans have found a different way to lose each time. Against fastbreak-minded New Mexico State, the Trojans blew a 15-point lead when they tired in the second half. In their loss to Temple, the Trojans were overmatched inside against the Owls’ halfcourt attack.

Against Utah, the Trojans wanted to stop the Utes’ inside game with Keith Van Horne and force the Utes to their perimeter game. The tactic worked for a while as they held a foul-plagued Van Horne scoreless in the first half, but backfired when Jimmy Carroll and Brandon Jessie combined to make seven three-pointers, including four in the first half.

After shooting 32% from the field, USC trailed at halftime, 36-25, as Utah outrebounded the Trojans, 25-12. The Utes appeared ready to blow the game open as the Trojans missed one open shot after another.

“In the first half, we struggled,” Parker said. “We played too tight. I wanted us to start attacking the basket and play loose.”

During halftime, Parker surprised the Trojans by yelling at them for the first time since taking over as interim coach two days before the start of the season in place of retired George Raveling.

“That got us really motivated because we had never seen him like that before,” said senior Lorenzo Orr, who sat for most of the first half with three fouls. “We were really fired up and we were embarrassed by how we played in the first half.”

Whatever Parker said worked. The Trojans scored the first eight points of the second half to cut Utah’s lead to 36-33. From there, the Utes turned to Jessie and Carroll, who combined to score seven of their next nine points.

“Normally, we want Van Horne and Jessie to shoot the ball,” Utah Coach Rick Majerus said. “But going into the game, (Carroll) was one for 16 from behind the three-point line. I told him to keep taking his shots, and that’s what he did.”

After a three-point shot by Carroll, who finished with 14 points, Utah had a 45-39 lead, but the Trojans rallied again to take a 51-49 lead midway through the second half.

That lead disappeared, however, as Van Horne, a former Diamond Bar High standout, scored all 16 of his points in the second half to help the Utes take a 66-59 lead with 3:59 remaining in the game.

The Trojans rallied again behind Jaha Wilson, who had a team-high 18 points and nine rebounds, and Orr, who finished with 15 points, to close to within three at 70-67 on a three-point basket by Murray with 1:03 left.

After two free throws by Utah sandwiched around a three-pointer by Harris, USC had its chance on Martin’s final shot.