Stoudamire Finds His Touch Quickly Against USC, 94-73 : College basketball: After a tough game against Bruins, Arizona guard scores 23 points in victory over Trojans.

Two days after suffering through his worst shooting game of the season in a loss to UCLA, Arizona guard Damon Stoudamire came out to redeem himself against USC on Saturday at the McKale Center.

The Trojans learned Stoudamire is a man of his word.

The senior point guard scored 23 points, including 14 in the first six minutes, to lead No. 11 Arizona to a 94-73 victory over the Trojans before 14,257.

After making only six of 21 shots, including one of 12 from three-point range, against the Bruins, Stoudamire made eight of 10 shots, including five of seven three-pointers, against USC.

“We were kind of praying that he would have two bad games in a row, but obviously he didn’t,” USC guard Stais Boseman said. “What makes him so tough is that he’s a point guard who’s free to shoot at any time. He’s quick and his confidence level is so high.”

Stoudamire, who also had nine assists and eight rebounds, got the Wildcats off to a 12-0 lead before Jaha Wilson scored on a layup for USC.

The Trojans, 7-9 overall and 2-4 in the Pacific 10, matched junior Burt Harris against Stoudamire because Harris helped hold him to five-of-16 shooting and 16 points in two games last season.

Then, however, the Wildcats had Khalid Reeves as their top scorer. This season, Stoudamire is their main man while Reeves fights for NBA playing time with the Miami Heat.

Arizona (13-4, 3-2) held a 55-29 lead at halftime.

“They came out to prove a point and make a statement following their loss from the other night,” said USC Coach Charlie Parker, whose team has lost two in a row. “Without question, they were the better team in that they were more focused and played with more determination.”

USC was able to slow down Stoudamire in the second half when Parker turned to Boseman to guard him. Stoudamire scored only four second-half points--all against Claude Green--and was shut out by Boseman.

The Trojan problems then came from other areas when their guards continued to struggle to score from the outside. Cameron Murray, Brandon Martin, Harris, Boseman and Green combined to make only eight of 32 shots and in the two-game trip made only 15 of 58.

“It’s no secret that we play better and shoot better at home than we do away,” said Martin, who scored 11 points as a reserve. “But, as for why our guards are not getting shots to fall, I really don’t have an answer.”

Senior Lorenzo Orr and Wilson continued to be the only bright spots for the Trojans on the road. Orr finished with a team-high 22 points and eight rebounds, and Wilson added 17 and four.

“(Arizona) played extremely well in that they clicked in all areas,” Orr said. “We can’t get down because we’re just like everyone else in the conference in that we have to win our games at home because winning on the road is so difficult.”

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Trojan Notes

USC made only three of 19 three-point shots and seven of 34 the last two games. Burt Harris missed all six shots, five of them three-pointers. . . . Reserve center David Crouse had six points and four rebounds in 12 minutes. . . . Arizona made 19 of 27 shots (70%) in the first half. . . . USC made 24 of 29 free throws (83%).