Boseman Does His Job; USC Still Loses : College basketball: Defensive specialist contains Stoudamire, but Arizona wins, 89-80.

USC and its top defensive player, Stais Boseman, found out the hard way that No. 12 Arizona doesn’t need high-scoring Damon Stoudamire’s points to win.

With Boseman hawking Stoudamire all over the court and limiting the Wildcats’ senior guard to 11 points and six shots, Arizona turned to Joseph Blair and Reggie Geary in handing the Trojans their eighth consecutive loss, 89-80, Thursday night before 3,565 at the Sports Arena.

In a 21-point loss at Arizona last month, Stoudamire scored 17 points against USC in the first 10 minutes. The Trojans were determined not to have that happen again, so they had Boseman cover him in a box-and-one special defense.

“(Boseman) plays pretty good defense,” said Stoudamire, who was averaging 21.8 points per game. “We don’t really play against a box-and-one very often, and he did a real good job of denying me the ball.”

Boseman’s defense was so impressive that at times he frustrated Stoudamire into yelling at his teammates for help with more picks in their half-court offense.

“You could tell that he was (getting frustrated) because he elbowed me in the stomach a few times,” said Boseman, who scored 15 points.

USC’s problem was that Boseman could not guard the rest of the Wildcats, who as a team made 31 of 56 shots for 55.4% from the field.

Blair, a 6-foot-9 junior center, threw his size around inside for 18 points and nine rebounds, and Geary made five wide-open three-pointers and also finished with 18 points.

Arizona, which improved to 19-5 overall and 9-3 in the Pacific 10 Conference, also received a strong effort from freshman Miles Simon, who made six of nine shots and finished with 15 points off the bench, and senior Ray Owes, who had 12 points and seven rebounds.

“This definitely was a team win,” Arizona Coach Lute Olson said. “We shot 55.4% tonight because we had 55.4% type of shots. If the shot goes, then shoot it, but it the shot doesn’t go in, then someone else is going to have to shoot it. We just can’t rely on one or two people.”

For most of the first half, USC appeared ready to take on the role as spoiler, thanks to some outside shooting from Burt Harris and Brandon Martin, who combined for 11 first-half points as reserves.

Arizona led, 43-38, at halftime, but the Wildcats were able to get Lorenzo Orr, USC’s top scorer, into early foul trouble.

In the second half, Arizona wore down the Trojans once Orr and Boseman each picked up his fourth foul with more than eight minutes left in the game. When Orr, who had eight points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes, fouled out with 3:51 remaining, USC’s hopes for a late comeback went with him.

“Arizona’s interior hurt us, particularly in the second half,” said USC Coach Charlie Parker, whose team dropped to 7-15 and 2-10. “I looked down on our bench and, with only one 6-3 guy left, it doesn’t give us many choices. We just don’t have enough to go against their size.”

USC’s recent poor shooting slump did not come to an end, but the Trojans did manage to make 45.6% of their shots, which is an improvement from their last seven games.

What hurt the Trojans the most was their free-throw shooting as they made only 11 of 22 attempts, after entering the game second in the conference with a 73% average.

“They just wore us down with their depth,” Boseman said. “Simon and Geary both stepped up with big shots and Blair was a monster down inside. You have to give Arizona credit. They are a good team.”