USC’s New Beginning Goes Awry in Rout

For 10 minutes, USC played like a team determined to give Henry Bibby a victory in his first game as interim coach. Then reality set in against No. 25 Stanford.

The Cardinal shot 60.7% from the field and ran away from an undermanned USC team to win, 99-69, before 5,982 at Maples Pavilion Thursday night.

With center Avondre Jones absent, the Trojans were no match for Stanford in dropping to 11-11 overall and 4-6 in the Pacific 10 Conference. The Cardinal improved to 14-5, 7-3.

Bibby, who took over Wednesday after Charlie Parker was fired, did not have an easy game to begin his Trojan coaching career as Jones failed to make the trip.

“[Jones] is suspended until we return to L.A.,” Bibby said. “There was a ticket for him to come, but we didn’t hear from him. It’s important for our program to move on and for us to have everyone going in the same direction and, obviously, Avondre is not going in the same direction.”

USC shot 33.3% from the floor and was outrebounded, 46-32, by Stanford. The Trojans have now lost two in a row and 10 of their last 15 games.

“My job is to improve this program,” Bibby said. “We want to focus in the direction of our young people. Charlie Parker is a very good friend of mine, but we just have to get ready to go on from here.”

For a team with a reputation for being fragile, the Trojans could not overcome the distractions of playing for a new coach and without their starting center against a Stanford team looking to avenge an early season loss to USC at the Sports Arena.

“We played hard, but it was like we had an emotional hangover,” said Brandon Martin, a senior guard. “We were so built up and ready to play that we hit a spot where we had a letdown.”

Stanford jumped on top of USC early with two three-point baskets by Dion Cross and another by Brevin Knight for an 11-2 lead minutes into the game. USC then gave Stanford a scare with aggressive play on both ends of the court, outscoring the Cardinal, 15-5, over the next eight minutes to take a 17-16 lead.

“They came out and got really physical early,” Stanford Coach Mike Montgomery said. “They were bouncing us around pretty good.”

Behind strong inside play by Jaha Wilson, who finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds, USC stayed close until the Cardinal spurted in the final 10 minutes of the half with a 25-13 run to take a 45-33 halftime lead.

Any hopes of a USC rally ended early in the second half when Bibby had to go to a small lineup once 6-foot-11 David Crouse, who replaced Jones, and 6-8 Maurice Strong got into foul trouble.

With Stanford ahead, 59-44, Strong fouled out and with the Cardinal ahead, 72-47, with 9:19 remaining, Crouse picked up his fifth foul. USC then had to use a lineup with the 6-5 Wilson at center along with four guards.

Andy Poppink took advantage with 20 points and nine rebounds, while reserve Mark Seaton stepped up with 18 and seven.

“We weren’t really focused, but our problems tonight were the same that they’ve been all season,” Cameron Murray said. “We really can’t use the past couple of days as an excuse. It’s our same offense and our same defense.”