USC Is Outclassed by Tennessee

With only one scoring threat, a flaccid front line and facing quicker, sharper-shooting guards, USC found itself defenseless against Tennessee’s three-guard attack Tuesday night at the Sports Arena.

The Volunteers (10-0) jabbed at the Trojans all night and defeated USC, 74-70, playing the kind of basketball that Trojan Coach Henry Bibby said before the season he envisioned his team playing.

Before 3,204 fans, many rooting for Tennessee, sophomore Vegas Davis and junior Brandon Wharton pummeled USC from the outside and the Volunteers shot 52.4% from behind the three-point line.

The Trojans made only 28.6% of their three-point attempts (six of 21).

Davis scored 23 points and made five of seven from three-point range. Wharton had 16 points and five assists.

The Volunteers bullied the Trojans under the basket in the first half and showed that in order to muffle USC’s offense, all a team has to do is stop junior forward Adam Spanich.

“As teams scout us they are going to see who shoots the ball,” Bibby said. “We don’t have a lot of scorers.”

The 6-foot-7 Spanich was six for 17 from the field and made only three of 10 three-point attempts to finish with 15 points. With junior shooting guard Elias Ayuso sidelined, the Trojans were without another outside threat.

Suffering their fifth loss in a row, the Trojans (4-6) again allowed a team to dominate them inside. Only Greg Lakey, at the start of the second half, showed any willingness to go to the basket.

“Things will get better as soon as we get Jarvis [Turner] back,” said freshman forward Shannon Swillis, referring to the team’s best inside scorer, who has been out because of a broken left hand. “I rebound and block shots and if I score I score but I leave it mostly to other guys. As soon as Greg Lakey gets more experienced he’s going to be tough too.”

Senior Anthony White, who had been sidelined all season because of a broken foot, played 18 minutes, scoring four points and grabbing four rebounds.

Lakey revved up the Trojans by scoring eight of the USC’s first 11 points in the second half. But he would get no more, and the Volunteers went on an 11-1 run to go ahead, 63-51, with 9:41 to play.

The Trojans got back within eight with 3:51 left but failed to score on their next eight possessions.

“You’re going to have nights like these when you have so little experience,” Bibby said. “We started four freshman tonight. I thought they played well and I thought they put out a lot of effort. We’re at a building stage at this point.”