Oregon State’s Plan Works

USC knew exactly what Oregon State wanted to do in overtime at Corvallis on Saturday night.

“They had to go to [guard Deaundra] Tanner,” Coach Henry Bibby said. “He’s the one who takes shots when the game is on the line.”

But knowing that and defending against it were two different matters. The Trojans could not stop Tanner from taking over the game with a pair of three-point shots and four free throws.

“We lost Tanner on some screens,” USC guard Brandon Granville said. “They were looking for him on every play.”

At the other end, Oregon State used a triangle-and-two defense to cover USC guards Adam Spanich and Larry Ayuso, both of whom had hurt Oregon with their outside shooting two nights earlier. Against the Beavers, Spanich had nine points and Ayuso had six.

“They have a plan,” Bibby said of Oregon State. “They play different defenses. They go with the percentages.”

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The Trojans, whose rotation usually goes eight or nine players deep, stuck with seven players for most of the game against the Beavers.

Forward Jarvis Turner played only five minutes and forward Greg Lakey played only three. David Bluthenthal and Shannon Swillis never left the bench.

Meanwhile, all five starters played more than 30 minutes. Center Brian Scalabrine, the team’s iron man, stayed on court the whole game, finishing with 15 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots in 45 minutes.