Trojans Fade Out Into Maui Sunset

The sweat-soaked red-and-gold uniforms and the late gasps for air told as much of the story as the final score.

There are going to be games in which having only five or six players to count on is not going to be enough, no matter the heart of the effort. USC found that out Monday, getting worn down and ultimately worn out by fifth-ranked North Carolina, 82-65, in the first round of the 16th Maui Invitational tournament.

USC (1-1) was entertaining and gritty, trailing only 54-52 with less than 10 minutes to play, and was down only 68-61 with 5:45 left. But North Carolina--which had most of the vocal backing of the 2,400 in the Lahaina Civic Center--was too big, too deep and too good to overcome in its opener.

North Carolina moves on to play Georgetown in today’s semifinals. USC will play Memphis in the consolation round this morning.

“I don’t know if their depth got to us,” USC Coach Henry Bibby said. “But that’s the hand we’re dealt.”

Several Trojans put forth game, solid efforts. Sam Clancy, playing despite a 102-degree temperature, delivered 23 points, exceeding his career high for the second consecutive game, and pulled down seven rebounds while fending off North Carolina’s 7-foot center, Brendan Haywood.

“I knew this would be one of our biggest games and there was no way I was going to miss it,” Clancy said.

Brandon Granville had 15 points and a career-high 11 assists. Jarvis Turner, who had not practiced in Hawaii because of a bad ankle, did not score but hobbled around for 12 minutes and grabbed two rebounds.

The big game USC needed from Brian Scalabrine did not materialize, however. The sophomore center had a tough time navigating around the sky-scraping front lines the Tar Heels threw at him, missing eight of 13 shots, among them four that were blocked. He had 13 points and four rebounds.

“They were very good,” Scalabrine said of the Tar Heels. “My first jump-hook, Haywood just stood there and blocked it. Our coaches told us they would not go for fakes, but it’s hard to adjust your game when you use those fakes all the time.”

What USC will look back on is its inability to stop North Carolina’s 14-4 burst in the last five minutes. It was evident that the Trojans, who had 13 turnovers, didn’t have the energy to hold back the Tar Heels any longer.

“We made some crucial mistakes and turned the ball over late,” Bibby said. “With five minutes to go, it’s 68-61 and we’re right there. It could have been the depth, but I don’t usually agree with that. You’re there to play a basketball game, the game is within reach, and you have to put it away.”

That’s what North Carolina did, thanks especially to its guards.

Freshman Joseph Forte made his Tar Heel debut a memorable one with a game-high 24 points. He made nine of 12 shots, including all four of his three-point attempts.

Ed Cota, a senior and All-America candidate, was scoreless until the last 9:30. He broke the drought with a three-point basket and finished with 15 points and 10 assists.

“We kept it close and the coaches kept telling us he would take the game over,” Clancy said of Cota. “And he did just that. We broke down defensively. He took us to the hole, got where he wanted to go, and made those floaters.”

North Carolina, which never trailed, made 65% of its shots, while USC made 40%. The Tar Heels didn’t dominate the boards with their superior size, finishing with a 34-33 advantage, but they didn’t need to.

UCLA TONIGHT’S OPENER

Fairfield

at UCLA

8:15

KXTA (1150)

Ready or not, the banged-up Bruins open the season with a nonconference game at Pauley Pavilion. Page 6