USC Hangs Around but Eventually Has to Split

By MIKE TERRY

Feb. 18, 2000 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

TUCSON —

The USC Trojans gave a game performance against fourth-ranked Arizona Thursday but fell, 92-85, to the Wildcats before 14,531 at McKale Center.

No matter how noble the intentions, the slide continues. The loss was the fourth straight for USC (13-10, 6-5 in the Pacific 10 Conference) and fifth in its past six games.

In winning, Arizona, which was stunned by USC at the Sports Arena, 80-72, on Jan. 22, avoided being swept in the season series. The Wildcats improved to 22-4, 11-1.

Some gremlins that have plagued the Trojans the past two weeks showed up again. Such as a bad start to the second half (four turnovers in six minutes) while Arizona scored nine straight points on three-pointers by Jason Gardner, Gilbert Arenas and Luke Walton to take a 48-43 lead.

USC never regained the lead. The Trojans, as they have in three of the four losses, still found themselves with a chance to win or tie in the final seconds. They were down, 88-85, as guard Jeff Trepagnier launched what would have been a tying three-pointer with 22 seconds left. But the shot hit the back of the rim, and with it went USC’s last chance.

So Saturday’s matchup against Arizona State is a must-win game for the Trojans, who have to hope the Sun Devils spent all their emotion in walloping UCLA Thursday.

“We have to end this losing streak, Trepagnier said. “We’ve just got to get a couple of defensive stops here and there and a couple baskets when we need it.”

Brandon Granville echoed his backcourt mate’s sentiments: “Saturday is a must win,” he said. “We need five more wins to get into the [NCAA] tournament. We have to get a win Saturday.”

What also must be in the back of their minds is the fact the Trojans can’t play much better than they did Thursday.

Brian Scalabrine had a career-high 28 points. Trepagnier had 20 points and tied his career high in rebounds with 13 for his fourth double-double. Granville had 21 points and 11 assists, his eighth double-double.

USC even got solid production from little-used freshman center Kostas Charissis, who played 33 minutes and had career highs in points (nine) and rebounds (eight).

“It was a great win for us,” Arizona Coach Lute Olson said. “We have to give USC credit for the job they did. They are a very good basketball team.”

Said USC Coach Henry Bibby, “I can’t ask any more of my guys. We were in the game all the way. The guys hung in there and fought. It was one of our best performances. We were just a little bit short here and there.

“To play a very good Arizona team and have a chance to tie or win it at the end, you can’t ask for more.”

If Arizona expected to come out and roll over USC early, imagine the Wildcats’ surprise when the Trojans made nine of their first 14 shots and jetted to a 27-18 lead.

Even more surprising was the way they did it. Scalabrine, who had 16 first-half points, was having great success setting screens at the high post, then rolling toward the basket to catch lob passes from Granville and Trepagnier for easy layups.

Arizona center Loren Woods (17 points), who entered the game leading the conference in blocked shots with 102, seemed powerless to stop the plan.

“We were running our game plan nearly to perfection,” Bibby said.

But the Trojans then hit a dry spell, going more than four minutes without a field goal, and Arizona ran off seven straight points to get back in the game. The rest of the half USC’s lead never got higher than seven points and its advantage was pared to four, 43-39, by a miracle reverse layup by Arenas--who would lead Arizona with 21 points--at the half’s end.

“I thought the difference in the second half was we played defense with more emotion,” Olson said. “The first half we were awful. We let them catch the ball where they wanted and get open shots.”

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PACIFIC 10

STANDINGS

School: W-L

Arizona: 11-1

Stanford: 10-1

Oregon: 9-3

Arizona St.: 7-5

USC: 6-5

California: 5-6

UCLA: 4-7

Oregon St.: 3-9