Trojans Suffer a Late KO

USC took it on the chin in more ways than one from Arizona State on Saturday.

First there was the game, a 93-81 loss to the Sun Devils before 11,534 at the Wells Fargo Center. It was the Trojans’ fifth consecutive loss in Pacific-10 Conference play, dropping their record to 13-11, 6-6. Surging Arizona State (16-9, 8-5) won its fourth consecutive conference game for the first since the 1994-95 season, and swept UCLA and USC at home for the first time since the 1985-86 season.

Then came the brawl.

As the teams went to shake hands after the game, an altercation erupted between USC’s Jeff Trepagnier and Arizona State’s Awvee Storey. The pair--who were each nailed with a technical foul in the first half--were quickly engulfed in a pile of players, coaches and several fans from the stands before order was restored.

What triggered the brief meeting of the fists depends on whom you ask. Trepagnier, who said he got an elbow from Storey in the back of the head and another elbow in the mouth from Arizona State guard Eddie House during the game, said something was said and that he was struck by Storey, which triggered the combat.

“He just came up and there was a big squabble,” said Trepagnier, who had 11 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out. “He said something, but I can’t remember what it was. The next thing I know there was a big gang of people and I was trying to protect myself.”

Storey, who also fouled out with three points and two rebounds, said Trepagnier started the fight. “I was hit and then the next thing is all these people piled on top of me.”

No one knew whether to expect some disciplinary action from conference officials next week. “If the Pac-10 does something, well, it’s in their hands,” Storey said.

USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett, who attended the game, said he and Arizona State Athletic Director Kevin White met with both coaches after the game and felt what and who started the incident was not that clear-cut. “It’s ‘he said, he said,’ ” Garrett said. “We felt it was an unfortunate incident, but the game is over. And to not let it happen again.”

The seeds for high tempers may have been sown earlier. On Friday, Arizona State was held up 45 minutes for its afternoon practice by the Trojans. When Arizona State came for its Saturday morning shoot-around, it found a pair of basketballs with obscene statements scuffed into the leather.

Naturally Storey, a sophomore who transferred to Arizona State from Illinois, felt the Trojans had done the defacing. “You expect that from California schools,” he said.

Whatever, the Sun Devils came to the arena in a combative mood and it carried over onto the floor. Arizona State was called for a season-high 32 fouls, while USC was whistled 26 times.

Afterward, USC Coach Henry Bibby talked about what wasn’t called. It was similar to complaints he made about Arizona State last month in Los Angeles. In USC’s overtime win there, the Trojans shot 43 free throws. On Saturday they went to the line 41 times.

“The whole game [USC] guys were getting hit pretty hard,” Bibby said. “And there was nothing called again. I think the officials let the game get out of hand from the beginning. And then you get altercations like this. It’s terrible.”

Arizona State Coach Rob Evans said, “I only get one story and I’m not going to let anything take away from this win. We run a class organization. They tried every way to get us unfocused but we wouldn’t.”

House, coming off a 40-point game in the win over UCLA Thursday, led all scorers with 28 points. He also had eight rebounds and five assists.

Brandon Granville, who made five of eight three-point attempts but was 0 for 6 from the rest of the floor, led USC with 22 points.