Overtime Doesn’t Ground Trojans

With a 5 p.m. flight to Los Angeles hovering over their heads, the last thing the USC Trojans needed Saturday was overtime.

And if the Trojans had played the last six minutes of regulation against the Washington Huskies the way they played the first 34 minutes, it wouldn’t have been a problem.

But USC blew a late 11-point lead, and trailed by a point after Deon Luton made a three-point shot with 65 seconds left. But David Bluthenthal made a free throw with 19.8 seconds to play to force overtime, and USC scrambled back to win, 81-79, before 8,652 at KeyArena.

It was the Trojans’ fourth consecutive victory, their longest streak since winning their first six games last season. USC improved to 9-5 overall and 2-0 in the Pacific 10 Conference. Washington fell to 6-8, 1-1. The win gave USC a sweep of the Washington schools on the road for the first time since 1985.

Brian Scalabrine, who grew up in Enumclaw, Wash., approximately 40 miles east of Seattle, had a season-high 24 points and nine rebounds. His driving layup with 49 seconds to play in the overtime gave the Trojans the lead for good, 80-79.

“Some things went for us, some things went against us. But we knocked down shots when we needed to,” said Scalabrine, who heard cries of “sellout” from the Husky fans every time he touched the ball.

Luton, who scored 21 points, missed a 20-footer with 16 seconds left. Jarvis Turner grabbed the rebound and fed the ball to Brandon Granville, who was quickly fouled.

Granville, with 14 points and 10 assists, made one of two free throws with 14.8 seconds to play. USC then held its breath until guard Michael Johnson missed a three-point attempt as time ran out.

“The guys didn’t give up today and they could have,” USC Coach Henry Bibby said. “Just a great game to win. Considering we didn’t win a game up here last year, to beat this team on their home court is something we’ll treasure.”

The Huskies, who beat UCLA two nights earlier, weren’t pleased.

“This is a tough one to explain or handle,” Washington Coach Bob Bender said. “We dug ourselves a hole, and we’ve got to get better at not putting ourselves in that position.”

USC--which jumped out to a 6-0 lead and was on top, 44-36, at halftime--could have made it an easy afternoon. But despite a lead as big as 15 points (63-48), the Trojans, who shot 47.6% from the field, could not finish off their hosts.

Up 73-62 with 5:53 to play, USC went scoreless more than four minutes as Washington broke off a 12-0 run to take the lead and nearly steal the game.

What happened to lose the lead? “I won’t say,” Bibby said. But Scalabrine had an answer.

“We got passive,” he said. “When Jeff [Trepagnier] fouled out, it really hurt us because he’s such a defensive stopper. And you have to guard him, so it took some of our offense away.

“When we went on that dry spell I just told myself, ‘We have to win this game. I didn’t come all the way to Seattle to lose.’ ”

The overtime period could have been a disaster for USC.

Sam Clancy appeared to get a clean block on Luton’s 14-footer, but was whistled for a foul. It was Clancy’s fifth of the game, and as he left the court hollering, referee Ruben Ramos tacked on a technical foul, giving Washington four free throws and possession.

But the Huskies made only two free throws in the sequence and led, 78-76.

“It was pure frustration,” said Clancy, who had 23 points. “I thought I had a clean block, then the ref calls it late. But I felt I had let the team down.

“But they pulled it out without me. Brian stepped up big time today. We came out with two [conference wins], and that’s what we needed.”

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