USC Turns Up the Defense, Earns Much-Needed Relief

Like the sunshine that bathed the Los Angeles basin Thursday after several rainy days, USC got a needed change of scenery in its basketball landscape.

Namely a 90-71 Pacific 10 Conference victory over the Washington Huskies before 2,975 at the Sports Arena.

A victory defined as much by USC’s defense as it was by the career-high 28 points of Jeff Trepagnier and 23 by Brian Scalabrine. Or the 50% success rate the Trojans had from the field, their highest percentage since shooting 59.2% against Oregon State five weeks ago in Corvallis.

The Trojans (15-14, 8-9 in the conference) had listened all week to Coach Henry Bibby’s call for a renewed emphasis on defense, and the commitment was evident from the opening tip. USC spent much of the game employing full-court pressure on Washington, which led to 19 Huskies turnovers and 12 steals.

And if they weren’t listening in practice or during the game, the Trojans would find themselves listening from the bench.

“We played better tonight,” said Bibby, after scowling through a seven-game stretch where USC was giving up an average of 88 points. “There were a couple of times where we stopped [Washington] seven or eight times in a row. Every night you have to play defense, but we hadn’t been doing that lately.”

Trepagnier, who had 15 first-half points, was tough defensively with seven steals, his third-highest total this season.

He was pivotal in a 14-0 first-half run that enabled USC to take control.

First he stole a pass at midcourt and passed to a streaking David Bluthenthal for a breakaway dunk. On Washington’s next possession, Trepagnier stole another pass and finished off the break with a reverse layup. He followed those heroics with a three-point basket.

The 14 consecutive points gave USC a 34-17 lead midway through the first half and the Trojans never looked back. Ahead, 46-31, at halftime, USC led by as much as 27 points in the second half before Bibby began substituting liberally.

“We hadn’t played like that for a long time,” said Trepagnier, who made 13 of 18 shots. “We’ve had a lot of tough games recently. This can give us some confidence back for Saturday. We know we need to win two to get into the NIT.”

Washington (10-19, 5-12) was led by Deon Luton’s 19 points.

“We knew going in we would get a good shot from USC,” Washington Coach Bob Bender said. “They had a lot to play for. And Trepagnier is as good an athlete as there is. I don’t think there is a better athlete in this [conference].”

The victory was a breather considering the pressure the Trojans had been under in losing nine of the previous 11 games while trying to qualify for the NCAA tournament without Sam Clancy (nine points), who played his third consecutive game since returning from a broken right foot in January.

“During the game I turned to [assistant coach] Dave Miller and said, ‘We sure missed Sam,’ ” Bibby said. “We’d have given other teams a run for their money if Sam had been healthy.”

It also provided some feel-good moments.

Like Brandon Granville getting at least 10 assists for the third consecutive game and the 13th time this season. Bluthenthal, who had 12 points and eight rebounds, made two more free throws to stretch his consecutive streak to 33.

Or Rashad Jones making his first basket since the USC-Memphis game in November at the Maui Invitational.

“Don’t think I didn’t know I hadn’t made a basket since the second game of the season,” said Jones, who was fouled as he scored on a five-foot turnaround with just over nine minutes left in the second half. Jones completed the three-point play.

“But I knew I’d get one sooner or later.”