No Free ‘Throws’ for Fans at Game

The UCLA-SC game Thursday will be remembered for more than attracting the largest crowd (16,409) ever to watch a Trojan home game.

It will also be remembered, unfortunately, for how a few reckless fans behaved.

Tim Tessalone, USC sports information director, said three men were apprehended and removed from the Sports Arena for throwing objects from the stands. No one was arrested, Tessalone said, but all three had to provide “information” to the Los Angeles Police Department.

None of the men was identified, but Tessalone said one of the three “was definitely a USC booster.” He said he did not know if the other two had any affiliation with USC or UCLA.

“We have had things thrown on court during a game before, but not to the degree of [Thursday’s game],” Tessalone said. “It’s unfortunate because that’s not what either institution is about.

“The majority of fans of both schools, the players and school officials were disappointed that a limited number of people could have an effect on the game that way.”

There had been an air of tension all week leading up to the game.

Some Trojan players were upset by what they considered hard, dangerous fouls by UCLA during the game played at Pauley Pavilion on Jan 11. Trojan guard Brandon Granville said the return game was going to be a “war.”

Some USC officials said there were an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 UCLA fans in the sellout crowd. And because USC hadn’t sold out a home game in years, there were plenty of tickets for visiting fans to purchase.

Anything blue and gold was treated derisively by the pro-USC crowd. It’s not often the visiting team’s cheerleaders attend the game. The Bruin cheerleaders not only attended, they did several routines. Each time they were booed loudly.

The game was stopped early in the second half because of objects thrown from the stands and onto the floor. An announcement was made that USC, as the home team, would be assessed a technical foul if anything else was thrown from the stands.

Still, things remained relatively calm until there was 1:53 left in the game, and UCLA leading, 71-64.

Trojan forward Sam Clancy blocked a shot by Bruin guard Ray Young, but Clancy was called for his fifth foul. A white towel flew out of the stands and landed near midcourt. Seconds later, a water bottle landed on the arena floor.

USC was initially assessed two technical fouls by the referees. One technical was for the towel because it came from a section of USC supporters. But after it was determined the water bottle had come from a section of UCLA supporters, that technical was rescinded.

No one was injured by the thrown objects, although the water bottle landed near Bruin center Dan Gadzuric.

Both men accused of throwing the objects were removed from the arena.

The game was halted one last time with 25 seconds remaining, and one more technical was assessed to USC, when another object was thrown out on the floor. But Tessalone said the third person was escorted out of the arena for throwing a water bottle into the stands. That person was apprehended near the scorer’s table.

Once again, no one was hurt.

In each instance UCLA was awarded one free throw. Jason Kapono made both shots.

UCLA wound up winning the game, 85-76.

“The biggest issue was not the technicals but the safety of the players, officials and the fans,” Tessalone said.

John Henderson, USC’s director of operations and games management, said school officials had anticipated the large crowd and doubled the amount of security--which mainly consisted of LAPD officers and arena staff--it normally used.

“I considered [the incidents] as quick brush fires that could have escalated into something worse without our response and flooding the area with security,” Henderson said. “It was a great crowd, but all it took was three or four knuckleheads to wreck the evening.”

Lou Campanelli, the Pacific 10 Coordinator of Men’s Officiating, was at the game. He said it was the first Pac-10 game this season where the referees had to call technical fouls on the home team for the crowd’s behavior.

“It’s not as rare as you think. I’ve seen [those kind of technical fouls called] before,” said Campanelli, who coached California from 1985-93 and who also refereed basketball games 21 years before taking his current assignment last April.

Campanelli said once the game starts the officials have wide jurisdiction over its control. NCAA rules do not require referees to give a warning before calling technicals for debris thrown from the stands, Campanelli said, but lead game official Dave Hall did so to the USC bench and the public address announcer.

Campanelli cited a recent Duke-Maryland game, when Renee Boozer, mother of Duke player Carlos Boozer, sustained a concussion after being struck by a bottle thrown by a Maryland fan.

“Any time you have something flying out of the stands, you have to protect players,” Campanelli said. “Even a plastic bottle, when that comes from a distance, can be dangerous.”

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A COACH

ON WAY UP

UCLA assistant Michael Holton has had highs and lows, battling drug abuse, but now, at 39, he seeks a team of his own to lead. D6

MISSING MARK

Despite being in the top 25 most of the season, USC lacks a victory over a top opponent to impress NCAA tournament officials. D6