Bibby Technical a Delayed Call

USC Coach Henry Bibby, never one to cozy up to referees, was called for only one technical foul during the regular season.

He had come close, though, to getting a second during the Trojans’ win at Stanford on Feb. 21. Charlie Range, whistle at the ready in his mouth, positioned his hands about a foot apart and took a step toward Bibby in anticipation before both backed off and play resumed.

But Saturday, with 1:50 remaining in the Pacific 10 Conference tournament title game between Bibby’s Trojans and Arizona at Staples Center, Range finished what was started in Palo Alto.

With USC trailing, 75-67, Range issued a technical foul to Bibby, who was upset at a foul call Range had made on Trojan point guard Brandon Granville seconds earlier.

“It was the fact that Mr. Bibby kept berating me,” Range said in explaining his call. “It was unprofessional. The things he was saying were unnecessary. There’s a code of conduct in the rules, on berating an official.”

Countered Bibby: “I don’t go out and abuse and curse at the officials. What happened before the technical, that’s the issue here.”

Bibby was referring to the 5-foot-9 Granville picking up his fourth foul when he was called for an offensive foul against 6-foot-10 Arizona center Channing Frye.

“I don’t know what happened there,” Granville said. “I was just trying to set a screen. I’m not commenting on the refs. I might be here all day.”

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Trojan forward Jerry Dupree, who staged a coming-out party during the Pac-10 tournament, started for the second consecutive game Saturday.

But after blocking four shots in the first half, a career high, the high-flying Dupree came back to earth and did not block any in the second half, in which he played only nine minutes.

“We just weren’t focused” after going up by 13 points in the first half, Dupree said. “It was like we sat back and admired our work.”

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Paul Gutierrez