Trojans Make Push Toward Win

FRESNO — The game was less than 10 minutes old Friday when the kind of thing that can either tear a team apart or unite it for the long run went down.

USC was in the midst of one of those mind-numbing scoring droughts against Fresno State, the type in which the ultra-hyper Trojan guards look off their post players and put up jumpers with aplomb.

Heading back to the huddle for a timeout, junior power forward Jeff McMillan took exception to a wild shot by freshman guard Lodrick Stewart and glowered at him.

“Pass the ball,” the 6-foot-8, 260-pound McMillan said before shoving the 6-4, 210-pound Stewart in the chest with an open right palm, prompting junior forward Nick Curtis to step in.

McMillan and Stewart, though, made up before the timeout ended and played major roles in the Trojans’ come-from-behind 65-62 victory over the Bulldogs before 14,859 at the four-game-old Save Mart Center all the sweeter.

“That’s what happens when a young team comes together,” said McMillan, who had a career-high 14 rebounds to go with seven points. “I’m kind of an emotional player and I want everyone around me to feel that emotion. It was a negative what I did with the push but we’re a family so there’s going to be a little misunderstanding.

“I just let my emotions get to me and I apologized to him.”

The shove seemed to light a fire under Stewart, who had career highs in points (19), rebounds (five) and steals (four) in 26 minutes.

Stewart, who scored 17 points after the sideline altercation with McMillan, could not talk as he is under a gag order by USC Coach Henry Bibby.

Bibby, though, was full of praise for his team, which rode its defense to break out of its long-range shooting slump. The Trojans, who entered the game shooting 26% from beyond the three-point arc, made a season-high 11 of 25 three-pointers (44%) against the Bulldogs’ 2-3 zone defense.

“We played,” Bibby said. “We finally dug in and we played defense. We drove the zone and spotted up with our shooters. It’s hard to guard two shooters and a penetrator when you’re in a zone.”

Senior guard Desmon Farmer, who also had 19 points, made a season high-tying six three-point shots. He was ridden by the crowd after throwing up an air ball late in the first half but answered by making four of his next five three-pointers.

“I was hesitant in the first half,” Farmer said. “It was hard to take all threes because I wanted to drive. But Bibby told me to keep shooting threes and you have to do what coach tells you.”

USC (4-3), which scored 24 points in the first half, trailed, 52-44, with 11:40 to play when a Farmer three-pointer from the right wing got USC going on a 9-0 run over the next 2:40.

And while the Trojans limited the Bulldogs (2-5) to one field goal over the final 8:45 and two points in the last 5:36, they had to weather the Shantay Legans’ storm.

Legans, the Bulldogs’ senior point guard and California transfer, has long been a thorn in USC’s side, hitting a last-second, game-winning three-pointer two years ago.

He had another opportunity for a clutch shot, taking an inbound pass with 3.4 seconds to play and lofting a three-point attempt from the right corner with Stewart and Derrick Craven in his face.

But the ball bounded off the rim and over the backboard as time expired.

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USC assistant Marvin Menzies did not attend the game as he was in Hawaii on a recruiting trip.... Curtis (knee tendinitis) did not dress.... Walk-on forward Joe Buck played two minutes and senior center Jonathan Oliver, who just gained his eligibility, played four minutes.