Losses Staring Trojans Down

CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Perhaps the only thing gloomier than the weather in this rainy nook of the Pacific Northwest is the frustrated mental state of USC.

Losing five consecutive games and flirting with not qualifying for the Pacific 10 Conference tournament a year after playing in its title game has that effect.

“I think Coach [Henry Bibby] is the most positive one of all right now,” said Derrick Craven. “Nobody on this team is used to losing. It’s strange how it happens. I can’t explain it.”

USC’s longest losing streak in three years has made the unthinkable a distinct possibility.

Because while much has to fall against the Trojans, it’s not that farfetched as a certain four-way tie for sixth place between USC, Oregon State, Washington and UCLA would leave the Trojans on the outside of Staples Center looking in.

Should USC lose today to the Beavers, who have a victory over the Trojans in hand, and then fall for a second time to Washington before beating Washington State to close out the season, USC would be 6-12 in the Pac-10.

Oregon State would have the same record by beating USC and then getting swept in Arizona, as would UCLA, after losing at Oregon before sweeping the Washington schools, and Washington, which would need to beat Washington State before splitting in Los Angeles.

The Pac-10’s first tiebreaker in multiple-team ties separates schools by their record against each other.

Oregon State would be 5-1 against the group and get the No. 6 seeding while both UCLA and Washington would be 3-3 and occupy seventh and eighth because USC would be 2-4 and in ninth place, one spot out of the tournament.

“We know what’s going on, but we can’t worry about it,” said Desmon Farmer.

“We’ve just got to play and get some victories.”

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TODAY

at Oregon State, 4 p.m.

Fox Sports Net

Site -- Gill Coliseum.

Radio -- KMPC (1540), KPLS (830).

Records -- USC 10-14 overall, 5-10 in Pacific 10; Oregon State 12-12, 5-10.

Update -- Bibby, already on probation for criticizing officials, was still upset Friday over the technical foul Dave Libbey hit him with the night before. “It was totally unfair the way it was called,” said Bibby, who said he was only trying to call a timeout and had not been warned. “Again, the team suffers and I suffer and nobody cares.... I’m just trying to finish three games and not get suspended.”