Craven’s Fouls Turn Into Pointless USC Loss

CORVALLIS, Ore. -- It was USC’s worst nightmare come to life.

Derrick Craven, the lone point guard the Trojans brought on the trip, was picking up fouls in bunches against Oregon State.

He was called for charging, his third foul of the game, less than three minutes into the second half and then was whistled for No. 4 at the 13:55 mark for a hand check.

Thirty-six seconds later, and with USC’s offense finding a rhythm in going up by a game-high seven points and looking to extend it, the sophomore dove for a loose ball and, after referee Charlie Range blew his whistle and pointed at him, Craven was gone.

And so, it turned out, was any chance of offensive continuity for the Trojans, who stumbled their way to their sixth consecutive loss by falling to the Beavers, 61-60, before 6,509 at Gill Coliseum on Saturday.

In completing the regular-season sweep of USC, which fell to 10-15 overall, 5-11 in the Pacific 10 Conference, Oregon State (13-12, 6-10) clinched a spot in the Pac-10 tournament.

The Trojans, meanwhile, continued their flirtation with missing the eight-team event as they are in seventh place, one game ahead of Washington, which already defeated USC once this season, and UCLA with two to play.

“The whole thing changes when I’m not out there,” said Craven, whose presence became vital when senior point guard Robert Hutchinson stayed home because of personal reasons. “They just need me out there. I try not to foul but ... the calls, they caught me by surprise.

“It’s a loose ball, anybody can dive for it. And the hand-checking, that was inconsistent all night.”

After Craven fouled out -- his second disqualification in as many games -- with the Trojans holding a 42-35 lead, Oregon State responded predictably, scoring the game’s next eight points and going on a 13-4 run.

Roy Smiley replaced Craven at the point and tried to keep things flowing for USC, which actually led, 54-51, with more than five minutes to play and threatened to go up by more when Errick Craven led a break down the middle of the floor.

But with Desmon Farmer open for a three-point attempt on the right wing, Craven pulled up for a jumper near the free-throw line. His shot found the front of the rim and the Beavers converted at the other end.

Then, with 33.6 seconds to play, and Oregon State clinging to a 58-57 lead, Craven again drove the lane, this time with Rory O’Neil open on the left wing.

Craven was called for a charge on Beaver forward Brian Jackson, who was playing with four fouls and, replays showed, still moving.

“It’s ultimate frustration,” said Craven, who led USC with 15 points but had six costly turnovers. “It’s beyond cursing. I just want to go in a boxing ring and punch out all my frustration.

“But it’s our fault. ... I’m sure when I go watch the tape, I’ll want to bang my head against the wall.”

Gregg Guenther (12 points, 10 rebounds) had his fourth double-double in five games.

With the loss, USC assured itself of not getting a bid to the National Invitation Tournament, as the only way the Trojans can finish with at least a .500 record is by running the table. That would mean winning the Pac-10 tournament, which would come with an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

USC Coach Henry Bibby, perhaps incensed at the disparity in fouls (USC committed 27, Oregon State 15) and free-throw attempts (the Beavers had 29, the Trojans 13), declined to comment.

“Who knows what happened?” said Bibby, on probation for criticizing officials earlier in the year. “I have no thoughts or comments. It’s tough, real tough.”

Even tougher when you have only one point guard.