Trojans Duck Out of Race

The crowd erupted.

The USC bench jumped for joy.

The Trojans, it appeared, were still alive in their improbable bid for a berth in next week’s eight-team Pacific 10 Conference tournament.

But as suddenly as the celebration began at the Sports Arena, it ended.

Gabe Pruitt drove the length of the court and made finger roll against Oregon, but the basket was waved off, Kevin Brill’s whistle piercing the din and silencing the crowd as the referee called Pruitt for a charging foul on Maarty Leunen with 1.5 seconds remaining in regulation.

The Trojans and Ducks went to overtime Thursday night and USC, without Pruitt, who had fouled out on the call, simply did not have enough firepower.

The Trojans’ 94-87 loss in front of 2,779 ended with a whimper and their dreams of playing at Staples Center next week died with it.

“I thought [Leunen] came in late and he was under the basket so I thought it was a bad call,” said Pruitt, who had 15 points. “I got kind of pushed from the back when I went up and I thought he got there late.”

But was Pruitt surprised Brill made the call with 1.5 seconds on the clock?

“Oh yeah, at least I thought with the home-court advantage he’d let it slide, that’s a game-winning play,” Pruitt said. “Even if it was a charge.”

Said USC interim Coach Jim Saia: “It probably was a good call, but I’d like to get that call.”

Oregon, which improved to 14-12 overall, 6-11 in Pac-10 play, kept alive its conference tournament hopes as Bryce Taylor, the freshman guard from Harvard-Westlake High, led the Ducks with a game-high 23 points.

USC fell to 11-17 overall, 4-13 in the Pac-10, and could finish in last place for the first time since 1995.

The Trojans had five players score in double figures and were led by freshman swingman Nick Young’s 21 points.

“The kids have given me effort all year long,” Saia said. “We played hard. I did the best I could as a coach.”

Less than 11 minutes remained in regulation when Washington State’s upset of Stanford in Palo Alto became official and USC gained control of its destiny. If they could sweep Oregon and Oregon State, the Trojans, who have never climbed higher than eighth in the conference standings this season, would play as the No. 8-seeded team in the conference tournament.

But after opening their biggest lead, 54-49, with 14 minutes remaining in regulation, the Trojans endured one of their patented cold stretches.

They got only one field goal in nearly eight minutes, were outscored, 16-5, and watched theirfive-point advantage melt into a six-point deficit, 65-59.

USC crept back, getting to within 76-75 with 1:41 to play after Rory O’Neil tipped in Nick Young’s missed free throw.

A driving Young scored on a scoop shot with 40.4 seconds to play to tie the score, 77-77.

Oregon’s next possession ended when Mitch Platt shot an airball from 18 feet as the shot clock expired, and USC took over with 5.1 seconds to play.

The Trojans needed a timeout when they were unable to inbound. Then O’Neil inbounded the ball to Pruitt, who drove the length of the court and was called for the charge.

Taylor’s desperation three-point attempt from the right wing at the buzzer was just short and the teams went to overtime.

The score was tied, 84-84, before Leunen grabbed an offensive rebound and made a three-pointer with 57.1 seconds left. Twenty seconds later, Leunen made two free throws, giving the Ducks a five-point lead.