Defense Has Work to Do

USC’s defense, a strength as the Trojans’ men’s basketball team won nine consecutive games and 10 of 11, suddenly isn’t what it used to be.

The Trojans have yielded season-worst field-goal percentages in back-to-back games. First, Arizona State shot 51.1% in a 66-65 USC victory last Thursday. Then Arizona connected on 52.8% Saturday during a 74-63 victory at the McKale Center.

Part of the problem, USC Coach Tim Floyd acknowledged, is the improved quality of opponents as the Trojans enter the heart of their Pacific 10 Conference schedule. But the Trojans have played a part in their opponents’ success.

Against Arizona State, the Trojans had trouble containing unheralded big men Serge Angounou and Jeff Pendergraph, who combined for 35 points and 15 rebounds while making 57.7% of their shots. Angounou and Pendergraph were averaging a combined 14 points coming into the game.

“We couldn’t stop them, and it was guys we weren’t counting on beating us,” Floyd said. “They played terrific, and we didn’t have an answer for those two guys.”

USC (11-4 overall, 2-2 in the Pac-10) pulled out the victory over the Sun Devils only when junior guard Lodrick Stewart made a three-pointer with 2.1 seconds left.

The Trojans couldn’t put themselves in a position for any last-minute heroics Saturday after giving up seemingly endless open jump shots against Arizona.

“I just thought we weren’t communicating at times when they set ball screens,” sophomore guard Gabe Pruitt said. “We weren’t fighting through the picks, so they got a lot of open looks.”

The Wildcats made seven of 14 three-pointers, many without a defender in the vicinity.

“You’ve got to be able to guard the three-point line, and we have done that very well, but we didn’t [Saturday],” Floyd said.

USC had held nine of 11 opponents under 40% shooting and 11 of 12 opponents under 70 points before its trip to the desert. Now consecutive opponents have made more than 50% of their shots and two of three have scored at least 71 points.

“Some of it’s who you play against and some of it’s us, and we’ll go back to work on it,” Floyd said.