SoCalHoops College News

USC Wins Fourth In A Row,
Defeats St. Bonaventure--(Dec. 1, 1998)

We weren't there because we were committed to going to the Reebok Compton Tip-Off Classic last night, and we understand that Channel 9 decided at the last minute not to televise the game, so our VCR was just a bunch of junk when we got home.  But we did get this report and thought it was better than nothing. Unlike previous games, we've got no pictures, but if you read the box and recap slowly and carefully, you'll see why USC won and St. Bonaventure didn't, and the answer was largely one of  numbers: Scalabrine and Turner hitting for 15 and 16 respectively, Scalabrine leading the way with 10 rebounds, and great scoring from just about all the other Trojans.   We also understand that the minutes for Kevin Augustine are slowly improving and that David Bluthenthal even played a bit more tonight at the end of the game. :

USC 91, ST. BONAVENTURE 82

Adam Spanich scored 18 points, including four of Southern California's 11 3-pointers, as the Trojans continued their best start in a decade by beating St. Bonaventure 91-82 Monday night. The Trojans (4-0) used 3-pointers to put the game away during a 13-minute span at the end of the first half and beginning of the second. The Bonnies (2-3) never got closer than the six points they trailed by at the break in their first meeting with USC. Jarvis Turner added 16 points, Brian Scalabrine had 15 points, Brandon Granville 14 and Jeff Trepagnier 11 for the Trojans. Reserve James Hayden led the Bonnies with a season-high 17 points, including three 3-pointers, and David Capers had 17.

Spanich, the Pac-10's leading 3-point shooter last season, helped the Trojans turn a four-point lead into 11 points with two 3s over the final 5:51 of the first half.  USC scored the first 10 points of the second half, including consecutive 3-pointers
by Greg Lakey and Granville for a 55-39 lead.  During that stretch, the Bonnies lost starting center Cyrus Caswell for about 12 minutes when he injured himself coming down from a rebound. He limped off the court and returned with the Bonnies trailing by 22 points. Granville, Spanich and Trepagnier combined for four consecutive 3-pointers that pushed USC's lead to 67-47 with 12:09 remaining.

After the game, Bibby was concerned about another bout of mental lapses and sloppy play, and told the assembled media in the briefing room:  "I told the team we have to play 40 minutes of basketball. I don't think we did that tonight. We stopped with six minutes to go and didn't follow our game plan and that kept them in the game."

The Bonnies played tougher than the Trojans, especially in the first half,   outrebounding the Trojans 14-9 on defensive rebounds and making 55 percent of their field goals compared with 46 percent for the Trojans. Spanich's and Granville's shooting though saved the Trojans, who finally pulled ahead at the half.  The Trojans shot 5 for 11 from behind the
three-point line in the first half while the Bonnies were 1 for 10.

The Trojans' 55 percent three-point shooting overall, (68% second half) certainly helped.   Eighteen of the Trojans' first 22 points in the second half were three-pointers, by Spanich, Granville, Jeff Trepagnier and Greg Lakey. The three-pointers
helped give USC a comfortable 67-47 lead with eight minutes to go.

The Trojans were up by as many as 25 at one point, but the Bonnies came back with a 25-9 run with great scoring by James Hayden and guards David Capers and Ernest Bremer, a freshman.  Kevin Augustine received the most playing time yet this season playing 17 minutes and scoring seven points. "Kevin Augustine had a very good game," Bibby said. "We're trying to work him in slowly and give him confidence. He'll help us down the road."

St. Bonaventure erased its deficit by about half with some late 3-pointers. The Bonnies hit nine long-range baskets, while sending the Trojans to the foul line repeatedly in the closing minutes. Reserve James Hayden led the Bonnies with a season-high 17 points, including three 3-pointers, and David Capers had 17.

St. Bonaventure, a team in the Atlantic 10,  and was without starters Tim Winn and Terrence Durham and Isacc King. Winn has been suspended by the university and the athletic department pending the outcome of legal action against him. King is on academic suspension and Durham injured his right knee last week in a game.

The Trojans travel to UC Santa Barbara on Friday.

Box Score:

USC (4-0)

Scalabrine 5-9 5-6 15, Lakey 2-3 0-0 5, Granville 5-7 1-1 14, Trepagnier 4-10 1-1 11, Ayuso 1-8 0-0 3, Wilder 0-1 0-0 0, Augustine 2-2 3-6 7, Spanich 6-9 2-2 18, Turner 4-8 8-11 16, Bluthenthal 1-1 0-0 2, Clancy 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-58 20-27 91.

St. Bonaventure (2-3)

Massiah 0-1 0-0 0, Van Paassen 5-10 0-0 10, Cyrus 3-4 2-2 8, Capers 8-17 1-2 19, Bremer 5-14 6-8 18, Ellis 0-1 2-2 2, Dziengeleski 3-6 0-1 8, Hayden 7-9 0-1 17, Stinson 0-2 0-0 0, Ruddock 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 31-64 11-16 82.

Halftime-Southern California 45, St. Bonaventure 39. 3-Point goals-St. Bonaventure 9-24 (Hayden 3-4, Dziengeleski 2-5, Capers 2-7, Bremer 2-7, Ellis 0-1), Southern California 11-20 (Spanich 4-7, Granville 3-4, Trepagnier 2-2, Lakey 1-1, Ayuso 1-6). Fouled out-Van Paassen. Rebounds-St. Bonaventure 33 (Capers 10), Southern California 34 (Scalabrine 8). Assists-St. Bonaventure 13 (Bremer 6), Southern California 20 (Granville 8). Total fouls-St. Bonaventure 21, Southern California 16.

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