USC v. Arizona State

Boy, this is a catchy title. We just hope that we don't have to use it for every SoCal college team we write about . While USC showed that it maybe can play an inside game and that someone other than Spanich can score at the right times, with Gary Johnson's big three point basket with only 39.9 seconds remaining to bring USC to within 2 points, 78-76, SC just didn't move soon enough or fast enough to really make the charge. The result was that they lost by three, 84-81 to a surprising Arizona State team in their Pac-10 conference opener.

After making his big play, Johnson did it again, stealing the ball from Arizona State with only seconds to play. It looked like the Trojans might either pull it out of the fire, or at least send the game into overtime, but Johnson was called for charging.

Like UCLA across the State, the Trojans, had trailed by 12 points about midway into the second half. SC's reserve guard, 6'-2" Sr. Behzad Souferian hit a three-point shot with six seconds left, his first basket of the season, to again push the Trojans to within one. But Arizona senior guard Ahlon Lewis was fouled, hit both free throws with three seconds left, then Johnson was forced to take a desperation 35-footer at the buzzer, which missed, to end the game.

And while Bibby might disagree, the Trojans, who dropped to only 4-7 on the year, managed to play some of the best basketball, from a team perspective, that they've played this year. Senior forward Anthony White (6'-8" Sr. F) in only his second game since coming back from a broken bone in his left foot, scored 12 points and had nine rebounds and gave the Trojans just what they've been looking for, a big guy under the hoop. Maybe not good enough to stop Jelani McCoy, or the Stanford "trees", but nevertheless, he's a big guy, and it seems that unless Bibby's really big guy, Phillip Von Backstrom (7'-2" Jr C) ever plays, that it will be up to White and the other 6'-8" forward, freshman Greg Lakey.

And speaking of Trojan freshmen, Kevin Augustine played really well too, scoring 11 points and three assists, mostly by penetrating and driving directly at Arizona State's inside guys. And it looks like whatever was ailing Jeff Trepagnier for a few weeks there with those dizzy spells seems to be gon, and he had 9 points in 18 minutes of play.

Spanich, who usually scores much better, shot poorly--only two of seven from the behind three-point line--and managed only 11 points, a low for him. He had been averaging close to 18 before this game. But there was a lot of other scoring from the Trojans. . . just not enough. For Arizona State, winning its first conference game was particularly sweet and they've now got an amazing 10-0 home record is. Arizona State is now 11-3 overall, and tied with Arizona, Stanford, and Oregon for first in the Pac-10. But that probably won't last long. In fact, it probably won't last beyond today, as the Bruins come into Tempe tomorrow.

USC (81)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t  a pf   tp
Williams        18   2-3   0-0   0-1  6  2    4
Lakey           16   2-5   1-2   0-5  0  1    5
Swillis         16   1-5   0-0   0-5  0  2    2
Johnson         27  4-12   2-2   1-2  5  4   12
Augustine       29   5-9   1-3   0-0  3  1   11
White           26   5-9   2-4   4-9  2  3   12
Trepagnier      18   3-5   3-5   1-3  1  3    9
Spanich         20  4-10   1-2   0-5  0  2   11
Ayuso           16   0-5   2-2   0-1  2  3    2
Sims            13   4-6   0-0   2-4  1  2   10
Souferian        1   1-1   0-0   0-0  0  1    3
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         200 31-70 12-20  8-35 20 24   81
_______________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.443, FT-.600. 3-Point Goals:
7-18, .389 (Johnson 2-3, Augustine 0-1, Spanich
2-7, Ayuso 0-3, Sims 2-3, Souferian 1-1). Team
rebounds: 4. Blocked shots: 3 (Williams,
Trepagnier, Sims). Turnovers: 11 (Williams 3,
Johnson 2, Lakey 2, Ayuso, Swillis, Trepagnier,
White). Steals: 4 (Johnson 2, Williams 2).

ARIZONA ST (84)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t  a pf   tp
Lazor           36   3-7  7-10  2-16  4  3   13
Veal            38  9-18   3-4   1-3  1  4   24
Batiste         35   5-9 10-12   1-6  0  4   20
House           39  6-11   0-0   0-0  1  4   17
Lewis           40   1-6   4-5   0-6 14  3    6
Patton           4   1-2   0-0   1-4  0  0    2
Kelly            8   1-3   0-0   1-1  2  0    2




_______________________________________________
TOTALS         200 26-56 24-31  6-36 22 18   84
_______________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.464, FT-.774. 3-Point Goals: 8-16, .500
(Veal 3-5, House 5-8, Lewis 0-3). Team rebounds: 2. Blocked
shots: 2 (Veal, Batiste). Turnovers: 13 (Lewis 3, Veal 3, House
2, Lazor 2, Patton 2, Batiste). Steals: 2 (House 2)

Next up for USC: At Arizona Monday, January 5, 1998, at 5:30 pm; For Arizona State it's UCLA also at 5:30 pm.