Cooper, Sanders Play Major Roles for USC : Trojans: They combine for 43 points to pick up the scoring chores from foul-plagued Miner.

USC guard Harold Miner pulled Trojan center Yamen Sanders aside after Sanders missed two free throws early in the first half of Wednesday night’s game against UCLA and whispered some words of encouragement.

“I was just letting Yamen know that he can play,� Miner said.

Sanders showed just how well he can play, scoring a career-high 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to lead the Trojans to an 86-82 victory over the No. 2-ranked Bruins before 12,842 at Pauley Pavilion.

“To win here at Pauley Pavilion, that’s a miracle,� Sanders said after USC handed UCLA its first loss in 15 games this season.

Sanders made seven of 11 shots and six of 10 free throws in his matchup against UCLA forward Don MacLean, who had 21 points.

Sanders had 13 first-half points, making all five of his shots. He missed his first four shots of the second half, but sank his final two to give USC a 65-56 lead with 6:08 left.

“The effort by Sanders was magnificent,� USC Coach George Raveling said. “I think hewent into it with a lot of confidence because he played against MacLean a lot in the summer. . . . Sanders was the MVP of the L.A. College summer league. I think he gave an MVP performance tonight.�

Although the Trojans are often perceived as a one-man team, they have other talented players besides Miner, the nation’s No. 2 scorer, and they demonstrated it against UCLA.

“It’s definitely not just me; those guys, (Duane) Cooper and Sanders can play and they proved it tonight,� said Miner, who had 22 points--five below his season average.

“I think everybody’s convinced that it’s just Harold Miner and his buddies,� Sanders said. “Harold is a great player, and (other teams) go into the game thinking about Harold Miner only and it opens things up for the other players.�

With Miner scoring only seven points and sitting out the final 9:06 of the first half because of foul trouble, Cooper and Sanders combined for 24 points as the Trojans outscored the Bruins, 35-10, to build a 22-point lead.

Cooper then scored 12 of his game-high 23 points in the second half to help the Trojans hold off the Bruins for their sixth victory in a row.

Cooper made seven of 11 shots, including four of five from three-point range, and made five of seven free throws.

“Duane Cooper is a big-play guy,� Raveling said. “He may have four or five turnovers, but when the game is on the line he’ll deliver. He’s the best point guard in the league, and nobody has shown me yet that they’re better than that kid.�

Former Laker and Clipper guard Norm Nixon, who has played one-on-one against Cooper in pickup games, said Cooper has developed into a good point guard.

“When I played against him in the gym, if he knew how to play he could have beat me, but he didn’t know,� Nixon said. “I thought he had a lot of talent, but he never played as aggressively as he could. I always said whenever he picked up that aggression he’d be a good point guard and he did tonight.�

Cooper and the Trojans were emotional after beating the Bruins, piling onto each other during a victory celebration.

“This is a monumental win for us,� Cooper said. “UCLA isn’t No. 2 for nothing. I’ve been here five years and this is the first time I’ve ever won at Pauley Pavilion.�