Trojans Finally Gain Mastery Over Oregon State Trail, 71-68

By GEORGE DOHRMANN

Jan. 31, 1997 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

CORVALLIS, Ore. — For two years USC has traveled to Oregon State and left with a loss, and Thursday night at Gill Coliseum the Trojans looked like they were willing to let that trend continue.

But thanks to a fortunate call late in the game and 20 points from Rodrick Rhodes, USC left with a 71-68 victory, the first road victory for Coach Henry Bibby at USC.

“It was an ugly win, but a win’s a win,” said Rhodes. “That’s all that matters.”

All that will be remembered at Oregon State’s end is a controversial call with the score tied, 63-63, and 2:09 left. Beaver guard Corey Benjamin, a Fontana native, stole the ball near midcourt, drove to the hoop and collided with Trojans Stais Boseman and Elias Ayuso while trying a reverse layup.

It was certainly a foul of some kind, but when Verne Harris whistled Benjamin, a freshman, for his fifth foul of the night, the 6,255 watching erupted.

Ayuso made a three-point shot on the ensuing possession and the Beavers never recovered.

“It is hard to view this game without looking at that call,” Oregon State Coach Eddie Payne said. “The tape clearly shows [Ayuso] not only under the basket but past it. It was the worse officiated call I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”

Ayuso smiled when asked about the call and said: “Of course it was a charge.”

Trailing, 66-63, Oregon State (5-12, 1-7) seemed too shaken by the loss of Benjamin to recover. Todd Marshall missed a free throw, and after USC turned the ball over, Oregon State gave it back with an errant pass into the backcourt that Ayuso chased down and laid in for a five-point lead.

USC, 10-7 overall and 5-3 in the Pacific 10 Conference, held on despite a few lapses, and earned its fifth conference victory, its best showing in three years.

“Last year we came up here and had a lead and lost the ball game,” Bibby said. “I had a feeling of deja vu there at the end, but we were able to pull it out.”

Jaha Wilson started for the first time this season and responded with 13 points. USC scored 37 points off turnovers and second chance baskets.

“Jaha carried us during some stretches,” Bibby said. “He has been our most consistent player and he showed that tonight.

“I don’t know why I decided to start him. Gary Williams hadn’t practiced because of a back injury and I just decided to go with Jaha.”

Carson Cunningham, who was one of three players to finish with 12 points for the Beavers, made a three-point shot for Oregon State that started a 15-3 run with 13:45 left in the first half. The run came for the most part without Benjamin, who picked up his second foul after Cunningham’s shot and played only nine minutes in the half, scoring three. He also finished with 12.

A pair of three-point baskets from Rhodes highlighted a 12-2 Trojan run that tied the score, 28-28, at 6:10, but then Oregon State scored eight in a row before USC countered briefly to put the score at 39-32 Beavers at the half.

“We played hard and for once we played together,” Wilson said. “We hadn’t up here in two years and the seniors wanted this one.”