USC Makes It More Difficult Than Need Be

SAN DIEGO â€”  USC basketball Coach Henry Bibby has downplayed his team’s performance this season by saying it added up to nothing more than a rehearsal for the grueling Pacific-10 Conference schedule.

Well, opening day is just over a month away and the Trojans still don’t know their lines.

For the second consecutive game USC had obviously more than enough talent to roll over San Diego State, but had to struggle to defeat the Aztecs, 76-72, at Cox Arena Saturday night in front of 4,236 fans.

Before the season started, Bibby said he had an image of his undersized and inexperienced team after they had hopefully been honed and refined. They would trap and press and pester opponents into making mistakes.

Well, it was the Aztecs that more closely fit that description Saturday.

“We are not rebounding and we’re playing selfish,� said Bibby, whose team is now 4-1. “Guys aren’t boxing out and we’re leaving their shooters all alone at times.

“It’s disappointing when you still see guys not know what to do in certain situations, not know simple thing that we go over in practice every day.�

The Trojans turned the ball over 25 times, 15 times in the second half, and allowed the Aztecs (1-3) to shoot 52.2% in the first half. Many of those shots were on uncontested layups.

The Trojans started the game shooting well from the outside and point guard Gary Johnson found teammates for easy baskets underneath. Johnson had seven assists in the first half.

But then a familiar pattern developed, one that the Trojans showed against Loyola Marymount in their last game. The Trojans miss a few shots, turn the ball over and get a wide-eyed, haunted look on their faces.

USC went out to an early 16-7 lead by shooting from the outside. The Trojans appeared relaxed and confident. When sharpshooter Adam Spanich came off the bench with just over 11 minutes left in the half, the junior three-point specialist sank three consecutive three-point shots and scored 15 points by the half.

Thanks to that injection of offense, the Trojans were up, 30-18, with eight minutes left. Spanish finished with 27 points in the game.

But as they did against Loyola Marymount, USC was unable to stop a quick, athletic guard. This time it was the Aztecs’ Jason Watts who was able to penetrate inside and free himself for short jump shots. He led the Aztecs on 13-1 run and hit a three-point goal just before the half to tie the game at 38-38.

In the second half, the Aztecs were able to keep it close by pressing the Trojans and not allowing Spanich to get open. Coach Fred Trenkle put 6-foot-10 Josko Visnjic on the 6-8 Spanich and he blocked two of Spanich’s first three-point attempts in the half.

Spanich, who is slow-footed, had a hard time creating his own shots against the Aztecs but still wound up shooting seven of 11 from three-point range and made an important three-point goal late in the game.

With the Aztecs leading, 61-60, Spanich was fouled and hit the first of his free throws. Gary Williams rebounded Spanich’s second shot and laid it up to give the Trojans a 63-61 lead with 3:13 to play.

The Aztecs scored before Spanich hit a three-point basket with two minutes remaining. Johnson hit four free throws to put the Trojans up, 72-67, with 19 seconds left.

“We aren’t playing well, but every game is an experience,� said sophomore center Jarvis Turner, who scored 12 points. “We’re not going to lose our confidence though. Coach Bibby won’t let us. There are too many good basketball players on this team.�