USC Fails the Kansas Test in First Loss of Season

LAWRENCE, Kan. —  USC found itself in the wrong place at the wrong time, far from home, facing a Kansas team that was both talented and angry.

Not a good combination.

It added up to the Trojans’ first loss of the season, a 107-78 defeat at the hands of the No. 10 Jayhawks before a thunderous Saturday night crowd of 16,300 at Allen Fieldhouse.

“They really beat us in almost every facet of the game,” USC guard Adam Spanich said. “It was just a tough day.”

The Jayhawks (6-2) wanted more than a victory. They wanted redemption after an upset loss to Iowa earlier this week, a loss that snapped their home-winning streak at 62 games.

So they showed deadly determination, breaking USC’s defensive press for easy baskets and working the motion offense for open looks that translated into 59% shooting from the field. On defense, they pressured the Trojans into 26 turnovers and 42% shooting.

Even before his players took the court, Kansas Coach Roy Williams sensed they were focused.

“I walked into the locker room and you could hear a pin drop,” Williams said. “I mean, they were looking right through me.”

That wasn’t what the Trojans (6-1) were hoping for. They were hoping to catch Kansas down. They were eager to gauge how far they had come from last season’s 9-19 record and how they stacked up against a nationally ranked opponent.

USC is undoubtedly improved, but it also has a way to go.

“We saw they were a pretty good team but we looked at their competition,” said Kansas forward Kenny Gregory, who scored a career-high 27 points. “They hadn’t played teams as physical as us.”

The game was close for only about eight minutes, just long enough for USC freshman Sam Clancy to fight for a few baskets inside and for junior Jarvis Turner to come off the bench for a pair of jump shots that gave USC a 14-13 lead.

But Kansas was clicking. Guards Jeff Boschee and Ryan Robertson got open away from the ball and made three-point shots. As if the Jayhawks weren’t motivated enough, center Eric Chenowith found additional reason to play like a man possessed.

“Just being from Southern California and playing against USC, I wanted to really kick their butts,” said the Villa Park native, who had a career-high 23 points and seven rebounds. “I wanted to show them why I chose Kansas.”

With the Jayhawks on a roll, it took only a few USC missteps--a blown layup by Turner, a traveling violation by Spanich--to launch Kansas on a 10-0 run.

“We missed some shots and didn’t execute, but it was basically the defense,” Coach Henry Bibby said. “We let their guys get going. That wasn’t the game plan.”

Nor did the Trojans plan to go into halftime losing, 53-30. Last year at the Sports Arena, they rallied against Kansas and fell just short, 74-69. In frenzied Allen Fieldhouse, there would be no such comeback.

The lead grew wider, point by point, and the crowd grew louder, decibel by decibel.

USC center Brian Scalabrine put together a short flurry, scoring six of his 12 points early in the second half. Forward Jeff Trepagnier added to his team-high 22 points with a few of the spectacular dunks that have become his trademark this season.

But none of that helped because USC could not stop Kansas, especially once Gregory got hot.

The sophomore forward beat the press for short jumpers and dunks. He showed quickness cutting to the basket. He took advantage of his team’s passing, getting open in the lane.

“We wore them down as far as being fundamentally sound for longer stretches,” he said.

By game’s end, all five Kansas starters had scored in double figures for the first time this season and the Jayhawks had tied a record for most points against USC.

The Trojans, meanwhile, lost the 14th of 17 games they have played against ranked opponents since December 1996. Bibby was left to search for a silver lining.

“Hopefully this loss will get our attention,” he said. “We were getting a little cocky, so it was a good game for us, to bring us back down to earth.”