College Roundup: USC knocks off UCLA, ends skid at Pauley

Thursday, Jan. 9, 2003 | 10:50 a.m.

SUN WIRE REPPORTS

A scene, even rarer than the home team playing defense, was played out Wednesday night at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion: Trojans dancing across the floor.

USC's 80-75 victory over UCLA in front of a capacity crowd of 12,736 might not be one for the ages, but it was one for the Trojans to relish, as they left the court skipping, waving towels and wearing ear-to-ear grins after their first victory at Pauley Pavilion in 10 years.

If walking out of this once-hallowed arena with a victory is a run-of-the-mill experience for schools such as Cal State Northridge, Pepperdine, Northern Arizona and -- while we're at it -- EA Sports, Pauley Pavilion has felt more haunted than vaunted to the Trojans.

They melted down here two years ago in a hail of turnovers and last season were stung by Billy Knight's game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.

"That game was awful," USC guard Errick Craven said. "The pain that we felt lingered."

If the Trojans, who blew a 21-point lead to Washington on Saturday, said they were scorned, their feelings weren't betrayed by the way they played.

They rallied from a 10-point deficit in the first half, clamped down on UCLA star Jason Kapono, who missed nine consecutive shots, and were the aggressors when it mattered.

If it looked as though the Trojans (6-4, 2-1 Pacific-10 Conference) wanted this one more than UCLA (4-6, 2-1), few of the Bruins were afraid to admit it.

"We were way more tentative," UCLA guard Ray Young said. "They stayed aggressive the whole game. We played scared and timid toward the end. They played like they had nothing to lose, and we didn't."

If there was a play that epitomized the Trojans' victory -- and the difference between the two teams -- it was Errick Craven's length-of-the-court dash for a layup with just more than two minutes to play.

After a timeout, Craven took an inbounds pass in the backcourt, avoided a trap at the free-throw line and bolted upcourt. With the floor spread, Craven ran through the entire UCLA defense and finished the play with a scoop shot that put USC ahead 74-68 with 2:15 left.

Soon after, the USC fans up near the rafters began chanting, "Just like football." Indeed, the only difference between Craven and receivers Keary Colbert and Mike Williams running among the Bruins was that Craven put the ball on the floor.

"The trap came slow, he got a head of steam on me, and we never closed the door on him," Kapono said. "That took the wind out of our sails."

Duke (10-0) managed just five assists on 17 first-half baskets, but began sharing the ball during a 15-1 second-half run. The Blue Devils shot 68 percent in the second half to improve to 135-17 under Krzyzewski when ranked No. 1. Duke moved into the top slot for the first time this season Monday.

MOUNTAIN WEST