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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) – Casey Jacobsen touched the bloody
scratches on his arm and winced. Mike McDonald, exhausted and
sleepy-eyed, used one hand to support his head.
Their conditions weren't serious, however. They were proof that
the top-ranked Cardinal survived their first big scare of the
Pac-10 season the hard way.
Jacobsen scored 22 points and McDonald hit the last of his six
3-pointers with 50 seconds left as the Cardinal rallied from a
halftime deficit to beat Southern California (No. 19 ESPN/USA Today, No. 21 AP) 77-71 on
Thursday night.
"They beat us up. They fouled me every time I was down the
court," Jacobsen said. "I've got scratches all over me. Two
separate times I went flying into the bench. I've never done that
in my career."
Jason Collins had 20 points and six rebounds as Stanford (20-0,
8-0) kept alive its school-record winning streak, even though the
Cardinal didn't take the lead for good until 6:13 remained.
Southern California pounded on Stanford with defense and got
plenty of timely offense, but the Cardinal's balanced shooting
finally was too much for yet another opponent. Stanford ended on a
20-11 run.
"We just had to gut this one out the hard way," Stanford coach
Mike Montgomery said. "I mean, I don't know how we could have
played any better. They had an answer for just about everything we
did."
Brian Scalabrine scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half
as the fired-up Trojans never allowed Stanford to pull away.
Southern California led by four with seven minutes left, but
consecutive dramatic 3-pointers by Jacobsen and McDonald turned the
game around.
"Staying with them for most of the game was nice, but we really
wanted to win, so it was a disappointment," Scalabrine said. "We
just have to be stronger than they are next time."
Jacobsen, held in check by 5-foot-9 Brandon Granville during the
first half, scored 18 points in the second half. Collins scored six
straight points during a critical late-game stretch, while his twin
brother Jarron hit two clinching free throws with 13 seconds left.
"We were there to win this game," said Trojans coach Henry
Bibby, who was fuming after the shot clock failed to start on a
late Stanford inbounds play that ended in a 3-pointer by Jacobsen.
"We were right in it until the end. Our guys did a great job
against the best team in the country."
Southern California (15-5, 5-3), the first ranked team to visit
Maples Pavilion this season, was looking for its first win over a
top-ranked team since March 6, 1970. In a game that wasn't
broadcast on television in Los Angeles or anywhere outside the Bay
Area, the Trojans came close to pulling a huge upset.
"We had to shoot 50 percent from the 3-point arc. They made us
shoot 50 percent from the field, and we still only won by six at
home," Montgomery said. "That tells you how good USC is. They
made a concerted effort to stop Casey, and that left Mike open a
few times, and he took advantage."
David Bluthenthal and Sam Clancy scored 15 points apiece for the
Trojans, who lost by 43 points at Maples last season. They led by
seven midway through the first half and were up 34-31 at halftime
thanks to 6-of-7 shooting on 3-pointers.
The Trojans also got a near-perfect half from Granville, who hit
all three of his shots – including two 3-pointers – and had five
assists in addition to his defensive contributions. In the second
half, however, he managed just four points against McDonald's
defense.
The key to the Cardinal's victory was McDonald, even though the
conference leader in assist-to-turnover ratio had just two assists
and three turnovers. Dared to shoot by the Trojans, McDonald hit
six of his nine 3-point attempts – all seemingly coming whenever
the Trojans threatened to open a large lead.
Southern California's conference-best defense was in top form
against the Cardinal, and Granville led the way. He's 9 inches
shorter than the 6-foot-6 Jacobsen, but his relentless defense on
Stanford's leading scorer kept the Trojans ahead early.
Jacobsen didn't get a shot until 6½ minutes in, and he didn't
score until a layup with 10:55 left in the first half. Granville
didn't guard Jacobsen as much in the second half, but even with
2:30 left, he sent a message by undercutting Jacobsen as both
players dove for a loose ball.
The Cardinal scored on their first seven possessions of the
second half while making an 18-10 run. The Trojans replied with
scoring from Scalabrine, who had foul trouble in the first half but
went 7-of-12 from the field in the second.
Duke was the only other team to lead Stanford at halftime this
season.
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ALSO SEE
Men's College Basketball Scoreboard
USC Clubhouse
Stanford Clubhouse
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