LOS ANGELES (AP) – Arizona coach Lute Olson was very pleased,
with good reason.
The eighth-ranked Wildcats, shooting extremely well and playing
tough defense, beat Southern California (No. 23 ESPN/USA Today) 105-61 on Saturday.
|  | | Arizona's Michael Wright, front, beats USC's David Bluthenthal for the rebound and scored two of his 23 points Saturday. |
Gilbert Arenas led the way by scoring 27 points and missing just
one shot.
The Wildcats (18-7, 10-3 Pac-10) handed the Trojans (17-7,7-5)
their worst home loss ever and one of the most lopsided defeats in
their history.
"We looked great out there. It goes to show you what happens
when you shoot the ball well," Olson said after the Wildcats shot
54 percent from the floor and went 14-of-19 from 3-point range.
"We were patient and waited for the shot. When we do that, we
play well. It was a case of we couldn't miss a shot and they
couldn't buy a shot."
The Trojans were just 6-of-34 from the floor in the first half
and finished the game at 30 percent.
USC coach Henry Bibby wanted to hide.
"There was no place I could go. I wish I could have climbed
under the table," he said. "We'll just take the loss and be happy
it wasn't by 60.
"We weren't ready to play, and they made their shots."
Arenas was 8-of-9 from the floor, made all five shots from
3-point range and was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line.
The 6-foot-3 sophomore also had five assists and three rebounds.
"There's a whole lot of motivation when I come to LA," said
Arenas, a native of North Hollywood. "Your friends who usually get
to see you on TV get to come and see you live. It's great."
His backcourt mate, Jason Gardner was 6-of-7 from 3-point range
and had 18 points. Michael Wright added 23 points.
The Trojans also lost to Arizona by 44, a 92-48 rout, at Tucson
in 1988, and they lost by 43 at Stanford last season.
The worst losses in USC history were 77-14 to Los Angeles
Athletic Club in 1914; 68-13 to Whittier in 1916; and 54-8 to Los
Angeles YMCA in 1917.
USC's most one-sided home loss previously was a 99-62 defeat by
UCLA in 1966.
Brian Scalabrine led the Trojans (17-7, 7-5) with 20 points
against Arizona, but was just 4-of-15 from the floor. He was the
only USC player in double figures.
The Wildcats, whose 105 points were the most ever scored against
USC on its court, took control early and completely overpowered the
frigid-shooting Trojans.
USC went through two stretches totaling more than 10 minutes
without a basket in the first half on their way to 17.6 percent
shooting that left the Trojans trailing 46-23 at halftime.
The Wildcats also outrebounded USC 26-17 in the first half and
finished with a 48-31 edge.
The Trojans went the first 3:45 of the game without a basket and
fell behind 8-1. Then Jarvis Turner's layup 38 seconds before
halftime was their only basket in the final 7½ minutes of the half.
Arenas has led the Wildcats in scoring in seven of their last 12
games, including a career-high 30 points in a 79-77 overtime loss
at UCLA on Thursday.
Last season, the Wildcats were 16-0 in the Pac-10 and ranked No.
2 nationally coming into the Los Angeles Sports Arena, but USC beat
them 80-72, Arizona's third loss in its last four games on the
Trojans' court.
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ALSO SEE
Men's College Basketball Scoreboard
Arizona Clubhouse
USC Clubhouse
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