March 7, 2002
Los Angeles, Calif. - Despite what the rankings say, Southern California has proven it's a better team than Stanford this season.
The 22nd-ranked Trojans built a 23-point lead in the first half and neverlooked back, beating the No. 16 Cardinal 103-78 Thursday night in the firstround of the Pacific-10 tournament.
It was USC's third victory over the Cardinal (19-9) this season. The Trojanswon the first meeting by eight points in Los Angeles, then won the second by 19points in Stanford's worst loss at home since 1993.
Sam Clancy led five USC players in double figures with 25 points. He wasvoted the Pac-10 player of the year Wednesday.
Brandon Granville added 20 points and 11 assists, Desmon Farmer 19 points,David Bluthenthal 17 points, and Jerry Dupree 10 points.
The fourth-seeded Trojans (21-8) will play top-seeded Oregon in Friday'ssemifinals at Staples Center. The Ducks (23-7) defeated eighth-seededWashington 86-64 earlier Thursday.
Casey Jacobsen and Curtis Borchardt each scored 17 points to leadfifth-seeded Stanford, which added to its history of blowout losses in thetournament.
Before the tournament took a 12-year break in 1990, Stanford lost to Arizonaby 22 points in the 1989 final, and by 24 points to Arizona in the 1990semifinals.
USC's 25-point win was one shy of the tournament record for largest winningmargin, set by Arizona in a 93-67 win over Oregon in 1988.
Stanford shot 38 percent and committed 19 turnovers in the game.
Jacobsen, the Pac-10's leading scorer with a 22.2-point average, picked uphis third foul with 10:55 remaining. Borchardt, the 7-footer who led theconference in rebounding and shot blocking, had 14 rebounds as Stanfordcontrolled the boards, 51-31.
The teams were tied four times in the opening 14 minutes before USC brokethe game open by shooting 67 percent in the first half. The Trojans outscoredthe Cardinal 31-9 to take a 45-23 lead with 3:43 remaining.
USC hit four of its seven 3-pointers in the spurt, including two byBluthenthal, who had nine points in the run. Stanford struggled on 38 percentshooting in the half, when Jacobsen was just 3-of-9 from the floor.
After USC starting guard Errick Craven got in foul trouble in the firsthalf, the Trojans didn't miss a beat. Dupree came in and scored eight points in12 minutes. Farmer also came off the bench to score 10 points in 12 minutes.
After trailing 52-35 at the break, Stanford never got closer than 13 pointsin the second half. Clancy scored USC's first seven points of the half and theTrojans spent much of the final 20 minutes at the foul line, where they hit 76percent for the game.
Leading 65-51, USC ran off 13 consecutive points to take a 78-51 lead with10:02 remaining. Except for Bluthenthal's 3-pointer, all the Trojans' pointscame at the free-throw line. Granville went 4-for-4, and Farmer 3-for-4.
By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer