Feb 20, 2004
By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES - Stanford survived another threat to its perfect season.
Josh Childress scored a career-high 36 points and the top-ranked Cardinalrallied from a 13-point first-half deficit to beat Southern California 76-67Thursday night for its school-record 22nd consecutive victory.
Stanford (13-0) clinched a share of its fourth Pac-10 title in six yearswith three weeks remaining in the regular season.
But perfection has been harder to maintain recently. The Cardinal came from19 points down and won at Oregon on Jan. 31, then Nick Robinson hit abuzzer-beating 3-pointer to hold off Arizona on Feb. 7.
USC (10-13, 5-9) threatened until the final minutes after Stanford blew an11-point lead in the second half. The Trojans tied it for the final time at 65on a basket by Jeff McMillan.
But Childress hit a 3-pointer and scored another basket for a 70-65 lead.The Trojans, who had been solid from the free-throw line earlier in the game,made just 2-of-5 in the final 1:15 when they trailed by three.
After that, Stanford scored the game's final six points to end USC's upsethopes.
Matt Lottich added 20 points for Stanford.
McMillan led USC with 21 points - one off his career high. Rory O'Neil added14, and Desmon Farmer scored 11, all in the first half when he carried theTrojans.
The Trojans (10-13, 5-9) have lost seven of their last nine games.
USC started the game strongly, playing aggressive defense and getting handsin the faces of Stanford's shooters. Childress was the Cardinal's onlyoffensive threat in the first half, when he had 18 points.
Stanford trailed 36-28 at halftime, a virtual repeat of the teams' Jan. 24meeting, when the Trojans led by six at the break in Palo Alto.
Just like in that game, the Cardinal dominated the start of the second half.Stanford outscored USC 27-8 to take a 55-44 lead with 10:48 remaining. MattLottich had 12 points and Stanford twice scored off consecutive USC turnovers.
But the Trojans weren't done yet.
They used a 16-5 spurt to tie the game at 60 with 5:16 left. O'Neil scorednine points and had two big blocks.
Stanford didn't waver, getting a 3-pointer by Lottich on an offensiverebound while the Trojans' shooting went cold.
USC started the game by running off nine straight points for an 18-7 lead.Stanford answered with a 12-2 run which ended when USC coach Henry Bibby wascalled for a technical. Lottich made both free throws and Stanford trailed20-19.
USC closed the half with a 17-9 spurt to lead 36-28 at the break. A3-pointer by O'Neil gave the Trojans their largest lead of 13 points during therun. USC scored 14 points off Stanford's eight turnovers in the half.
Stanford senior Justin Davis missed his fifth straight game because of aleft knee injury.