Bruins Hold Off Trojans : USC Comes Close but Drops to 0-11 in Pacific 10 Play

When USC’s Calvin Banks found his head in the right arm of UCLA’s Trevor Wilson Wednesday night, Banks’ teammates probably knew how he felt.

The Trojans have been in a headlock all season.

Not even a flagrant technical foul against Wilson, giving USC two free throws and possession of the ball with three seconds left, could keep the Trojans from their 11th consecutive Pacific 10 Conference loss.

UCLA’s 68-65 victory in front of a crowd of 10,062 at Pauley Pavilion was its fifth straight and sent the Trojans farther down their road to nowhere.

But it was not without its tense moments at the end.

Seemingly left for dead when UCLA’s Kevin Williams was fouled as he made a layup that gave the Bruins a 68-63 lead with three seconds left, USC was given new life when Wilson locked his arm around Banks’ neck.

Williams missed a free throw that would have put UCLA out of reach, and Tyrone Fuller then made two for USC, cutting the Trojans’ deficit to 68-65.

And USC got to take the ball out at midcourt, too.

The Trojans weren’t able to put the ball into play, though, as Duane Cooper couldn’t find anybody open.

“I was looking for (Anthony) Pendleton or Fuller, but neither of them got free,” Cooper said.

A five-second violation gave the ball back to UCLA.

Somehow, it seemed appropriate.

USC had again failed to capitalize on an opportunity.

And UCLA, which improved to 15-5 and 10-2 in the Pacific 10 Conference, had again barely managed to outlast an outmanned foe.

Afterward, USC Coach George Raveling defended his team, saying: “We might have a losing record, but we’re not losers.”

Maybe not, but the Trojans are continually outscored.

They are 7-15 overall, 0-11 in the Pac-10 and haven’t won since they beat Yale Dec. 29 in a tournament at Honolulu. USC hasn’t won on the mainland since it beat Seattle Dec. 13 at the Sports Arena.

Just last Saturday, after a 70-68 loss to Oregon, Raveling spent his postgame talk telling his players they weren’t losers.

“Over the course of the last three to four weeks, I’ve come to admire this team as much as any that I’ve coached,” Raveling said. “I’ve had teams go to the NCAA tournament that didn’t have as much courage.

“This has got to be one of the most courageous groups I’ve ever been around day after day, week after week, to continually face disappointment and to continue to persevere and continue to try to be positive.

“And to continue to make a way out of nowhere.”

The Trojans have lost 14 games by nine points or less, including nine by five points or less.

And they seemed to have been taken out of this one when UCLA used a 20-6 spurt to open a 58-46 lead with 9 minutes 20 seconds left.

But the Trojans, who enjoyed a 40-28 rebounding advantage, fought back to pull within 64-61 on a free throw by Rich Grande with 2:40 left.

USC had a chance to tie at that point, too, but UCLA’s Pooh Richardson, who led UCLA with 19 points, stole a pass from Pendleton.

Then, after scoring on a driving bank shot to give UCLA a 66-61 lead, Richardson again stole the ball from Pendleton.

“Big-time plays,” Harrick called the steals. “They were probably the keys to the game. He just took the ball away from him twice.”

USC still had its chances, but the officials missed a foul against Richardson, who swatted Grande’s head as Grande misfired on a 3-point shot, and then the Trojans couldn’t get the ball inbounds at the end.

What happened between Wilson and Banks?

“He just grabbed me,” Banks said. “That’s all I can say. I was standing there and the man just grabbed me.”

Wilson declined to comment, but Harrick said Wilson was only retaliating after being hit by Banks on the other end of the floor.

Whatever, UCLA managed to survive on a night when Ronnie Coleman scored a career-high 24 points for USC, including 14 of the Trojans’ first 18 points in the second half, and Don MacLean scored only six for UCLA.

MacLean made only one of nine shots before fouling out.

USC-UCLA Notes

Don MacLean played only 22 minutes. Kevin Williams, who scored only nine points in his last 10 games, enjoyed his most productive game of the season for UCLA, scoring 10 points in 14 minutes. Trevor Wilson had 14 points, nine rebounds and matched a season-high with six assists. Charles Rochelin scored 10 points off the bench for UCLA.

In three seasons at USC, George Raveling is 0-6 against UCLA.