[0] USC GETS A BIG WIN TROJANS OUTLAST OSU TO KEEP NCAAS IN VIEW USC 82, OREGON ST. 71.

Byline: Scott Wolf Staff Writer

USC broke its five-game losing streak and kept its NCAA hopes alive Thursday night, which are about the first pieces of good news the Trojans have had in four weeks.

The Trojans defeated Oregon State 82-71 at the Sports Arena, their first victory since defeating the Beavers in Corvallis, Ore., on Jan. 29.

Although the Beavers are not one of the better teams in the conference, it was a critical victory for the Trojans (14-11, 7-6), who are fighting for an NCAA berth. USC is now a game behind fourth-place Arizona State (16-9, 8-5), which was idle.

USC must win four of its final five games to earn an NCAA bid, or likely face a trip to the NIT.

This was hardly an easy victory for USC, but the Trojans finally broke the game open with a 11-0 run in the early minutes of the second half.

It started with a pair of back-to-back three-point plays by forward Brian Scalabrine. The second one gave USC a 53-43 lead with 13:32 left. Two free throws by David Bluthenthal, a 15-footer by Scalabrine and a free throw by Jeff Trepagnier made it 58-43.

But the Beavers stayed close. Guard Josh Steinthal scored 14 consecutive points to cut the lead to 65-61. The Beavers (12-13, 4-10) never got closer.

Scalabrine led USC with 26 points, Trepagnier had 23 and Bluthenthal added 19. Steinthal and Deaundra Tanner led the Beavers with 16 points apiece.

Just like the last time USC faced Oregon State, the Trojans relied on their 3-point shooting, at least in the first half. USC hit five 3-pointers in the first 10 minutes of the game, no doubt causing the Beavers to think USC is the top 3-point shooting team in the nation. USC made a Pacific-10 Conference record 20 3-pointers in the last meeting.

Of course, the Trojans made just 33.3 percent of their 3-point shots in the five games after the Oregon State encounter.

Unlike that game, the Trojans weren't building a huge advantage with their 3-point shooting Thursday night. Oregon State went on an 8-0 run with less than three minutes remaining in the half, cutting the lead to 31-30. A free throw by Scalabrine gave the Trojans a 32-30 halftime lead.

USC was 7 of 12 on 3-point shots in the first half, with Trepagnier making three and Brandon Granville and Bluthenthal adding two each. It was the third-highest number of 3-pointers the Trojans have made other than the two halves at Oregon State, when they hit nine and 11.

But the Trojans were just 4 of 13 on two-point field goals, shooting 44 percent overall in the half.

Trepagnier scored USC's first nine points by hitting three shots from 3-point range. It wasn't until Scalabrine made a 15-footer with 12:55 left that someone other than Trepagnier had scored for the Trojans.

Tanner, the Beavers' leading scorer at 14.3 points per game, had 16 points. The junior from Inglewood High said this week he may skip his senior season to be closer to his 3-year-old son. Tanner will make a decision in April.

--Notes: USC forward Brian Scalabrine was a first-team selection on the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division I District 15 team, which covers Southern California, Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona. Guard Jeff Trepagnier made the second team. . . . Lakers forward A.C. Green, an Oregon State graduate, attended the game. He yelled ``Let's go Oregon State'' in the middle of a USC section of fans right before tipoff, which brought some good-natured jeers. . . . Trepagnier was called ``Jason'' Trepagnier by the public-address announcer after making a 3-pointer in the first half.

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo: Oregon State's Clifton Jones looks to shoot with USC's Brian Scalabrine looming behind.

John Hayes/Associated Press