`JUST LIKE FOOTBALL' USC RELISHES RARITY OF A WESTWOOD WIN USC 80, UCLA 75.

Byline: Billy Witz Staff Writer

A scene, even rarer than the home team playing defense, was played out Wednesday night at Pauley Pavilion - Trojans dancing across the floor.

USC's 80-75 victory over UCLA in front of a capacity crowd of 12,736 might not be one for the ages, but it was one for the Trojans to relish, as they left the court skipping, waving towels and wearing ear-to-ear grins after their first win at Pauley Pavilion in 10 years.

If walking out of this once-hallowed arena with a victory is a run-of-the- mill experience for schools like Cal State Northridge, Pepperdine, Northern Arizona and - while we're at it - EA Sports, Pauley Pavilion has felt more haunted than vaunted to the Trojans.

They melted down here two years ago in a hail of turnovers and last season were stung by Billy Knight's game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.

``That game was awful,'' USC guard Errick Craven said. ``The pain that we felt lingered.''

If the Trojans, who blew a 21-point lead to Washington on Saturday, said they were scorned, their feelings weren't betrayed by the way they played.

They rallied from a 10-point deficit in the first half, clamped down on UCLA star Jason Kapono, who missed nine consecutive shots, and were the aggressors when it mattered.

If it looked like the Trojans (6-4, 2-1 Pacific-10 Conference) wanted this one more than UCLA (4-6, 2-1), few of the Bruins were afraid to admit it.

``We were way more tentative,'' UCLA guard Ray Young said. ``They stayed aggressive the whole game. We played scared and timid toward the end. They played like they had nothing to lose, and we didn't.''

If there was a play that epitomized the Trojans' victory - and the difference between the two teams - it was Errick Craven's length-of-the-court dash for a layup with just over two minutes to play.

After a timeout, Craven took an inbounds pass in the backcourt, avoided a trap at the free-throw line and bolted up court. With the floor spread, Craven ran through the entire UCLA defense and finished the play with a scoop shot that put USC ahead 74-68 with 2:15 left.

Soon after, the USC fans up near the rafters began chanting, ``Just like football.'' Indeed, the only difference between Craven and receivers Keary Colbert and Mike Williams running among the Bruins was that Craven put the ball on the floor.

``The trap came slow, he got a head of steam on me and we never closed the door on him,'' Kapono said. ``That took the wind out of our sails.''

The wind was gone from Kapono's long before that.

With Kapono coming off a career-high 44 points against Washington State, the Trojans used a box-and-one defense on him much of the first half, alternately using the Craven twins, Errick and Derrick, to chase him. Kapono took just five shots, only one of which was a jumper - a 3-pointer he hit.

In the second half, against a 2-3 zone, Kapono got more looks but few points. He missed his first nine shots of the half before hitting a meaningless 3-pointer in the final minute. After hitting 9 of 10 from 3-point range against the Cougars on Saturday, he made just 2 of 9 Wednesday night - including seven consecutive misses and one airball.

``I was trying to stay patient in the first half,'' Kapono said. ``In the second half, I was a little worn down. I was frustrated. Any decent look I got, I rushed it.''

Kapono had plenty of company as the Bruins made just 4 of 26 from 3-point range.

``Our whole defensive game plan was built around stopping (Kapono),'' said USC coach Henry Bibby, the former Bruin who earned his first coaching victory at Pauley Pavilion. ``We played great defense on him, and we were very conscious of him.''

After Craven's end-to-end dash, Kapono missed a harried 3-point attempt and on the next possession, guard Ryan Walcott, who had a career-high 11 assists, threw the ball out of bounds.

The Bruins crept within 74-70 with 1:13 left on a dunk by Andre Patterson, and they forced a five-second call on the ensuing inbounds play. But UCLA returned the favor when Patterson had the inbounds pass ripped out of his hands by Derrick Craven, who took it in for an uncontested layup.

When Dijon Thompson, who led UCLA with 16 points off the bench, was whistled for traveling with a minute left, that was the game.

``Our intensity level didn't match the first half,'' said UCLA forward T.J. Cummings, who had 13 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. ``We became very perimeter-oriented and were jacking 3s. Along with that, they were pounding it on the offensive glass. That was the difference in the game.''

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) T.J. Cummings, center, here sandwiched between Rory O'Neil, left, and Nick Curtis, ran into difficulties against USC.

(2 -- color) UCLA's Ray Young, below, is rendered helpless as USC's Errick Craven makes a strong move to the basket.

(3) T.J. Cummings, center, here sandwiched between Rory O'Neil, left, and Nick Curtis, ran into difficulties.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer

Box:

(1) USC, FINALLY

(2) STANDINGS