AND, MEANWHILE, THERE IS THE CARDINAL.

Byline: KEVIN MODESTI

ANAHEIM - Listening to the crowd at the Pond on Thursday night, you registered big support for the basketball teams from three universities. One of which was actually playing at the Pond.

As soon as the Southern California fans got their minds off the affairs of USC and UCLA in another arena back east, the NCAA tournament's WestRegional was all about Stanford. The official Stanford rooting section rose from the Cardinal bench to the ceiling. Stanford also had the support of most of the scattered independent voters.

Add them up, and Stanford had as many voices rooting for it during a 78-65 victory over Cincinnati at the 18,000-seat Pond as it has at home games in its 6,500-seat gym in Palo Alto.

That home-state advantage is a loud reason the tournament has been Stanford's to lose ever since the regional assignments and seedings were announced 10 days ago. The NCAA geography department did a favor for the team with the nation's best won-lost record, making sure it won't have toleave California until it gets to the Final Four in Minneapolis.

Of the four West Regional teams, Stanford is the only one within a couple of time zones of the Pacific surf.

``This is probably the 10th or 11th time I've played here. That's a nice advantage for me,'' said Casey Jacobsen, the Glendora High product who led Stanford with 27 points. ``At the same time, the baskets are the same as they are in Cincinnati.''

Being smart kids, with memories of events as far back as two years ago, the Stanford players understand the difference. In 1999, seeded secondin the West, they went to Seattle and were humbled in round 2 by Gonzaga. In 2000, seeded first in the South, they traveled to Birmingham, Ala., and lost in round 2 to North Carolina.

Now the question is whether the team with the high SATs, the high scoring average and the high pressure can take advantage of its cushy surroundings.

``We've got to go out there and make plays,'' said Jason Collins, fromHarvard-Westlake High in North Hollywood. ``The fans aren't going to score baskets for us.''

Stanford isn't making it easy, that's for sure. After a scare in round2 last week at San Diego, where Stanford had to sink 10 straight free throws in the last minute to hold off St. Joseph's, the Cardinal was on its way to another gentleman's C as it tried to get to the Elite Eight.

At halftime the headband models from Cincinnati led 38-34 and had scored the last 10 times they had the ball. Cincinnati guards Steve Logan and Kenny Satterfield were doing what they'd brazenly predicted and asserted an edge over Stanford's backcourt.

Stanford's 11-2 start to the second half, led by its front line, put an end to that.

Now Stanford faces Maryland, the West's third seed, which handled Georgetown 76-66 with Lonny Baxter beating Ruben Boumtje Boumtje 26-0 in thebattle of the centers. There will be more Stanford red than Maryland red in the stands on Saturday.

The Pond was less than half-full when Maryland and Georgetown tipped off a little before 5 o'clock. This was the Orange County basketball passion the Vancouver Grizzlies are eyeing so jealously?

Granted, that casual crowd count doesn't account for fans who might have been making more frequent than normal runs to the hot-dog stands. Pond officials got permission from the NCAA to show the USC and UCLA games on the television screens behind the concession counters.

Somewhere in America, a riveting basketball game was being played, 40 minutes of twists and turns and surprise. Not here, though.

Some of the biggest cheers at Maryland-Georgetown came in response to the PA man's score updates from USC-Kentucky. With 15:40 to go in the first half here, it was USC 33-13 there (gasps and hurrahs). At halftime here, it was USC 48-42 there (nervous groans). With 14:59 left here, it was USC 73-64 there (relieved sighs). With 11:45 to go here, it was USC 75-70 and 1 minute to play there (hopeful shouts).

There was 7:52 on the clock and a timeout on the floor here when the man at the microphone summoned up his Voice of God and began: ``Ladies and gentlemen, we have a final score from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ...''(and the roar began before he got to USC 80, Kentucky 76).

The Pacific 10 has gone nationwide, with fans at the East Regional getting a good look at USC, and fans at the Midwest Regional in San Antonioready to watch Arizona take on Mississippi today.

Meanwhile, back in California, it's root, root, root for the almost-home team.