FARMER FINDS THE ZONE USC WINS PAC-10 OPENER BEHIND GUARD'S SEVEN 3S USC 97, WASH. ST. 90.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer

PULLMAN, Wash. - USC guard Desmon Farmer didn't need any plays called for him or picks and screens from teammates to spring him loose for open shots. When you're shooting the way Farmer was Thursday night in the Trojans' 97-90 victory over host Washington State, it doesn't matter how open you are or where you're standing when you get the ball.

All you have to do is shoot it when you get it. And that's exactly what Farmer did, torching the Cougars with seven second-half 3-pointers and a career-high 35 points to help rally the Trojans from a 10-point deficit and give them their fifth consecutive Pac-10 Conference opening victory.

In fact, the only thing slowing the junior guard were the leg cramps that cost him more than seven minutes of playing time late in the game. And at the rate his was putting the ball up against the Cougars, that probably meant at least another five 3-pointers.

Farmer attributed the cramps to the focus he put on getting more leg lift on his jump shot. He struggled with his shooting through the Trojans' (5-3, 1-0) nonconference schedule, and when a USC assistant coach noticed Farmer wasn't getting off the ground high enough when he took his jumpers, Farmer decided to do something about it.

``That's the reason I started cramping up, probably,'' Farmer said.

Whatever he was doing, it worked. Farmer hit 7 of 8 3-pointers over the first eight minutes of the second half.

``Coach kept calling plays for me,'' Farmer said. ``Tonight was just my night, I guess. I was struggling with my shot, and I didn't want to start Pac-10 like that.''

USC coach Heny Bibby just enjoyed watching from the sideline.

``I've never seen a guy shoot the ball like that in all my years of coaching,'' USC coach Henry Bibby said. ``And I've been coaching a long time. That was exhibition-type shooting.''

Washington State (5-5, 0-1) did what it could to keep the ball out of Farmer's hands and run defenders at him when he did get it. Not that any of it worked.

``He was feeling the fever,'' Washington State coach Paul Graham said. ``He was hitting some unbelievable shots, and a lot of times we were right in his face.''

Farmer struggled to the bench shortly after his torrid shooting streak ,barely able to stand up because of the pain shooting through his legs. The Trojans, who led 74-66 at the time, kept the pressure up while Farmer received treatment. When he returned with 38.4 seconds left, the lead was 88-82. He promptly sank eight consecutive free throws to help preserve the lead.

``It was frustrating sitting on the sideline, all I was thinking about was water and Gatorade,'' Farmer said. ``But coach put me back in and told me to knock down some free throws and that's what I did.''

Farmer's 35 points were the most since Adam Spanich in 1998, and his seven 3-pointers were the second most in school history, trailing Anthony Pendleton's nine against Long Beach State in 1988. USC also got 16 points from Errick Craven, 14 from Rory O'Neil and 11 from Roydell Smiley. Marcus Moore had 20 points for the Cougars.

USC forward Jerry Dupree made his season debut, finishing with four points and six rebounds. Bibby suspended Dupree for the first seven games so he could concentrate on academics. He played most of the game at power forward after starter Nick Curtis got into foul trouble.

``I felt OK, I wasn't tired or anything,'' Dupree said. ``Just a little excited and nervous. But it felt good to get out there.''

The Trojans' 97 points were the most they've scored in Pullman, and they needed all of them the way they were playing defense, especially in the first half when they fell behind by as many as 10 points after starting the game in a 7-0 hole.

``We didn't play very well defensively at all,'' Bibby said.

Thanks to Farmer, it didn't cost them a victory.