RIGHT PLAY, RIGHT TIME FOR USC PRUITT FEEDS O'NEIL FOR GAME-WINNING 3-POINTER; TROJANS ADVANCE TO FINAL USC 81, UAB 78.

Byline: Frank Burlison Staff Writer

HONOLULU - Gabriel Pruitt and Rory O'Neil teamed to pull a John Stockton and Karl Malone act in the late going of USC's Rainbow Classic semifinal game against Alabama-Birmingham on Wednesday night.

And because the freshman point guard Pruitt and senior post player O'Neil executed the act so well, the Trojans will play for the championship tonight in the Stan Sheriff Center on the University of Hawaii campus.

O'Neil, after setting a high screen for the guard, flared to the left of the top of the key and, before Demario Eddins could rotate back to the 6-foot-11 Trojan, Pruitt fired a pass to O'Neil, who made a 3-pointer with 5.3 seconds remaining to give USC an 81-78 victory.

And, for good measure, O'Neil sprinted back on defense and contested Eddins on his 3-point attempt from the right corner, with Pruitt snatching the rebound as the buzzer sounded.

The victory earned the Trojans a spot in tonight's 7:30 title game against the winner of Wednesday's late semifinal game between host Hawaii and Oral Roberts.

``That was the play (interim coach Jim Saia called for during the timeout just before Greg Guenther inbounded in front of the Trojans' bench with 13.9 seconds to go),'' Pruitt said after a 15-point, six-assist performance.

``When the defender (Eddins) switched onto me after O (O'Neil) set the pick, O was wide open.''

O'Neil (13 points and five rebounds) doled out praise to the 18-year-old Pruitt for the execution of the go-ahead-for-good possession.

``I saw the defense help on Gabe, and he had the presence of mind to get me the ball,'' he said.

The Trojans, who improved to 6-3 (and 4-1 under Saia) with their fourth consecutive victory, took their biggest lead of the game at 68-55 on a fastbreak layup by Jeff McMillan with 9:15 remaining.

UAB returned three starters and several key substitutes from one of the surprise teams of last season's NCAA Tournament. The Blazers knocked off Washington before stunning No. 1 Kentucky in a second-round game but then lost to Kansas in the Sweet 16. And that was on the Trojans' minds even when they appeared to be pulling away from UAB.

``They're a very quick team, with a lot of heart, and we knew they would never quit,'' O'Neil said.

Frank Burlison, [phone]

frank.burlison(at)presstelegram.com