TROJANS CUT DOWN TO SIZE SMALLER USC IS NO MATCH FOR CAL IN LOSS.

Byline: Scott Wolf  Staff Writer

BERKELEY - It doesn't inspire confidence that USC plays one of only two teams that swept the Trojans this season for their opening Pacific-10 Conference Tournament game.

Especially when that team, California, left the Trojans feeling a bit helpless following a 71-60 loss to the Golden Bears on Saturday night before 11,702 at Haas Pavilion.

``They're too big,'' USC forward Nick Young said.

Cal's star forward, Leon Powe, who scored a game-high 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, agreed with Young.

``Yeah, that's what it seemed like,'' Powe said.

Unless Cal shrinks by Thursday, USC will need to play much better as the teams face each other twice in less than a week. Even USC coach Tim Floyd did not try to spin the fact Cal is 2-0 against the Trojans or place hope in the old adage it's tough to beat a team three times.

``Not when they've beaten you twice. They've had our number,'' Floyd said.

With Cal featuring Powe and three post players who are 6-feet-10 or taller, USC responded by volleying an array of 3-pointers, most of which did not come close to going in the basket.

USC (17-12, 8-10) shot a season-high 35 shots from 3-point range (a Haas Pavilion record) and made a paltry eight (23 percent).

It's one reason the Trojans went scoreless for 11 minutes, 15 seconds.

``We took too many threes,'' Floyd said. ``I've never had a team take that many in my life. We ended up on the outside because we can't play through the post.''

Then again, how surprising is it that USC took so many 3-pointers, now that guard Gabe Pruitt is back from a fractured knee. Pruitt made just two of 10 3-pointers and increasingly relied the long-range shot for his offense.

It might be attributed to tentativeness to drive to the basket with his knee injury, but Pruitt launched 13 shots from 3-point range against Arizona State in his final game before getting hurt.

``Every time I shot it felt awkward. I wasn't getting my feet squared,'' Pruitt said. ``My knee has nothing to do with it. It's me not being focused.''

Pruitt was hardly the only culprit. USC shot 30 percent from the field but that was with a late flurry of made shots. With seven minutes left, the Trojans were 3 for 22 on 3-pointers and shooting 26 percent overall.

``It happens,'' guard Lodrick Stewart said.

Even with their woes, the Trojans cut the lead to 10 points (53-43) with 4:59 minutes remaining, only to give up consecutive length-of-the-court passes that Cal converted into layups.

``That's part of your fight when you try to extend your pressure,'' Floyd said. ``We haven't been a full-court pressure team.''

Or a pound-the-ball-inside team. USC's post players (Abdoulaye N'diaye, RouSean Cromwell, Jeremy Barr) took a combined six shots. Pruitt, Young, Stewart and point guard Ryan Francis were 14 for 48.

Scott Wolf, [phone]

scott.wolf(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Cal's Omar Wilkes goes up for a shot over USC's RouSean Cromwell.

George Nikitin/Associated Press