USC LOSES CLANCY, TURNER INJURIES AGAINST ARIZONA STATE COULD PUT BOTH OUT FOR SEASON ARIZONA NEXT FOR AILING USC.

Byline: Scott Wolf  Staff Writer

The euphoria of USC's overtime victory over Arizona State lasted about an hour Thursday night, ending with the devastating news that leading scorer Sam Clancy and sixth man Jarvis Turner suffered injuries that are expected to sideline them for the remainder of the season.

Clancy, who is also the Pacific-10 Conference's second-leading scorer at 17.2 points per game, fractured a bone in his right foot while shooting a layup in the second half of the Trojans' 95-92 victory. He had a pin placed in his foot Friday and ``could be finished for the year,'' according to USC coach Henry Bibby.

Turner, virtually the only contributing member of the bench, fractured his left ankle while attempting a layup in the first half. He had already missed seven games this season after suffering a stress fracture in his left foot.

Officially, both players are listed as being out 6-8 weeks, but neither is expected to return this season. Clancy's injury has been compared to the broken foot that sidelined Michigan State point guard Mateen Cleaves for several months.

Bibby will start 6-foot-11 freshman Kostas Charissis at center tonight against Arizona in place of the 6-7 Clancy. Charissis has played just three minutes in four Pac-10 games and is averaging 1.1 points and 1.4 rebounds. He last played Jan. 6 against Washington State.

``We're taking 20 points out of the lineup,'' Bibby said. ``Losing Jarvis Turner and Sam Clancy are both serious blows and we will have to rally as a team to pick up the slack. This sets us back, but we'll have to throw some other people in there.

``We'll be OK. We need to settle down and maybe not run as much as we were, and we need to be a better defensive team now.''

The injuries could not have come at a worst time for the Trojans (11-5,4-0). They are off to their best conference start since 1978-79 and had three straight emotional victories - over Washington, UCLA and Arizona State - heading into their first-place showdown with Arizona (15-2, 4-0).

``I'm disappointed, but there's nothing I can do but stay positive,'' Clancy said. ``These type of things happen and I'll just have to deal with it. The team is still capable of winning without Jarvis and me. Other people will have to step up in our place.''

Although Turner averaged just 1.7 points per game, he was also considered one of the Trojans' leaders, and helped give frontcourt players like Brian Scalabrine and David Bluthenthal a chance to rest.

``I don't think people realize how important Jarvis is to the team,'' Scalabrine said. ``He really keeps my mind in the game. It's a big setback . . . and real hard for us to come back from. A real blow.''

Added Turner: ``I worked hard to come back from my first injury and I'll work hard now.''

So where does this all leave the Trojans?

Aside from tempering the enthusiasm generated over their successful Pac-10 start, it means freshman guard Nate Hair and possibly freshman guard Malachi Thurston will see more playing time.

Hair played 17 minutes against Arizona State and scored one point. He is averaging 2.0 points and 1.6 rebounds. The injury could also force USC to move shooting guard Jeff Trepagnier back to small forward, where he played last season.

It also highlights the importance of losing 6-8 forward Greg Lakey, who transferred to Loyola Marymount last spring, and 6-6 forward Shannon Swillis, who transferred to Fresno State in September.

``We've got to have some other guys come in and play,'' Bibby said. ``Everyone who has been starting has been playing as well as they can play. For the younger guys, we've brought them along slowly, showing them the water before they really got a chance to test it. Now, they're going to have to swim.''

USC vs. No. 2 ARIZONA

--Time: 7:30 p.m., Sports Arena.

--TV/Radio: Fox Sports Net, XTRA-AM (690).

USC (11-5, 4-0) UPDATE: The Trojans were already decided underdogs, and that was before forward Sam Clancy broke his right foot and sixth-man Jarvis Turner fractured his ankle against Arizona State. Center Kostas Charissis will start in place of Clancy tonight. Forward David Bluthenthal is averaging 14 rebounds in Pacific-10 Conference play.

ARIZONA (15-2, 5-0) UPDATE: The Wildcats have only seven scholarship players, but that hasn't stopped them from beating the Cardinal at Stanford or UCLA at Pauley Pavilion on Thursday. Center Loren Woods is projected as a top-five NBA pick, and averages 15.4 points and 6.6 rebounds.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) CLANCY

(2 -- color) TURNER

(3) USC season scoring leader Sam Clancy (50) and Trojans sixth man Jarvis Turner both suffered possible season-ending injuries in Thursday's win over Arizona State, putting a damper on the school's best conference basketball start in 21 years and seriously hurting USC's chances in tonight's first-place Pac-10 showdown with Arizona at the Sports Arena.

E.J. Flynn/Associated Press

Box: USC vs. No. 2 ARIZONA (see text)