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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- Revenge was sweet, but a little tougher
than Arizona would have preferred.
Jason Gardner snapped out of a three-week shooting slump to
score 15 of his 19 points in the second half Thursday night as the
fourth-ranked Wildcats pulled out a 92-85 victory over Southern
California to avenge their lone Pac-10 loss of the season.
|  | | Arizona's Luke Walton, right, tries to pass around USC's Brian Scalabrine. |
Gilbert Arenas scored 21 points and Michael Wright, who had just
three points and was 0-for-3 from the field in the Jan. 22 loss in
Los Angeles, added 20 points and 14 rebounds for the Wildcats
(22-4, 11-1).
"The team felt that we let them outplay us last time," Wright
said. "They played a good basketball game. We wanted to come out
here and get them back."
Brian Scalabrine, who scored a career-high 27 points against
Arizona the first time, bettered that with 28 this time despite
playing most of the game in foul trouble. Jeff Trepagnier had 20
points and 13 rebounds for USC (13-10, 6-5) but missed a 3-pointer
that would have tied the game with 24 seconds to play.
Brandon Granville had 21 points for USC, 15 in the first half,
and 11 assists.
Gardner, whose underhanded layup in traffic gave Arizona an
88-82 lead with 1:16 remaining, clinched it with two free throws
that made it 90-85 with 17 seconds to play. Wright punctuated the
victory with a breakaway stuff with a second to go.
All five Arizona starters scored in double figures. Loren Woods,
bothered by a sore back, had 17 points and eight rebounds and Luke
Walton matched his career high with 13 points. For the first time
in Pac-10 play, Woods didn't block a shot.
USC lost its fourth in a row and fifth in seven games, but not
before seriously threatening Arizona's 26-game Pac-10 homecourt
winning streak.
"We were in this game all the way," Trojans coach Henry Bibby
said. "The guys hung in there and fought. We had a chance. I can't
ask for any more from my guys. We were just a little bit short here
and there."
The Wildcats scored the first basket of the game, then trailed
the rest of the half. Scalabrine scored 13 points in the first 8½
minutes, mostly on layups, and USC built a 27-18 lead on
Trepagnier's 3-pointer with 10:33 left in the half.
Trailing 43-39 at halftime, Arizona scored the first nine points
of the second half on 3-pointers by Gardner, Arenas and Walton to
go up 48-43, but the Trojans didn't fold.
Arizona outscored USC 17-9 to go ahead 83-73 on Gardner's two
free throws with 4:45 remaining, but the Trojans used a 12-5 spurt
to cut it to 88-85 on Granville's 3-pointer with a minute to play.
Scalabrine stole Walton's pass inside to give USC a chance to
tie it, but Trepagnier's 3-pointer was just long.
"The real difference is that we started to play defense with
some emotion," Arizona coach Lute Olson said. "I thought we were
awful in that area in the first half."
Gardner, 7-for-41 from the field in his previous five games, was
3-for-5 in the second half and 6-for-13 for the game. He also had
eight rebounds and six assists. He said he felt good when his first
jumper went in.
"That was a big confidence boost for me," Gardner said. "I
think I shot it a lot better after that."
Gardner was 3-for-7 from 3-point range to avoid a threat from
fellow freshman Arenas.
"I told him before the game if he didn't hit three 3s, I would
sock him in the face," Arenas said.
Even though both teams have little depth because of injuries, it
was an up-tempo game. USC shot 64 percent in the first half but
just 34 percent in the second. Arizona shot 42 percent in the first
half and 53 percent in the second.
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