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Third time is the charm for the Trojans
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AP Photo/Danny Moloshok
After being swept during Pac-10 play by the Bruins, the USC Trojans exacted some revenge over their cross-town rivals in a stunning 65-55 win over UCLA.
The USC Trojans played against the Bruins last night with a ferocious intensity after UCLA beat them twice during the regular season. It paid off. Coming out of the gate like a team possessed, USC took an early lead after Dwight Lewis nailed a couple of three-point shots and the Bruins were never able to get in sync and challenge the Trojans, whose defense at times was so intense that it seemed as though there were six Trojans on the floor instead of five.
The star of the game was freshman DeMar DeRozan, who threw down some “YouTube dunks,” as Marques Johnson called them. DeRozan seemed to be all over the court and the player, who was recently named to the All-Pac-10 Freshman Team, led the Trojans in both points and rebounds with 21 and 13, respectively.
Efficiency was the key to DeRozan’s game as he continued to shoot at a high percentage, going 7 of 12 from the field and hitting his one three-pointer of the night. The 13 rebounds that DeRozan pulled down were a season high for the youngster.
DeMar DeRozan continues to peak at the right time, which bodes well for the Trojans, who could very well be looking at an automatic entry into the NCAA Tournament with a win over the ASU Sun Devils in the Pac-10 Tournament championship game this afternoon at Staples Center. Even if the Trojans do fall at the hands of the Sun Devils, there is a great chance that they have done enough in the Pac-10 Tournament to garner an at-large bid to the “big dance.”
Taj Gibson, the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year, also had another solid game, notching 13 points on 5 of 6 shooting and pulling down 11 rebounds. The defensive presence of Gibson and the rest of the Trojans squad held the Bruins in check for most of the game. UCLA finished the game shooting an abysmal 19 of 70 from the field, including 5 of 26 from three-point range.
Despite UCLA’s shooting woes, they came back in the last two minutes of the game to within five points of the Trojans. However, the Trojans were able to hang on for the victory and will face Arizona State in the Championship game.
The Arizona State Sun Devils finished strong in the other semi-final game last night, besting the Washington Huskies. Knocking out the number one-seeded Huskies squad, the Sun Devils, led by James Harden, have been a tough team to beat as of late. In the regular season the Trojans split the games played against the Sun Devils, winning at home and losing on the road.
Tune in this afternoon on FSN for all of your Pac-10 Championship and USC Trojans sporting needs. Or better yet, head on down to the Staples Center and see the game live, you won’t be disappointed.
Pacific 10 Conference Tournament (Staples Center)
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