Stanford beats USC to snap 4-game losing streak

  • Associated Press
  • Saturday, February 28, 2009 8:03pm
  • SportsSports

STANFORD, Calif. — Anthony Goods had 20 points, Kenny Brown matched his career high with four 3-pointers and Stanford ended its longest losing streak in 16 years with a 75-63 win over Southern California on Saturday.

Lawrence Hill added 14 points, eight coming during a 21-6 run in the second half by the Cardinal that erased a six-point deficit and gave Stanford (16-11, 5-11 Pac-10) a 69-60 lead that was never challenged.

Brown finished with 14 points and six rebounds for Stanford, which improved to 13-4 at home this season. The Cardinal had lost four straight before beating USC, their longest losing streak since a six-game skid in 1993.

Taj Gibson had 19 points and nine rebounds for USC (16-12, 7-9) but fouled out with 3:55 remaining. DeMar DeRozan added 14 points for the Trojans, who haven’t won at Maples Pavilion since Feb. 21, 2002.

The Cardinal trailed by 10 points with just over 13 minutes remaining and were down 54-48 after Gibson’s two free throws with 10:15 left. Stanford then went on the biggest offensive onslaught of the night over the next four minutes to take control.

Hill got the run started with a short jumper then Brown followed with his third 3-pointer. Mitch Johnson added two free throws, Landry Fields hit another 3-pointer and Brown made two free throws to make it 60-54.

Daniel Hackett’s layup stopped the bleeding momentarily for USC but Hill scored on a three-point play and Brown added another 3-pointer to give Stanford breathing room.

USC went more than four minutes without a basket, ending the slump when Marcus Simmons made a layup with 22 seconds left. That cost the Trojans, who have dropped five straight road games.

Stanford lost 70-69 when the two teams met on Jan. 29. Hill had a chance to give the Cardinal a win but his shot at the buzzer rimmed out.

For a long time it looked like Stanford was in for another heartbreaking day against the Trojans.

Gibson and DeRozan combined for 23 points in the first half to help USC build a nine-point lead with under four minutes left. Gibson scored the Trojans’ final nine points of the half to make it 33-25 before Goods made a 3-pointer and Jarrett Mann added a free throw to pull Stanford within four at the break.

Gibson had two thunderous dunks in the first 4 1/2 minutes of the second half, helping USC build a 43-33 lead. The gap stayed at 10 after DeRozan followed up his own miss to make it 48-38 with 13:17 remaining.

When Stanford started pressing on defense, though, the momentum quickly shifted. After committing just three turnovers in the first 15 minutes, the Trojans’ offense struggled handling the pressure and turned the ball over five times down the stretch when the Cardinal took over.

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