UCLA may be ranked higher than Southern Cal in the national polls. In Los Angeles, though, USC is No. 1.
Harold Miner scored 29 points and grabbed 13 rebounds Thursday night to lead the 13th-ranked Trojans over the No. 4 Bruins 83-79, giving USC a two-game sweep of its crosstown rivals.Afterwards, Miner savored the win and thought back to the days when UCLA dominated Southern Cal.
"This is so nice," he said with a smile after the Pac-10 Conference victory. "I thought back to my freshman year at UCLA when they chanted `Transfer' and `First place, last place' and were mocking us. I can't remember anything I've been associated with in my basketball career that's like this."
The win for USC marked only the second time in 50 years it had swept UCLA in a season series.
"We have to have their respect now," Trojans coach George Raveling said. "This solidified that our first win wasn't a fluke."
The Trojans (20-4, 12-2) saw a 14-point lead with 15 minutes left cut to 77-75 with 1:55 left on a 3-pointer by Don MacLean.
Rodney Chatman scored Southern Cal's only field goal of the final 5:59 with just under 1:30 remaining to restore the lead to four and the Trojans hung on.
UCLA coach Jim Harrick said the Trojans deserve a higher ranking.
"Their record is better than six teams ranked above them. They've beaten us twice and Ohio State, two teams in the top six in the country. And why they're rated 13th with their record is hard to believe, but they'll recognize them now."
No. 5 Arizona 104, Oregon 56
Arizona blew out Oregon for the second time this season and handed the Ducks their worst-ever homecourt loss.
Just last month, the Wildcats beat Oregon by 51 in Tuscon. "Obviously there's kind of a repeat of the first game," Ducks coach Don Monson said.
Chris Mills scored 21 points, including 15 in a 58-point first half, as the Wildcats (21-4, 10-3) moved within one game of Pac-10 co-leaders Southern Cal and UCLA.
Khalid Reeves and Ed Stokes scored 14 apiece for the Wildcats, who led by 34 at halftime. Seven Arizona players scored in double figures. Orlando Williams scored 18 and Antoine Stoudmaire 14 for Oregon (6-17, 2-12).
No. 7 UNLV 84, Fresno State 67
J.R. Rider scored 22 points, Dexter Boney had 19 and Evric Gray added 18 as the Runnin Rebels won their 22nd consecutive game, the longest winning streak in Division I.
Coach Jerry Tarkanian's teams have won seven straight in Fresno and 16 straight overall against their Big West Conference rivals.
UNLV (25-2, 17-0) put the game away in the second half, opening up a 29-point lead in the first 12 minutes.
Tod Bernard scored a season-high 26 points to lead Fresno State (15-13, 6-10).
No. 22 Florida State 110
No. 10 North Carolina 96
Sam Cassell, Chuck Graham and Doug Edwards combined for 72 points to help host Florida State clinch second place in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The 110 points equalled the most ever scored against North Carolina (18-6, 8-5).
Cassell finished with 25, Graham 24 and Edwards had 23 points and 12 rebounds. In its first year in the ACC, Florida State (19-8, 11-5) swept North Carolina, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech and North Carolina State.
Louisville 87, No. 15 Tulane 72
There was a little too much Mardi Gras spirit and it set the wrong tone for Tulane.
Despite coach Perry Clark's pregame plea, a shower of Mardi Gras beads hit the court after Matt Popp scored Tulane's first goal. A technical foul was called on the Tulane fans, resulting in a 4-point swing - two free throws and a basket on the continued possession - and Louisville never looked back.
Dwayne Morton scored 23 points and Greg Minor had 14 to lead Louisville (17-8, 6-5). The Cardinals' win prevented the Green Wave (19-5, 7-3) from clinching a tie for the Metro Conference title.
No. 19 Cincinnati 70, Marquette 59
Cincinnati played its final home game of the season without coach Bob Huggins and was able to pull away from the Warriors in the second half.
Huggins was sitting out a one-game suspension for an on-court outburst. He watched the game on television.
Anthony Buford scored 20 points, including six straight to ignite an 18-0 second-half run gave Cincinnati (21-4, 6-2 Great Midwest Conference) the win. Marquette (13-12, 3-5) went 61/2 minutes without a field goal during the Bearcats' rally.