UCLA
USC
Men's Hoops Defeats Rival USC, 98-80
June 21, 1999 | Men's Basketball
January 20, 1999
By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) - JaRon Rush had a feeling he would hit some 3-pointers for UCLA. He had no idea the Bruins would follow his lead and make a season-high 10 long-range baskets.
Neither did Southern California, which lost 98-80 on Wednesday night to a team ranked last in the Pac-10 in 3-point shooting at 27 percent.
Rush scored 15 points, including three 3-pointers, to help the 13th-ranked Bruins (13-4, 5-2 Pac-10) to their ninth straight victory over their crosstown rivals. The Trojans (10-6, 2-5), who haven't beaten the Bruins since 1994, have lost four in a row overall.
"I really thought they would struggle from the corners," Southern California center Brian Scalabrine said. "They hit most of their shots from there."
UCLA's previous best was seven 3-pointers against Cal State Northridge on Dec. 19.
"It was due time," point guard Baron Davis said. "It seemed like eventually we were going to have one breakthrough game and I'm glad this was it."
It was UCLA's largest winning margin at the Sports Arena since 1974, when the Bruins won 82-52, and the most points UCLA has scored in the building since a 99-62 victory in 1966.
"What broke us down was that we let people shoot the basketball openly. (Jerome) Moiso from the top of the key. Rush from the baseline," USC coach Henry Bibby said. "We didn't get out on them. There's no confusion. You just have to get out there. When you're out of position, you're at their mercy."
The Trojans, fifth among conference teams on 3-pointers, managed just four long-range baskets in a game in which they led just twice.
Freshman reserve Ray Young scored 12 points, including nine straight at the start of the second half, when UCLA dominated after holding an 11-point halftime lead.
The Bruins scored 13 of the first 15 points, including nine straight by Young, to take a 59-37 lead. Earl Watson followed Young's 3-pointer with one of his own to put UCLA up by 23 while USC struggled with turnovers.
"Coach told me my job this year is to come off the bench and give the team a spark," said Young, who made all five of his field goal tries and both of his 3-point attempts. "A lot of the players have been coming in before and after practice getting in extra shots because we kind of felt that we were going in a little slump."
The Bruins' lead reached 25 points when freshman Dan Gadzuric scored eight of UCLA's 10 points in a 2 1/2-minute span midway through the second half.
"You can't dig yourself in by 25 against anybody," said Bibby, who played on three national title teams at UCLA. "A team like UCLA that is playing with something, it's tough to get back."
Moiso led UCLA with 17 points. Gadzuric and Davis scored 16 each. Gadzuric sprained his right ankle with 5:56 remaining. He's listed as day-to-day.
Elias Ayuso led USC with 16 points. Scalabrine, who had 13 points, hit five straight free throws and Adam Spanich scored six straight points as the Trojans closed within 10 with 2:16 remaining. Jarvis Turner added 13 points.
