USC
Cs-Northridge
Trojans Survive Scare From Matadors
December 05, 2000 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 5, 2000
LOS ANGELES - David Bluthenthal scored 11 of his career-high 29 points over the final 7:56 as No. 12 Southern California held off scrappy Cal State Northridge 99-90 Tuesday night.
The Trojans (5-0) trailed much of the second half and were down by five points when Bluthenthal took over. He scored nine straight points in a spurt that broke an 82-all tie and put USC ahead for good.
Northridge (4-3) came close to knocking off its second Pac-10 opponent, having shocked then-No. 15 UCLA 78-74 on the Bruins' home court Nov. 21. The Matadors also nearly beat UNLV on the road three days later, losing by one point.
John Burrell led Northridge with 21 points, and Brian Heinle added 18.
Freshman Desmon Farmer scored a career-high 21 points, keeping USC in the game early in the second half before veterans Bluthenthal, Brian Scalabrine and Brandon Granville steadied the Trojans over the final minutes.
Scalabrine added 19 points, hitting five of six free throws in the final minute when USC finally put the game away. Granville had 15 points, including a timely 3-pointer when the Trojans were clinging to a two-point lead with 4:18 remaining.
The Trojans trailed 52-46 at halftime, then scored the first 10 points of the second half to take a four-point lead. But Burrell scored four straight to tie the game at 56.
Neither team led by more than five points as the teams traded baskets over the next 10 minutes.
Down 79-74, Bluthenthal scored nine of the game's next 12 points, highlighted by a slam dunk off a steal and a 3-pointer, to give USC the lead for good.
By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer
