USC
Arizona State *
Trojans Edge Arizona State, 76-74
January 18, 2003 | Men's Basketball
January 18, 2003
By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES - Gregg Guenther hit two free throws to snap a tie with 3.9 seconds left and Southern California defeated streaking Arizona State 76-74 Saturday night.
Guenther didn't start playing basketball until two weeks ago after being a reserve tight end on USC's Orange Bowl-championship football team. He got fouled by Tommy Smith in a scramble under the basket, stepped to the line and made both to finish 4 of 4 at the line.
Curtis Millage's 3-pointer bounced off the rim at the buzzer.
The Sun Devils (12-5) had won eight of their last nine, but lost their seventh straight at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, where they are winless since Feb. 15, 1996. The loss also prevented them from getting a sweep in Los Angeles for just the third time in school history and first since 1986-87.
Millage had 23 points in a 75-64 win at UCLA on Thursday. The Sun Devils held on to third place in the Pac-10 at 4-2. Freshman Ike Diogu scored 24 points and Donnell Knight added 13.
Errick Craven scored 22 points to lead the Trojans (7-6, 3-2). Desmon Farmer, the conference's scoring leader, finished with 16 points, including eight of USC's final 10.
The Trojans built their largest lead of the second half, 60-51, by scoring seven unanswered points, including a 3-pointer by Robert Hutchinson, with 9:37 left.
Knight hit a 3-pointer to launch a 13-6 run for the Sun Devils that drew them within two points with 5:12 left.
Farmer answered with six straight points to keep USC ahead 72-66. But Millage scored his first two baskets of the game, both 3-pointers, to tie it at 72 with 1:49 left.
Roydell Smiley got fouled, but missed the free throw and Nick Curtis grabbed the rebound, although the Trojans didn't score. Knight commmited his fifth foul on Farmer, who made both for a 74-72 lead with 1:12 left.
Curtis earned his fifth against Tommy Smith, who made both to tie the game at 74 with 1:01 left.
O'Neil's basket went in and out before Smith fouled Guenther.
The teams traded three-point leads much of the first half until Diogu tied it for Arizona State at 27 on a three-point play.
Then the Trojans went on a 16-9 run to end the half ahead 43-36. Farmer had eight points as USC built its first double-digit lead of the game.
