The Trojans played with a lot of energy, but they could not match the Bruins' scoring.
- Nikola Vucevic and Alex Stepheson combined for 32 of USC's 50 points. The Trojans' starting guards, Mo Jones and Jio Fontan, contributed just one basket between them in 68 minutes. While USC's guards protected the ball nicely (5 team turnovers), they need more scoring against good teams. "I have just got to get back into the groove," said Fontan, who went scoreless. "We're just as good if not better than their guards, but they played a better game today."
- The Trojans won the first crosstown battle by dominating the glass, but they were outrebounded by 14 in this contest. "We gave up too many second chances," Fontan bemoaned. "You can't blame the bigs or the guards. That's a team effort." Kevin O'Neill and Fontan agreed that the turning point came early in the second half when the Trojans settled for jumpers, while UCLA continued to attack in the paint, which led to second chance points.
- UCLA was led by Josh Smith's 15 points, but they had six players contribute 7+ points, while USC had just three. The Bruins are not easy to shut down because they get scoring from all five spots on the floor. "They have really good talent. Let's face it," Kevin O'Neill stated. "They are a difficult guard for anybody." O'Neill is realistic that his team's talent and depth is depleted after the NCAA sanctions led to two basically blank classes. "We're not going to be able to recruit a whole team in one year."
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- UCLA complained in the papers about USC's on-court celebration after the Trojans' win at Galen Center. Tonight, they seemed to make a demonstrative point to enjoy the victory before the final buzzer. "You play to win and when you win, you celebrate," said Fontan, who was not bothered at all by UCLA's high-fiving.
