UA blows out USC in second half to jump back in winner's circle
Chris Rodgers may have worked himself into the starting lineup.
Behind the strong play of the backup guard, Arizona (15-6, 7-5 Pacific 10 Conference) was able to avoid a season sweep at the hands of USC, dropping the Trojans 97-70 in front of a raucous crowd in McKale Center.
Three days after Arizona head coach Lute Olson publicly stated that his sophomores needed to step up their games to the level of juniors, Rodgers churned out arguably his best performance of the season.
Although the Portland, Ore. native contributed 14 points and two assists in 28 minutes, it was Rodgers' defense that had Olson singing his praises.
"Chris' defense was very important," Olson said. "He played really well at Washington. He's put together some good efforts for us."
Olson praised Rodgers for his ability to take the proper shots and get the ball to the wings when necessary. But the most telling of Rodgers' stats on the night was his four steals.
Coming off a four-game road trip, a sluggish Wildcat squad fell behind early on its home court. Poor shot selection and timely USC rebounds allowed the Trojans to jump ahead to a 9-0 lead in the game's first 2:30.
Arizona was able to claw its way back into contention thanks to the play of another Portland, Ore. native, Salim Stoudamire.
Stoudamire was able to shut down USC's leading scorer, Desmon Farmer, on defense. The junior guard held Farmer, who was hindered by a twisted ankle, to just 11 points. Farmer, who torched the Wildcats to the tune of 40 points the last time the two teams met, was ineffective from downtown, connecting on 3 of 9 from behind the arc and 4 of 15 field goals overall.
"They were more physical and active," Farmer said of his second look at Arizona's defense. "They controlled the tempo this time."
Trailing for most of the first half, Arizona was able to pull within a point at halftime. With time running down in the first, sophomore forward Andre Iguodala pushed the balldown court quickly to a streaking Rodgers. With 0.3 seconds on the clock, Rodgers put in an acrobatic reverse layup and drew a foul. After converting the free throw, Arizona escaped into the locker room trailing 40-39.
Starting the second half because of a foot injury to sophomore forward Hassan Adams, Rodgers was able to pick up where he left off in the opening frame by scoring the first bucket of the second half on a steal and breakaway layup.
"Any time I come in, I just want to give my team energy," Rodgers said.
Though slowed by a left mid-foot sprain, Adams contributed 15 points in 29 minutes. Adams is listed as day-to-day and it is uncertain whether he will play tomorrow against UCLA.
Arizona was able to break the game open six minutes into the second half. Stoudamire's second 3-pointer of the night gave the Wildcats the lead and ignited a 15-0 Arizona run. The highlight came off another Rodgers steal, leading to a highlight-reel dunk by Iguodala.
Iguodala finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Arizona landed six players in double figures in scoring, including center Channing Frye and freshman guard Mustafa Shakur, who had 10 apiece.
USC's Jeff McMillan was able to stop the bleeding after Arizona's 13-point turnaround, but the damage was already done. Matters only got worse for the Trojans, who bickered with themselves on the court and allowed Arizona to push its lead as high as 27 points.
Before tonight's game, Arizona was 1-4 in games when it trailed at the half.
After the game, all the talk was about Rodgers.
"Chris Rodgers came in and gave us a big spark," Iguodala said. "He did a great job and did some things on defense."
During Arizona's 15-0 run, it was Rodgers who fired up the arena, waving his arms and urging the capacity crowd in McKale Center to stand and cheer.
"Anytime I come in, I just want to give my team energy," Rodgers said. "I'm always going to give it everything I have when I'm out there."
Olson's lineup could have a different look tomorrow against the Bruins. Once again, the Wildcats fell behind early, a trend the Hall of Fame coach has seen enough of.
"We might have to change the starting lineup," Olson said. "We're going to have to do something to solve that."
Rodgers' strong play could land him his third start of the season when the Wildcats tip off against UCLA tomorrow at 1 p.m.