By Craig Degel
Arizona Daily Wildcat
January 17, 1997

Boseman steals spotlight from Bibby showdown

Arizona freshman guard Mike Bibby brought the No. 6 Wildcats into the Los Angeles Sports Arena for a showdown with a Southern Cal team coached by his estranged father Henry Bibby, but it was Trojan senior forward Boseman, whose 21 points, six rebounds and complete shutdown of UA sharpshooter Michael Dickerson, who provided the highlights.

"I just tried to keep the ball out of his hands," Boseman said of his defensive effort against the conference's leading scorer. "It's like playing Michael Jordan, you just have to keep the ball out of his hands."

His coach was obviously impressed with Boseman's performance.

"He put in an All-Pac-10 Conference performance tonight," Henry Bibby said. "That's the Stais Boseman I know andthe Stais Boseman who was the best defender of the year in the Pac-10 last year."

At halftime, Henry Bibby said, "Boseman said he had Dickerson in his pocket."

Dickerson finished the night with just seven points on three of 13 shooting.

"USC played very well," Arizona head coach Lute Olson said. "Stais Boseman did a fabulous job."

Southern Cal recovered from a sloppy first half to take control of the game and pull away. One of the biggest nails in the Wildcat's coffin was Boseman's back-to-back three-pointers six minutes into the second half.

"I was in the flow of the game," Boseman said.

If Boseman continues to perform as he did last night, the Trojans could become a factor in the Pacific 10 Conference race.

"Everybody has to step up," Boseman said. "It can't be an individual performance."

As for playing against his son, Bibby was quick to make his feelings known.

"It's unfortunate (that) this whole thing became a circus," he said. "It was a basketball game. We played the University of Arizona tonight and nobody else."

Pressed further, Bibby said, "What do you want me to say? He is my son. I think a lot of Mike."