Finally Floored

By MIKE TERRY

March 25, 2001 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

PHILADELPHIA — For nearly two weeks USC lived a dream existence in the NCAA tournament, upsetting two higher-seeded teams in three games to reach the Elite Eight.

But on Saturday Duke woke the Trojans up.

The Blue Devils, the top-seeded team in the East Regional, didn’t blow out the Trojans. But they kept them at arms length most of the game and went on to a 79-69 victory before 20,270 at the First Union Center.

Duke (33-4) returns to the Final Four for the second time in three seasons, and will play Maryland next Saturday in Minneapolis. It is the Blue Devils’ ninth Final Four trip under Coach Mike Krzyzewski, whose teams are 9-1 in regional finals.

“I’m so happy for these guys,” Krzyzewski said. “We beat a veteran team that scared the heck out of me.

“I thought there were two aspects we needed to control. Rebound with them, and we won that battle (38-37) and pressure the ball on the perimeter. It was an honor to play Henry’s [Bibby’s] team. They are solid kids and terrific competitors.”

The irrepressible duo of Jason Williams, with a game-high 28 points, and Shane Battier, with 20, was as much an obstacle for the Trojans as the Blue Devil defense that held USC to 40.6% shooting (26 of 64).

Duke wasn’t that much better at 44.4% (28 of 63). The Blue Devils compensated at the free-throw line, however, making 14 of 15 attempts. USC was 11 of 18.

“Free-throw shooting turned out to be an asset tonight,” Krzyzewski said.

Most important, once Duke established a lead with some distance--16-12 at the 14:09 mark of the first half--the Blue Devils kept it away from USC. The Trojans, who trailed 43-38 at halftime, never trailed by more than 12 points but never got closer than three.

USC, led by Sam Clancy’s 19 points and 11 rebounds, ends its season at 24-10. The Trojans tied the school record for victories in a season and made the Elite Eight for the first time under the NCAA’s current tournament format. Their three NCAA tournament wins are the best NCAA run by a Trojan men’s team.

But they were denied their first Final Four berth since 1954.

“We played one of the best teams tonight that we played all year,” Bibby said. “I don’t know if there is anyone out there that can beat Duke. I thought we were in the game for a while. But they just keep coming at you. They deserved the victory.”

“They have two great players in in Battier and Williams and they were able to create things for themselves and other players,” said USC forward David Bluthenthal, who scored 17 points and had a game-high 13 rebounds. “Every time we’d get a score or a steal, they would come right back.”

It will take some time for the sixth-seeded Trojans to get over the loss and enjoy what turned out to be one of their best seasons ever.

Some of the sting is reduced by their terrific tournament run. Among their wins were victories over third-seeded Boston College and second-seeded Kentucky. Bluthenthal, Clancy and Brian Scalabrine made the regional all-tournament team with Battier and Williams, who was named the regional’s outstanding player.

“This was a great run,” said Scalabrine, who ended his Trojan career with 13 points. “It’s going to help USC out tremendously, as far as everything they are trying to do.”

Yet USC, despite being a huge underdog, knows it was right there with Duke most of the night. Rebounding was almost even; the turnovers were, at 15 each.

Williams got off to a hot start, with 10 points in the first six minutes, but he wound up making only 10 of 26 shots. The Blue Devils had some early success inside, but eventually Clancy and Scalabrine shut them off, recording six of the Trojans’ seven blocks.

“Jason’s a great player, but I still think Battier’s the key to their team,” Bibby said.

Still, when the Trojans would get one part of the game under control, Duke would frustrate them in other ways. Guard Chris Duhon, for example. He made only four of 10 shots, but three of them were three-pointers. All three blunted Trojan second-half rallies.

“By no stretch of the imagination is this a two-person team,” Battier said. “We have great talented players on this team and we have all the confidence in the world in them.

“Tonight they wanted to leave Chris open and Chris showed why he’s a spectacular player.”

Trojan guard Jeff Trepagnier, who closed out his career with 11 points, agreed part of USC’s strategy was to leave Duhon open while concentrating on Williams and Battier.

“But then he hits those threes and it forced us to have to play honest,” Trepagnier said.

If there was as turning point, it came early in the second half. USC had closed to within 48-45 on Clancy’s offensive rebound and layup. The Trojans appeared to be gathering some momentum; but Duke squashed it with consecutive three-point shots from Williams and Duhon.

“A three [point lead] becomes nine in two possessions, and it’s hard to fight back,” Scalabrine said.

The Trojans did what they could. They mixed up their defenses from zone to man and back to zone, trying to keep the Blue Devils from getting comfortable. Although “we shot outside more than I wanted,” Bibby said, the Trojans were not afraid to put the ball on the floor and slash toward the basket.

Ultimately, Duke was too good.

“It’s disappointing right now,” fifth-year USC senior Jarvis Turner said. “But we definitely had an excellent season. The guys have to remember they accomplished a lot.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

BY THE NUMBERS

13: Trips to Final Four for Duke

9: Trips to Final Four for Mike Krzyzewski at Duke

0: USC Trips to Final Four since 1954

62: Points for Jason Williams against UCLA and USC

1: Point for Brandon Granville against Duke

33%: USC field-goal percentage in second half

30-1: Record for Duke in East Regional play

6: NCAA tournament victories by USC before season

11-4: Pac-10’s record in tournament

SOUTH REGIONAL