Arizona State men's hoops defeats USC
Derek Glasser figured he and Jamelle McMillan would need to combine for 30 points for Arizona State to beat Southern California.
They got 29 and that was enough.
Glasser scored a career-high 18 points, McMillan chipped in 11 and Jeff Pendergraph had 12 points and 10 rebounds as the 18th-ranked Sun Devils beat USC 65-53 on Sunday night.
James Harden, the Pac-10's leading scorer at 21.6 per game, had 13 points for ASU. Just like the first meeting between USC and Arizona State, Harden was hounded by Daniel Hackett. Harden was held to six field-goal attempts and made five. Not great, but much better than the last meeting between teams.
USC won in Los Angeles 61-49 and Harden scored a career-low four points.
"We knew they way they were going to guard James. It didn't happen (for Harden) at SC," Glasser said. "We knew they were going to do the same thing. We had to step up our scoring to win."
The Trojans (15-9, 6-6) and Sun Devils (20-5, 9-4) played close most of the game Sunday night, but Arizona State pulled away in the final minutes and USC coach Tim Floyd wasn't on the sideline to see the end.
Floyd was given two technical fouls and ejected with 47.9 seconds remaining for arguing an offensive foul called against Daniel Hackett with ASU leading 57-51. He walked all the way across the floor to confront official Randy McCall, before being escorted off the floor by security guards.
Hackett scored on the play, and McCall originally signaled that the field goal counted and McMillan committed a blocking foul. That call was overruled by lead official David Hall.
"We cannot discuss those things," Floyd said when asked about the call. "We don't have freedom of speech as coaches. Maybe Obama will change that rule, and we can talk."
Glasser made six free throws in the final 47.9 seconds to wrap up the win and give Arizona State its first back-to-back 20-win seasons since 1980-81.
Freshman DeMar DeRozan scored 16 points to lead USC, which has lost three straight for the first time this season.
ASU led 52-40 with 5:26 remaining after a 14-2 run keyed by two 3s from McMillan, the son of Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan, who attended the game during the NBA All-Star break.
"Just playing my game," McMillan said. "I'm comfortable in my role and I have the confidence in myself and from my teammates and the coaching staff. I'm playing the game the way I know how to play it, the way I have been taught to play it, and my habits are translating into success."
Hackett, Taj Gibson and Dwight Lewis had 11 points for USC.
ASU did not commit a turnover in the first half and had only four turnovers after committing 17 in the first meeting with USC, a 61-49 Trojans' victory, and 17 against UCLA in a 74-67 victory over the Bruins on Thursday.
ASU went on a 21-11 run in the first half sparked by Pendergraph and Glasser.