Trojans Are Left Crying Foul Over Loss

BERKELEY —  USC said it would get no favors from the referees as a road team in Pacific 10 Conference play.

The Trojans had no idea, however that they’d be they’re own worst enemies, what with the bricklaying seminar they put on at the free-throw line at California on Thursday night.

The Trojans, who missed 11 of their 18 free-throw attempts, also were steaming after they thought referees swallowed their whistles in the final 10 seconds of their 63-62 loss to California, especially when a driving Derrick Craven was tackled in the lane as he attempted a potential game-winning shot with about seven seconds to play and no call was made.

“Do I think he was fouled? You saw the play,” said ashen-faced USC Coach Henry Bibby. “The kid got pulled down by both arms and nobody makes a call.

“The kid got drug down to the ground. Derrick Craven was in the basket. He had a layup.”

On the play, the Trojans trailed by one point and Craven, who had already given USC a 62-61 lead with 36.3 seconds remaining on a floater in the lane, said he was fouled by A.J. Diggs.

“I beat him and he grabbed my arm,” said Craven, who made all four of his shots from the field, including a pair of three-pointers, but missed three of four free throws and finished with 11 points.

“I thought there’d be an immediate whistle. He went and grabbed me. But you’ve got to respect the call. [The referees] see what they see but I thought it was a foul.”

None was called.

Instead, Cal’s Dominic McGuire came up with the loose ball and was fouled with 5.7 seconds remaining.

McGuire badly missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity at the foul line and Errick Craven came up with the ball and attempted to drive the length of the court.

He too appeared to be fouled (“Probably the whole team hit me,” Craven said,) and while his shot dribbled around the rim before falling away, referee Dave Libbey waved off the attempt, saying it came after the buzzer, allowing the Haas Pavilion crowd of 10,898 to finally exhale.

“Both [Cravens] got hammered,” Bibby said, “and there’s no foul.”

Cal Coach Ben Braun, however, saw the last-second attempt differently.

“I did not think he got the ball off,” Braun said. “And I thought he charged. But they’re not going to call that down the stretch.

“It was a physical game.”

Perhaps no more physical than when Errick Craven and Cal guard Richard Midgley were assessed technical fouls for their scrap with 4:28 to play and the Golden Bears leading, 55-52.

“I kicked him,” Craven said, matter-of-factly. “He nudged me in the first half and I told him, ‘Don’t start.’ He said he was going to keep doing it and ... he did.

“When I saw an opportunity and he was on the ground, I took it.”

Too bad the Trojans, who fell to 8-8 overall, 3-4 in Pac-10 play, did not take advantage of their time at the free-throw line.

Plus, the Trojans had a huge foul advantage in the second half, when the Bears were called for 10 before the Trojans had two.

Errick Craven had only five points on two-of-eight shooting and three turnovers, as the Trojans were led in scoring by senior guard Desmon Farmer’s 17 points. Junior power forward Jeff McMillan had his fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds against Cal’s man-child, freshman Leon Powe, who had 14 points and eight rebounds.

Cal (7-8, 3-3) was led by Midgley’s 22 points but it was Ayinde Ubaka’s two free throws, with 17.8 seconds left, that proved the difference.

These Trojans lost a game, or not.

“We still had a chance to win,” said Bibby, whose record here fell to 1-8. “We fought. I’m proud of the kids.

“In my mind, it’s a win.”