Turning it on, not over

USC took a turn for the better in part by winning the battle of turnovers.

As they had in losses to California, Stanford and Washington State, the Trojans shot for a better percentage than their opponent and collected fewer rebounds Saturday against Washington at the Galen Center.

Turnovers were the difference during USC’s 66-51 victory over the Huskies. The Trojans committed only 12 and Washington had 20, marking the first time in Pacific 10 Conference play that USC had fewer turnovers than its opponent.

The Huskies had four turnovers during a three-minute stretch in the second half that propelled the Trojans on a game-clinching 14-0 run.

“We know everything starts on the defensive end,” freshman forward Davon Jefferson said after a game in which the Trojans also limited Washington to 33.3% shooting. “If we can stop people on defense, the offense is going to follow and everybody is going to get double-digit points.”

Jefferson contributed to the effort by forcing a turnover and drawing a foul on Washington’s Ryan Appleby as he tried to start a fastbreak.

Rebounding was another matter. USC has been out-rebounded in all four conference games and is averaging 9.25 fewer rebounds than its conference opponents; Washington had 14 more rebounds than the Trojans on Saturday.

“I guess we’re going to put those rims up again and go at it some more,” sophomore forward Taj Gibson said, referring to the lids USC puts on the baskets in practice to focus on rebounding.

Coach Tim Floyd envisioned another approach.

“Maybe put some lifts in their shoes or something,” he said.

Sophomore guard Dwight Lewis has emerged as the Trojans’ second-leading scorer in conference play and is coming off perhaps his best consecutive performances of the season.

“I feel like my team is always trying to get me the ball,” Lewis said following a 17-point performance Saturday that came two days after a 16-point effort against Washington State. “Now it’s just that when I make a cut I happen to be more open. I guess it’s my cutting ability.”

Lewis is averaging 13 points in Pac-10 games, and freshman guard O.J. Mayo called him “a big key to helping us win. When he plays well, we seem to play better as a team.”

After a slow start this season in which he was hindered by an ankle injury, Gibson again resembles the player who was the pleasant surprise of USC’s run to the Sweet 16 in the 2007 NCAA tournament. He had 10 points on five-for-seven shooting Saturday and has made 31 of 43 field goals (72.1%) in his last six games.

Two Trojans had nicks and bruises after Saturday’s game, but neither expected his injuries to be a factor against UCLA at Pauley Pavilion on Saturday.

Mayo had the most serious wound, a bruised right hip that briefly sent him to the sideline in the second half. He also had a bag of ice wrapped around his right elbow after the game.

Sophomore guard Daniel Hackett had a left hip injury but jokingly asked reporters not to write about it “because they’re going to hit me next week.” Hackett also had a cut between two fingers that bled onto his shorts, the origin of which he couldn’t pinpoint.

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