Trojans fresh out of answers for Washington State’s Moore

Klay Thompson came in with the hype, the hoopla and the bravado of being the league’s leading scorer.

And on a night when Kobe Bryant was dueling with LeBron James in Cleveland, the Los Angeles spotlight seemed his for the taking.

But a sidekick freshman guard stole the show, and the Cougars topped the Trojans, 67-60, Thursday night at the Galen Center in front of 4,422.

It was freshman guard Reggie Moore -- not Thompson, who came into the game as the Pacific 10 Conference’s leading scorer (22.9) -- who diced the Trojans’ usually stifling defense for a game-high 21 points and helped the Cougars climb out of a 15-point hole.

“One guy is not going to drive by us again and again, but that’s what happened,� USC Coach Kevin O’Neill said.

That, and USC’s defense failed to hold a 41-26 lead in the second half, which O’Neill said was “the worst half of defense we’ve played in a long time.�

“We let down in the second half and it cost us the game,� said guard Dwight Lewis, who finished with 13 points, but only two in the second half.

Trailing by 15, Washington State responded with a 28-12 run, and took a 54-53 lead on a Nikola Koprivica three-pointer from the corner with 4:15 left.

The teams exchanged buckets from there, until Thompson, who finished with 20 points, made a jumper with 1:05 left to seal the win. Marcus Johnson led USC with 16 points.

“This one hurts,� point guard Mike Gerrity said. “When you’re up 15 points in the second half . . . this one stings really bad.�

That USC’s nationally top-ranked scoring defense failed late was “surprising� to O’Neill, but he gave credit the credit to Moore, who either weaved through defenders for his own basket or found open shooters, like Koprivica.

“One guy wrecked us,� O’Neill said. “Put that on me. It was dribble-drive over and over.�

Said Washington State Coach Ken Bone: “What Reggie did in the second half was pretty impressive.�

Lewis said the team knew about Moore, but that they just didn’t “execute in the second half.�

For USC (11-7 overall, 3-3 in Pac-10 play), the loss, which ended a five-game home winning streak, took them out of a chance for a three-way tie for first place in the conference standings.

Even worse, the team has only 12 games left before its season dead-ends March 6 at Arizona, thanks to the postseason ban announced Jan. 3.

“Every game, and especially a home game, you need those if you need to capture a title in the Pac-10,� Gerrity said.

Washington State (14-5, 4-3) has a young squad, with seven sophomores and eight freshmen, and came from behind for only the second time this season. USC, on the other hand, lost for only the second time this season when leading at the half.

But coming into the game, Thompson, with his ever-glowing green light to shoot whenever and from wherever he wants, seemed to be the celebrity.

Several NBA scouts were in attendance, mainly to watch him, but one said he didn’t think Thompson, a sophomore, was NBA ready.

“He’s got a good shot and is great off screens, but I don’t know if he’s got enough versatility,� the scout said. “He’s getting killed on defense.�

Thompson could have been on USC’s side Thursday, but two years ago, another local player who played the same position had given a commitment to the Trojans, so former USC coach Tim Floyd didn’t pursue Thompson.

One problem: The local player, Malik Story from Lakewood Artesia High, never got admitted to USC. He ended up at Indiana and then transferred to Nevada.

Meantime, Thompson -- the son of Mychal Thompson, the No. 1 overall draft pick in the 1978 NBA draft -- has blossomed into one of the league’s top players.

On Saturday, USC will get to face two more of the Pac-10’s best in Washington’s Quincy Pondexter and Isaiah Thomas. The duo combines for nearly 40 a game and is a big reason why the Huskies were picked to finish second in league play.

Remembering Rory

Before tipoff, Rory Markas, the team’s radio announcer who died earlier this month, was remembered. A single spotlight shone on the seat from which he called Trojans games, a position he held for the last 12 years.