Men's Basketball
    Trojans Fend off Late Cougar Rally to Win 60-56
    Alex Stepheson notched a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
    File: Alex Stepheson finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds for USC.
    File: Alex Stepheson finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds for USC.

    Dec. 31, 2010

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    LOS ANGELES (AP) - Alex Stepheson finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Southern California fended off a late rally to secure a 60-56 victory over Washington State on Friday.

    Washington State scored 11 straight points to get within 58-56 on Abe Lodwick's 3-pointer with 1:19 remaining. The Cougars had a chance to tie or go ahead on the ensuing possession, but Klay Thompson's pass hit off the hands of Lodwick and bounced out of bounds.

    Following an intentional foul, Donte Smith iced it with a pair of free throws for USC (9-6, 1-1 Pac-10).

    Nikola Vucevic had 12 points and 11 rebounds for USC, while Smith scored 14 points, including four 3-pointers, off the bench.

    DeAngelo Casto had 18 points for Washington State (10-4, 0-2), which suffered its third straight loss. Thompson struggled through a rough shooting night to score 17 points on 6-of-18 from the floor.