Oregon was held to a season low 20 points in the first half by USC but rebounded with a season high 54 second half points to force the Trojans into overtime, but were out scored 21-12 in the extra session and fell to USC 95-86, extending the Duck's losing skein to four games.

Overtime seemed a remote possibility for most of the contest. After USC took the opening possession for a dunk, Malik Hairston tied the game at two with a jump shot in the lane. Oregon would trail until Bryce Taylor's lay-up on an inbounds play capped a furious late game rally by the Ducks to send the game into an extra period.

After establishing a five point lead three minutes into the game, the Trojans expanded their cushion to seven and then nine as Oregon found points hard to come by, connecting on only 8/28 from the floor, 3-14 from behind the arc.

Not that the Trojans were shooting out the lights with their 10/28 from the field, but that is exactly what they would do after the break, hitting on 13/17 (76.5%) to push Oregon to the brink.

Freshman guard O.J. Mayo's three point bucket gave the Trojans a 10 point lead as the clock slipped under three minutes remaining. They would still lead by six when the game entered it's final minute of regulation.

Hairston missed a three but Oregon crashed the boards hard, Joevan Catron coming away with an offensive board but his follow-up shot fell off the rim. Tajuan Porter coming in from behind the play filched the ball from a crowd of Trojans and fed Hairston for another jumper and this time he connected to cut the lead in half.

The Ducks fouled Daniel Hackett on the inbounds play and he missed the second of his two free throws. Again Porter came away with the rebound and pushed the ball up court, then sank a three from the top of the key to get the Ducks within a point.

With 15 seconds remaining, Maarty Leunen fouled Hackett to stop the clock and once again Hackett missed one of his free throws, giving Oregon possession with six seconds remaining. Oregon was without a time out so Porter drove the length of the floor only to have his lay-up attempt swatted out of bounds with two seconds left.

On the ensuing inbounds play, Leunen set a hard screen in the pack for Bryce Taylor who stepped free and took Kamyron Brown's inbound pass up for a lay-up that rolled halfway around the rim before falling through, sending the game to overtime.

With momentum on their side and the building absolutely shaking during the last two minutes of regulation it appeared the Ducks were positioned to steal away a game they had yet to hold a lead in, but that momentum evaporated as a protracted delay due to a score clock malfunction allowed the Trojans to regroup.

Oregon's chances slipped further when the scoreboard horn sounded inadvertently and the referee's whistle killed play as Bryce Taylor was about to complete an Oregon steal and score coming off the overtime jump ball. More confusingly, the officials ruled that the scoreboard horn sounding meant the alternating possession rule was in force and the ball was awarded to the Trojans.

USC didn't waste the opportunity, hitting all five of the shots they took from the field -including three consecutive three-balls - and six of the eight free throws they attempted. Oregon never had a chance.

Hairston led the Ducks with 21 points and four other players reached double figures. Defensively the Ducks had no answer for the Trojans Daniel Hackett (26 pts.), O.J Mayo (25) and Dwight Lewis (24). USC also enjoyed a 27-36 night from the free throw stripe while Oregon hit 15 of their 17 attempts, the 12-point discrepancy allowing the visitors to keep the Ducks at arm's length.

"I felt like we were Tiger Woods grinding out a bad round of golf," said Oregon coach Ernie Kent. "We were in a fog emotionally, and to our players credit they did a good job of putting themselves in position to get the game into overtime."

"We ran everything right. We hit the right shots, got the right rebounds, and they missed the right free throws."

"I felt like we had them on the ropes. They had three or four players with cramps at the end of regulation. That was a huge situation with the clock to let them rest."

Now 12-8 overall and a disappointing 3-5 in Pac-10 play, the Ducks complete the first round of conference play next Saturday when Oregon State will visit McArthur Court for a 3:00 pm tip-off.