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USC leads UCLA at halftime in Pac-10 tournament

By David Wharton
Staff WriterFollow
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With a combination of trapping defense and the hot hand of guard Dwight Lewis, USC scrambled to 33-28 halftime lead over 15th-ranked UCLA in a semifinal of the Pacific 10 Conference tournament at Staples Center.

The underdog Trojans came out looking like the more aggressive team and, with Lewis making his first four shots, opened a 20-9 lead.

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UCLA started to close the gap midway through the half with a 5-0 run highlighted by Josh Shipp‘s steal and fastbreak assist to center Alfred Aboya for a dunk. Shipp led the Bruins with 12 points in the first 20 minutes.

With blood on the front of his jersey, Aboya was forced to switch to No. 40 until his usual No. 12 could be cleaned and brought back a few minutes later.

-- David Wharton

Sports Now
David Wharton

David Wharton has filled an array of roles – covering the courts, entertainment, sports and the second Persian Gulf War – since starting as a Los Angeles Times intern in 1982. His work has been honored by organizations such as the Society for Features Journalism and Associated Press Sports Editors and has been anthologized in “Best American Sports Writing.” He has also been nominated for an Emmy and has written two books, including “Conquest,” an inside look at USC football during the Pete Carroll era.

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