No. 2 Guards Need to Step Up

Coach Henry Bibby is not certain who will start at shooting guard when USC faces No. 4 Stanford at the Sports Arena tonight.

Two candidates, seniors Adam Spanich and Elias Ayuso, shot a combined 11 for 15 from three-point range to help USC upset Oregon a week ago. Spanich made a half-court shot to beat the Ducks at the buzzer.

But the tandem followed that victory with a four-for-16 performance in the Trojans’ overtime loss at Oregon State last Saturday. Bibby was not pleased.

“Shooting guard has been a problem for us this year,” he said. “If we make shots at Oregon State like we did at Oregon, we win going away.”

USC will need as much scoring as it can get against Stanford, which has all its starters from last season’s Final Four team and has won its last nine games.

TONIGHT

vs. Stanford, 5

Fox Sports West 2.

* Radio--XTRA (690).

* Site--Sports Arena.

* Records--Trojans 10-3, 2-2; Cardinal 13-2, 3-0.

* Update--The Cardinal is led by junior forward Mark Madsen, averaging 12.2 points and 7.5 rebounds, and senior guard Arthur Lee, averaging 11.4 points and five assists.