Turnovers haunt USC in loss to Kansas State

LAS VEGAS — Time for Plan D, if there is one.

Running sprints in practice didn’t make much of a difference. Neither did repeated tongue-lashings from USC Coach Tim Floyd.

Even the return of Gabe Pruitt seemed to only exacerbate the Trojans’ season-long turnover difficulties Friday night during a 68-55 loss to Kansas State in the Las Vegas Classic at the Orleans Arena.

USC committed a season-high 28 turnovers and lost its resolve on the defensive end after taking a seven-point lead 29 seconds into the second half. Wildcats freshman forward Bill Walker scorched the Trojans for 15 of his 19 points after halftime with an array of impressive post moves.

“As the game continued, our lack of composure influenced us on the defensive end as well to where we didn’t fight it in the second half and they just manhandled us,” Floyd said. “They were more physical than we were, they were more poised with the ball than we were and we simply turned the ball over too much.”

In his first game back from academic ineligibility, Pruitt had a forgettable performance: two points on 0-for-3 shooting with four turnovers and two assists in 20 minutes. It was not exactly befitting the player who last season averaged 16.9 points as a first-team All-Pacific 10 Conference selection.

“I felt the effort was there, I was just a little careless with the ball,” said Pruitt, who made two of three free throws. “It was a real physical game and I didn’t respond to it.”

And it doesn’t get any easier for USC any time soon. The Trojans (9-3) will play No. 8 Wichita State (9-1) in a consolation game at 5 p.m. today after New Mexico upset the Shockers, 71-68, in the late game Friday.

“Maybe if losing bothers you and it stings,” Floyd said, “then you hope you’ll come out and at some point grow up as a team and handle the ball more convincingly.”

Even though they had committed 16 turnovers in the first 20 minutes, the Trojans took a 28-23 halftime lead by holding Kansas State (9-3) to 22.6% shooting. The Wildcats missed all 11 of their three-point attempts in the first half, and Walker had four points on two-for-12 shooting.

The second half started as more of the same. When USC freshman point guard Daniel Hackett found freshman forward Taj Gibson inside for a dunk on the Trojans’ opening possession, their lead was seven points.

But Gibson picked up his fourth foul with 17:48 remaining and had to sit out as Walker scored the first nine points of a 20-3 run that gave the Wildcats a 43-33 advantage with 11:21 to go.

“The first half, I was shooting jumpers,” Walker said. “I wasn’t aggressive to the basket. I wanted them to get lax on defense and in the second half I wanted to come at them hard.”

Left without much of a choice, Floyd re-inserted Gibson, who pulled the Trojans to within seven points, 47-40, when he muscled in for a basket. But Gibson fouled out with 8:59 left, effectively ending any comeback hopes for the Trojans.

Hackett finished with 14 points and Lodrick Stewart had 10 for USC. The Trojans made only one of 11 three-point attempts and had trouble running their offense against Kansas State’s scrappy, attacking defenders.

“Defensively, we knew their plays,” Walker said. “We scouted them pretty good. We forced them to use their secondary stuff. We weren’t going to give them that first primary look, and I think that got under them a little bit.”

Floyd lamented his team’s continued inability to work the ball inside for high-percentage shots. Gibson took only three shots, and senior center Abdoulaye N’diaye did not attempt one.

“We never got the ball to the post,” Floyd said. “A year ago, I understood it. This year, it’s been emphasized and we still don’t do it.”

Avoiding turnovers has also been a point of emphasis, to no avail.

“It’s been that way every night,” said Floyd, whose Trojans are now averaging 19.8 turnovers. “I’ve talked about it after every game. You can’t give yourself an opportunity to win if you can’t get a quality shot on the board.”

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