By BETH HARRIS
Double teamed by Southern California guard Julian Jacobs, center and forward Nikola Jovanovic (32) Stanford guard Christian Sanders (1) drive to the basket during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2015, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)
Rosco Allen
Stanford forward Rosco Allen dunks on a fast break during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Southern California, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2015, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)
Grant Verhoeven, Nikola Jovanovic
Southern California forward Nikola Jovanovic (32) battles Southern California guard Elijah Stewart, right, as he moves to the basket during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2015, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)
Andy Enfield
Southern California head coach Andy Enfield reacts to a referee’s call during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Stanford, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2015, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)
..
Prev
1 of 4
Next
.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Anthony Brown had 21 points and 10 rebounds and Stanford hung on after getting outscored 10-1 in the closing minutes to beat Southern California 78-76 on Sunday night.
Rosco Allen added career highs of 18 points and four 3-pointers, Stefan Nastic had 15 points and Chasson Randle 12 points for the Cardinal (11-4, 3-1 Pac-12), which was coming off an 86-81 double-overtime loss at UCLA two nights earlier.
The Cardinal earned its first three-game winning streak against USC since 2004-05, when they won four in a row. Nastic made one of two free throws with 1 second left to keep the Trojans at bay.
Julian Jacobs scored 16 points to lead USC (9-7, 1-3). Jordan McLaughlin added 14 points and Nikola Jovanovic 13 points as the Trojans lost for the fourth time in seven games.
USC rallied in cutting its deficit to 77-71 on Elijah Stewart’s dunk off his offensive rebound of McLaughlin’s missed 3-pointer. Jacobs and Stewart combined for nine straight points after the Trojans trailed by 13.
The Cardinal missed a handful of 3-pointers, but they got defensive stops at the other end. Rosco Allen lost the ball — their 14th turnover — and Brown fouled McLaughlin, who made both to get the Trojans to 77-74.
Brown’s 3-pointer from the right corner clanked off the rim and McLaughlin scored on a fastbreak layup, leaving the Trojans trailing 77-76 with 41 seconds left.
Brown missed another 3 from the same spot with 14 seconds to go. But McLaughlin turned the ball over in the paint and Jovanovic fouled Nastic, who sank a critical free throw to preserve a win in which Stanford never trailed.
The Trojans got within four on consecutive baskets by Strahinj Gavrilovic and Darion Clark early in the second half. Stanford answered with nine straight points, starting with a 3-pointer by Allen, to extend its lead to 68-55.
TIP-INS
Stanford: Randle was held under his Pac-12 leading average of 19.8 points. He was coming off a 32-point effort at UCLA. … The Cardinal had gone to overtime in three of their previous five games.
USC: McLaughlin returned after missing two games with a right shoulder injury.
UP NEXT
Stanford: At California on Wednesday.
USC: Host UCLA on Wednesday.