The Pac-10 Tournament enters the semifinal round on Friday as four teams hit the court with a shot at the finals on the line. Washington, Oregon, Arizona and USC are left, playing with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line. It all gets started on Friday evening on FSN.
USC opened the action in the first of four games on Thursday, knocking off the California Golden Bears with smothering defense. The end result was an easy 14-point win and a trip to the semifinals for the Trojans. USC will meet Arizona, who handled a pesky Oregon State team on Thursday with a little help from Derrick Williams.
The action heated up in th evening session as Oregon pulled off the first big upset of the tournament, knocking off UCLA in a blowout. The Ducks were in control for the duration, cruising to a 17-point win behind E.J. Singler’s career-high 24 points.
In the nightcap, Washington and Washington State put on a show as Klay Thompson and Isaiah Thomas battled it out with bragging rights and NCAA Tournament chances on the line. Thompson finished with a Pac-10 Tournament record 43 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Huskies outlasted the Cougars, 89-87. Thomas finished with a team-high 21 points and 12 assists, with all five starters in double-figures.
The semifinals get underway at 6 p.m. on FSN as USC and Arizona tip-off the day’s action. Washington and Oregon — another rivalry game — caps the day at 8:30.
To connect with Washington fans, visit SB Nation’s UW Dawg Pound. To visit with Washington State fans, check out CougCenter.
First round: Wednesday, March 9
No. 9 Oregon State Beavers def. No. 8 Stanford Cardinal, 69-67
No. 7 Oregon Ducks def. No. 10 Arizona State Sun Devils, 76-69
Quarterfinals: Thursday, March 10
No. 4 USC Trojans def No. 5 California Golden Bears, 70-56
No. 1 Arizona Wildcats def No. 9 Oregon State, 78-69
No. 7 Oregon Ducks def. No. 2 UCLA Bruins, 76-59
No. 3 Washington Huskies def. No. 6 Washington State Cougs, 89-87
Semifinals: Friday, March 11
USC vs. Arizona, 6 p.m., FSN
Oregon vs. Washington, 8:30 p.m., FSN
Finals: Saturday, March 12
Semifinal winners, 3 p.m., CBS
For more on the tournament, including the latest news and bracket updates, check out the rest of our 2011 Pac-10 tournament StoryStream.