Originally published March 3, 2007 at 12:00 AM | Page modified March 7, 2007 at 10:06 AM

Cougs outlast Trojans in 2OT, 88-86

Aron Baynes scored a career-high 25 points and No. 13 Washington State beat No. 23 Southern California 88-86 in two overtimes Saturday to wrap up second place...

The Associated Press

Game stats

PULLMAN, Wash -- Aron Baynes scored a career-high 25 points and No. 13 Washington State beat No. 23 Southern California 88-86 in two overtimes Saturday to wrap up second place in the Pac-10 Conference.

Taylor Rochestie added 21 points, and Kyle Weaver had 15 points and 13 rebounds for Washington State (24-6, 13-5).

Lodrick Stewart led USC (21-10, 11-7) with 22 points. The Trojans, who lost consecutive games for the first time this season, fell to the third seed for the upcoming conference tournament.

The game was tied at 70 after the first overtime, and Baynes hit a pair of free throws to put Washington State in front. Gabe Pruitt, who finished with 19 points, made one of two free throws then stole a pass and dunked to make it 73-72 Southern Cal.

Washington State's Derrick Low scored on a jumper for an 81-78 lead with just under 1 minute left. After Stewart missed, Rochestie made a pair of free throws to increase the lead to five with 28 seconds to play.

USC wasn't done yet. Pruitt's long 3-pointer cut WSU's lead to 87-86 with just over 1 second left but Baynes was fouled on the inbounds play and made one of two free throws for the final score. Southern Cal's final attempt was well short.

The Trojans had a chance to win at the end of the first overtime. Washington State led 70-68 when Stewart was fouled on a 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds left. Stewart made the first free throw, missed the second, and, after a WSU timeout, tied it at 70 with the third.

Stewart sent the game into overtime with a long 3-pointer that tied it at 64 with 5 seconds left.

The Cougars' second-place finish in the Pac-10 tied the 1982-83 team for the best finish ever. The Cougars have never won the league title.

The last WSU team to win at least 24 games was in 1940-41, when the team won a school-record 26 games.

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