Bibby Wants a Vacated Verdict

Coach Henry Bibby, acknowledging that his first preference of replaying the final 2.2 seconds of Tuesday’s 73-71 loss at Rhode Island was not a practical proposition, said he had a new solution that would be fair to all involved.

“Vacate the game as if it didn’t exist,” Bibby said Friday. “Take away the loss from us and the win from them as if the game didn’t exist. That would be realistic. I don’t know if anything like that has happened before. Maybe this could be the first.”

The Trojan coaching staff has been dissecting video tape of the game’s final 2.2 seconds and feels it has a legitimate gripe after Rhode Island players, fans and cheerleaders stormed the court to celebrate Dustin Hellenga’s basket.

Bibby has contended that with the ball in play, a technical foul should have been called on Rhode Island, resulting in the Trojans getting two free throws and possession of the ball.

Instead, the three-man Atlantic 10 Conference officiating crew waved off Desmon Farmer’s apparent game-winning three-point basket after replays showed the ball still in his hand when the game clock expired.

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USC TODAY

vs. Morris Brown, 1 p.m.

Site -- Sports Arena.

Radio -- KMPC (1540).

Records -- USC 1-1, Morris Brown 1-1.

Update -- The independent Wolverines went 4-25 last season. Fans showing their tickets to the 5 p.m. USC-Notre Dame football game at the Coliseum can purchase a basketball ticket at the Sports Arena box office for $5.

Tickets -- (213) 740-4672.

-- Paul Gutierrez