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GAME NOTES: Two teams at opposite ends of the Pac-12 Conference standings get together tonight at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, as the USC Trojans entertain the California Golden Bears.

Trailing only Washington in the conference standings at the moment, the Golden Bears are tied with Colorado with a record of 8-3 in league action even though they have split the last four outings. Last weekend, the team pounced on Arizona State to come up with a 68-47 triumph in order to move to a staggering 15-1 at home in 2011-12. Unfortunately, the team's record on the road is not nearly as impressive, the squad posting just two victories in six opportunities.

As for the Trojans, they've been beaten and bruised since the start of December, winning a total of just two games during that span. Last Saturday, USC was taken down by Washington in a 69-41 decision, marking the ninth time this season the Trojans have been held below 50 points. The setback was the second in a row and the 11th in the last 12 outings for a group that is all alone at the bottom of the conference standings at 1-10.

With respect to the all-time series between these two schools on the hardwood, one that dates back close to a century, Cal is ahead by a count of 130-120 entering tonight's matchup. Last year the teams split the season series, with the visitor taking care of business on the road each time.

The Cal defense jumped all over Arizona State in the first half, limiting the visitors to just 16 points, en route to the 21-point win at Haas Pavilion. Allen Crabbe led the offense for the Bears with a game-high 19 points, followed by Jorge Gutierrez who dropped in another 10 points, they each clearing five rebounds as the team got by with just 24 boards overall. The Bears held ASU to just 2-of-15 shooting behind the three-point line and forced 20 turnovers. During conference play the Bears have been as stable as any team in the Pac-12, using the same starting lineup through 11 contests as they get 15.9 ppg and 6.4 rpg out of Crabbe to lead them in both categories. Even more surprising is the fact that, in addition to hitting the boards as hard as he does, Crabbe is also the top shooter behind the three-point line (.406), accounting for 26 of the team's 47 conversions thus far. Gutierrez is responsible for 14.5 ppg and has handed out 55 assists, while Justin Cobbs (12.7 ppg) brings support in the passing game with his 51 dishes as well.

The USC offense was atrocious versus Washington last week, the visitors shooting a dismal 28.8 percent from the floor and connecting on just one of 16 opportunities behind the three-point line. Not only that, the Trojans also struggled at the free-throw line as well, 6-of-13, although hitting every one of those shots wouldn't have made a difference in the outcome anyway. Garrett Jackson scored 15 points for the Trojans, shooting 7-of-14 from the floor, but the rest of the starters connected on a combined 10-of-44 from the floor. Byron Wesley tacked on 12 points as the team failed to get a single point from the reserves. Even though he was one of the players who had a hard time finding the basket against Washington, Maurice Jones is still the top scorer for the program overall this season with his 14.0 ppg, although he is shooting just 34.4 percent from the field along the way. On a positive note, USC has been able to hold opponents to just 58.7 ppg, but at the same time the offense has generated a measly 53.8 ppg which ranks them 341st in Division I.

With the offense being so weak for the Trojans this season, it would take a miracle for the team to take down Cal tonight. Granted, the Bears haven't been great on the road, but this really isn't much of a trip to begin with.