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Hawes, Washington open conference schedule against USC

Dec 28, 2006 - 4:56 PM No. 13 Washington (10-1) at Usc (10-3) 10:30 pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) - With a showdown against top-ranked UCLA looming, Spencer Hawes and Washington will have to avoid a "Tinsel Town" trap.

Hawes and the 13th-ranked Huskies aim for their first road win of the season Thursday when they visit Southern California in the Pac-10 Conference opener for both schools.

It marks the first of two consecutive games in Los Angeles for Washington, which visits No. 1 UCLA on Sunday.

One of the top freshmen in the country, Hawes has paced the Huskies to a surprising 10-1 start. The 6-11 center leads the team in scoring (15.5) and blocks (2.5) and also averages 5.9 rebounds per game.

Two days after dominating All-American Glen Davis in an upset of Louisiana State, Hawes scored 23 points to pace Washington to an 80-51 victory over Weber State on Friday.

Jon Brockman added 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Huskies, who improved to 10-0 at home this season.

But Washington struggled in its lone road game this season, a 97-77 loss at in-state rival Gonzaga on December 9.

The Huskies hope for a better road performance when they visit a Trojans team fresh off a thrilling 60-56 upset of eighth-ranked Wichita State on Saturday.

Nick Young matched a season high with 24 points for USC, which hosts the first Pac-10 Conference game at the new Galen Center on Thursday.