Trojans Open Under Parker With a Loss : College basketball: USC can’t hold halftime lead, loses, 97-84, in Preseason NIT game against New Mexico State.

For nearly 12 minutes Wednesday night, the Charlie Parker-era for USC basketball was a prime-time act against New Mexico State, the two-time defending Big West champion.

Over the last 28, however, the Trojans’ inexperience and lack of transition defense proved to be the difference against the senior-led Aggies, who rallied for a 97-84 victory in the first round of the Preseason National Invitation Tournament before 2,128 at the Sports Arena.

The Trojans played inspired basketball for Parker in his first game as interim coach since the retirement of George Raveling on Monday.

USC was led by Lorenzo Orr with 23 points, including 17 in the second half. Brandon Martin had 17, and Cameron Murray and Burt Harris 12 each.

“We started out very well in pushing the ball and playing aggressive,” Parker said. “Basketball is a game of spurts, and we didn’t respond tonight. We came out laid back (in the second half) and let them do what they wanted to do. We just hit a wall and never really regained the level we started at.

“At the beginning of the game, our emotional level was a real positive. But that wears off and then you have to play basketball.”

In the second half, New Mexico State made 24 of 34 shots for 70.6%. The Trojans shot 38%.

Rodney Walker led the Aggies with 25 points.

New Mexico State did not have a starter taller than 6 feet 7, and USC started basically a small lineup also with Harris (5-10) and Martin (6-4) at guards, Orr (6-7) and Jaha Wilson (6-5) at forwards. The difference for the Trojans was seven-foot center Kirk Hominick, who made his first start.

Despite four early turnovers, USC got off to a fast start thanks to an aggressive, gambling defense and cold shooting by the Aggies. The Trojans needed more than two minutes to score their first points under Parker before taking a 12-3 lead with 15:50 remaining in the half.

The Trojans led, 19-9, at the 12:35 mark and USC’s defense continued to give the Aggies problems as the Trojans opened up their biggest lead, 28-13, on a three-pointer by Murray.

New Mexico State responded to outscore USC, 25-11, over the next eight minutes behind the scoring of Walker, who finished with nine first-half points, to close within 39-38 with less than a minute remaining in the half. The Trojans then closed the half with two quick baskets off assists from Murray to take a 43-38 lead.

New Mexico State, which has won the Big West title the last two seasons and has made five consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament, came out fired up in the second half.

The Aggies jumped out early to take a 58-52 lead with 11:51 remaining as the Trojans’ outside shooting went south. New Mexico State capitalized by getting its fast-break offense untracked behind Skip McCoy, who came off the bench to score five quick points.

USC was able to stay close on the dunking of Orr, who scored six of the Trojans’ first nine points in the second half. New Mexico State’s full-court trapping defense gave USC trouble getting its halfcourt offense set-up.

With the help of some of USC’s 26 turnovers, New Mexico State took a 69-62 lead at the 8:52 mark mainly on layups and free throws. The Trojans’ inexperience began to take a toll against the veteran Aggies, who started five seniors.

Trojan and NIT Notes

On the last day of the early signing period for high school seniors, USC received a commitment from Maurice Strong, a 6-foot-9 power forward from Tennessee. The Trojans already had a commitment from Damion Dawson, a 6-3 point guard from Long Beach Poly. . . . USC does not play again until Nov. 27 when it plays Temple in the first Martin Luther King Classic doubleheader in Memphis. Georgetown and Arkansas will meet in the other game. USC’s next game at the Sports Arena will be Nov. 29 against Northern Iowa.

In another Preseason NIT game, George Washington defeated Syracuse, 111-104, in overtime at Syracuse. The Colonials scored the first 12 points of the extra period after Syracuse had tied the score at the regulation buzzer on a banked three-pointer by Michael Lloyd. Kwame Evans had a career-high 29 points for George Washington, which led by nine with 2:01 left in regulation.

In other first-round games, Canisius defeated Penn, 81-78, behind Michael Meeks’ 36 points; Ohio topped Ohio State, 78-67; No. 14 Virginia edged Old Dominion, 83-80, and No. 18 Alabama rolled over Kansas State, 79-48. . . . For Virginia, Cory Alexander, sidelined last season after breaking an ankle in the opener, scored 29 points. For Alabama, Eric Washington had 23 points, with 15 coming on three-pointers.