In the Pacific-10 Conference, where expecting the unexpected is the norm, a coach was ejected from a game — and then brought back a few minutes later.
Southern California head coach Henry Bibby was tossed last Thursday during the Trojans’ 80-68 victory against Arizona State after one of his assistants received a technical foul.
Referee Richie Ballesteros then told Bibby, who had received an earlier technical from Ballesteros, to go to the locker room, based on NCAA rules. But problems arose when Ballesteros realized that he had misinterpreted the rule.
The rules state that a coach is ejected if three technicals are assessed to the team’s bench, or, of course, if the coach receives two technical fouls. The Trojans’ bench had only been issued two, and therefore Bibby returned to the court, but in an unhappy mood.
“I do feel I’m being targeted, for whatever reason,” Bibby told the L.A. Times on Friday. “I just want the games to be called the right way. Last night was not fair to the fans, players or USC.”
The three officials that worked the game were each dealt with by the Pac-10 on Monday. Ballesteros was suspended for two games, while umpires Jim Giron and Don McAllister were each issued one-game suspensions.
“In this incidence, the crew failed to communicate fully about what had been called and how the rules should be applied, which resulted in the mistaken ejection and the absence of the coach from over four minutes of the game,” Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen said in a released statement.
“They all are accountable for the error.”
The Trojans, who were embarrassed by Arizona 105-61 Saturday, travel north to take on the Oregon schools this week.

Women’s Pac-10 heats up toward home stretch
The top of the women’s Pac-10 race is crowded, and as the end of the season nears, a front runner is bound to emerge.

Washington, Arizona State and Stanford share first place in the conference. This Saturday in Seattle, the Cardinal and Huskies go head-to-head in a nationally televised game on Fox Sports Net, while the Sun Devils take on fourth-place Arizona at 4 p.m. Saturday.
And there’s no telling what could happen.
Stanford and Washington are coming off of tough losses to California and Oregon, respectively. Meanwhile, Arizona will be looking to avenge its Jan. 27 road loss to the Sun Devils.
The Cardinal has improved with the growth of freshman point guard Nicole Powell, who played center in high school. Powell switched to the point guard position when starter Susan King was injured early in the season.
Powell’s play has been so impressive as of late — she’s averaging 13.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game this season, and has 104 assists — that ESPN.com lists her as one of four favorites for freshman of the year.

On the NCAA bubble
Each year, 64 teams around the country get invitations to the Big Dance.
Win-loss records and conference standings help determine which teams dance and which teams stay home. There’s no exact science to predicting who goes, but the Ratings Percentage Index does the job as good as anything.
And right now, the Ducks’ RPI rating is No. 51 — on the bubble.
Oregon’s chances of making the NCAA Tournament could nose-dive if it loses any of its remaining games. But the Ducks still face two higher-ranked teams in the RPI — No. 43 Arizona and No. 36 Arizona St. — next week at McArthur Court.
Southern California, whom the Ducks haven’t beat in three tries, are ranked No. 117. Oregon rumbles with the Trojans Saturday at 1 p.m. on Fox Sports Net.