LOS ANGELES -- Elijah Stewart isnt sure why USC isnt gaining much national recognition, but the Trojans guard had plenty of highlight-reel worthy shots, blocks and crowd-pleasing plays on Sunday night.Stewart scored 26 points and added seven 3-pointers and a career-tying four blocks in USCs 93-67 win over Pepperdine. The Trojans set a school single-game record with 14 blocks and improved to 9-0.Its Trojans best start since they went 16-0 in 1971.USC still is unranked in the polls, despite five teams in the rankings owning two losses. Asked if he feels the Trojans get enough recognition, Stewart said: No. Not at all. We were supposed to be last last year in the Pac-(12), and I think they picked us kind of last this year. Like I said at Pac-12 media day, if you could tell the future, youd probably work for the government.USC actually was predicted to finish seventh this season in the conferences media poll.Jeremy Major led Pepperdine (4-6) with 19 points and Chris Reyes added 13. Pepperdine shot just 38.2 percent from the field.Jordan McLaughlin added 18 points for USC and made all seven of his shots, Chimezie Metu scored 11 and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Nick Rakocevic and Shaqquan Aaron added 13 apiece for the Trojans. Rakocevic had a career high in points and rebounds (nine).USC ran out to an 11-2 lead and never looked back. The Trojans led 48-30 at halftime after shooting 53.3 percent from the field.The Waves have lost five consecutive games.Finals. (Lets) get to finals and clear our heads a little bit, Pepperdine coach Marty Wilson said. Weve got to see what were not doing because were just in a funk right now. Each player could do more, whether its play hard, take care of the ball or push the ball harder. Weve got to do a better job competing defensively.BIG PICTUREPepperdine: The Waves are still trying to find their way without injured players Amadi Udenyi (Achilles), Kameron Edwards (jaw) and others. If the Waves hope to shake the non-conference losses before the West Coast Conference begins on Dec. 29 at Gonzaga.USC: The Trojans could work their way into the national rankings and garner more publicity for their undefeated season, possibly leap-frogging several two-loss teams. USCs winning ways in the preseason will be especially beneficial when the Pac-12 season begins Dec. 28 at Oregon State.QUOTE OF THE GAMEWe respect it. The players and coaches at USC have a rich tradition in all sports here. The basketball team has been a little bit of a roller coaster the last five or six decades with great players, great coaches, great teams. Were just trying to do our part to make the people that have been here before proud, and to say, `hey, theyre fun to watch.Weve had a lot of alumni reach out to us, a lot of former basketball players come to our games and send us emails and letters in the mail.-- Andy Enfield on USCs best start since 1971CARRYING ONThis was the second game USC played without starter Bennie Boatwright, who is out six weeks with a knee injury. They were also without forward Charles Buggs, who sustained a leg injury in warmups that Enfield didnt believe to be serious. Eight USC players accounted for all but eight minutes of the game. Walk-on Kurt Karis scored his first career points as he made a pair of free throws in playing four minutes.UP NEXTPepperdine is just two games into a difficult six-game road stretch, but its next game isnt until Dec. 20 at Louisiana. Thats followed by games at Montana, Gonzaga and Portland.USC is in the middle of a three-game home stretch at the Galen Center, where it can extend its undefeated season with a win over Troy on Saturday and Cornell on Dec. 19. Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys For Sale . Jason Zucker and Matt Cooke also scored for Minnesota, which has won five of six. Kuemper made five saves in the first, nine in the second, and nine in the third. The rookies best save came with 2:17 left in the third period when he denied former Wild forward Matt Cullen from just outside of the crease on the right side. China NFL Jerseys .C. - The Carolina Hurricanes have placed backup goalie Anton Khudobin on injured reserve with an unspecified lower-body injury. http://www.salejerseysnfl.com/ . U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield in Manhattan agreed that lawyers on both sides could make their formal requests by Nov. 8. A hearing is scheduled for a day earlier. Jordan Siev, a lawyer for Rodriguez, wrote in a joint letter to the judge from lawyers on both sides that MLB lawyers planned to ask that the lawsuit be dismissed. Cheap NFL Jerseys .S. hockey team after paying his dues as an NHL general manager for more than three decades and giving up a lot of his free time to help USA Hockey. Clearance Nike NFL Jerseys . Argentina winger Ezequiel Lavezzi and France midfielder Blaise Matuidi scored, with star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic setting up both despite having a poor game by his high standards. Forward Eduardo gave Ajaccio the lead in the sixth minute after being set up by right winger Benjamin Andre, and the Corsican side looked comfortable in the first half, with the lively Johan Cavalli causing problems with his probing runs from midfield. CHICAGO -- Nearly 13 years after he was traded away, Joe Nathan is back with the Giants.San Francisco promoted the 41-year-old right-hander from Double-A Richmond before Saturdays game against the Chicago Cubs.I want to prove to myself that I can still do it, said Nathan, who signed a minor league deal Aug. 19.Nathan was a sixth-round pick of the Giants in 1995 and began his career as a starter before moving to the bullpen. But after struggling in the 2003 playoffs, Nathan was dealt along with left-hander Francisco Liriano to Minnesota for catcher A.J. Pierzynski.It turned out to a one-sided deal, as Nathan became one of the top closers in the game with 377 saves and six All-Star selections with Minnesota, Texas and Detroit. But he has appeared in only four major league games the past two seasons after a second Tommy John surgery.Ultimate motivation is to win a ring and from there it was kind of nice to prove some people wrong, Nathan said. Once I had the injury, I dont think it was 5 minutes after we found out I was going to have surgery that people were alreadyy saying, `So youre retiring, right?Nathan picked jersey No.dddddddddddd 74, having been born in 1974.Manager Bruce Bochy says the playoff contenders plan to use Nathan in the sixth and seventh innings.Whats impressive is what hes accomplished, but he still has such passion for the game that here he is pitching at Double-A, Bochy said. And now here he is, back with the Giants.Nathan appeared in three games with the Cubs earlier this season, but was then released Aug. 6 amid a roster crunch.He had one really good game up in Milwaukee (on July 24) where we got a couple guys on and he struck out the side, Chicago manager Joe Maddon said. His pitches got up to the low 90s (mph) with some really good break. It was just a lack of opportunity with us. . Im really happy that hes there.The Giants opened a spot on the 40-man roster for Nathan by recalling right-hander Ray Black from Double-A Richmond and putting him on the 60-day disabled list. ' ' ', could have emerged as a leading candidate to remain long-term with a victory over Alabama.THE TAKEAWAYAlabama: Orgeron said earlier this week that Alabama might have the best defense in college football history, and it certainly looked like he was on to something.LSU: As much as LSU has tried open up its offense by changing formations and passing more, Etling didnt have the poise, or the blocking, to succeed against Alabama. LSUs running game suffered because of the Tigers inability to throw, and it looked a lot like their losses to Bama when Miles was coaching.POLL IMPLICATIONSAlabama: Alabama continues to strengthen its case as the best team in the nation.LSU: The Tigers might not tumble out of the Top 25 because of how close they played the nations top team, but theyll fall.UP NEXTAlabama: The Tide hosts Mississippi State next Saturday.LSU: The Tigers travel to meet Arkansas next weekend.---More AP college football at www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 ' ' '