SAN DIEGO -- With about 30 seconds left, I heard voices in the USD student section directly behind me talk about jumping over the media table. Thankfully security redirected them as they rushed the court, but they can thank Brandon Johnson for a 75-69 double-overtime win over Saint Mary's to keep the season alive and advance to Monday's WCC title game against Gonzaga.

USD trailed by double digits most of the game, but started a rally with about eight minutes left in regulation and didn't look back until two overtimes were played.

The Toreros took the lead for good when Johnson took an inbounds pass with two seconds on the shot clock and hit a 3-pointer falling out of bounds with 2:53 left in the second overtime. After he crashed into the media table, he just looked up at the student section and smiled.

"When I start smiling, I start rolling," Johnson said. "Kids dream of moments like this, and when I get there I want to cherish it."

Continue reading "WCC: All Hail Johnson, Toreros Win Thriller" »

Posted by Jason Owens at 02:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN DIEGO -- With two seconds left on the shot clock, USD inbounded the ball to Brandon Johnson, who hit another huge 3-pointer to give USD a 60-55 edge with 2:55 remaining in the second overtime. Then he crashed into the media table and just turned around to the student section and smiled. He knows Saint Mary's is in trouble.

Posted by Jason Owens at 02:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN DIEGO -- Overtime ended much like regulation -- with USD's Brandon Johnson missing a fall-away jumper with time running out, so we're playing a second overtime in San Diego tied at 55.

Johnson held the ball deep into the clock and clearly wants to maintain charge of winning this game for the Toreros. But he's forcing it now after leading the USD comeback from a 13-point deficit in regulation. I'm sure coach Bill Grier is telling him the same thing during the break.

Posted by Jason Owens at 02:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN DIEGO -- Thanks to a free throw by both sides, a circus layup by USD's Brandon Johnson and a jumpshot by Saint Mary's Diamon Simpson, we're still tied, 55-55 with 18.2 seconds to play.

USD has the ball at a timeout and chance to win with its season on the line.

Posted by Jason Owens at 02:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN DIEGO -- Brandon Johnson's fall-away jumper came up short with time winding down and USD and Saint Mary's will play at least five more minutes of basketball. Since holding a 52-37 lead at the 7:43 mark, the Gaels have relinquished control to the hometown Toreros. Add in the loss of starting center Omar Samhan and Saint Mary's will be hard pressed to win in overtime.

Posted by Jason Owens at 01:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN DIEGO -- Saint Mary's 6-11 center Omar Sanhan fouled out at the 1:31 mark with the Gaels holding a 52-50 lead. This could be trouble for the struggling Gaels.

Posted by Jason Owens at 01:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN DIEGO -- Brandon Johnson is playing out of his head right now as the Toreros continue to charge back at the Gaels. He just hit his third 3-pointer in the last five minutes to cut the Saint Mary's lead to 52-49 with 2:16 remaining. His 20 points have kept USD in this game.

Meanwhile, Saint Mary's only has one field goal since the 11:31 mark as San Diego pressure has forced bad shots and turnovers. This one's going down to the wire as well.

Posted by Jason Owens at 01:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN DIEGO -- For the first time all game, the hometown crowd has something to cheer about. Over a 3-minute span, USD has cut the Saint Mary's lead to 50-46 with 4:44 remaining and seized control of momentum.

They've drawn charges and forced turnovers on defense and gone to the hot hand of Brandon Johnson, who has hit a pair of three pointers and a free throw during the comeback. The San Diego crowd is psyched and Saint Mary's has a game on its hands.

Posted by Jason Owens at 01:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN DIEGO -- USD has done a good job of keeping up with Saint Mary's in the second half, but little to make up ground as the Gaels hold a 49-37 lead with 7:45 left. There's still enough time to make a comeback, but it has to start soon.

Posted by Jason Owens at 01:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN DIEGO -- USD is maintaining a manageable distance from Saint Mary's, but hasn't found an answer to the Gaels' size inside. Saint Mary's leads 43-29 lead at the first media timeout of the second half.

Omar Sahan, listed at 6-11 and Diamon Simpson, listed at 6-7, but with long arms and athleticism plays much taller, are giving the Toreros fits inside. No USD buckets are coming easy near the basket and the Toreros are having trouble stopping them on the other end.

Gyno Pomare is the only Torero that can bang bodies with them and has hit 6-of-10 shots. The Toreros need to stick with Gyno to have a chance at a comeback.

Posted by Jason Owens at 01:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN DIEGO -- USD got a boost before halftime with a buzzer-beating putback by big man Gyno Pomare, but still have a big hole with Saint Mary's holding a 36-23 lead.

While the pace has slowed down from Saint Mary's torrid 13-2 start, the Gaels haven't let USD sniff momentum. They're doing it with defense, holding USD to 35 percent shooting and without a 3-pointer in six attempts.

USD's best hope is to keep the pace slow and limit Saint Mary's opportunities, as the Gaels are taking advantage when they do have the ball, hitting 52 percent of their shots.

Posted by Jason Owens at 12:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN DIEGO -- I haven't seen the Gaels in person this year. Now I know what all the hype is about. The offense is lightning quick and deadly accurate while they keep pressure on the ball on defense. The Gaels have jumped out to a 24-8 lead at the second media timeout and are putting the hometown Toreros in danger of never even being in this game.

So far, they've hit 10-of-14 field goals, 4-of-6 3-point shots and forced three USD turnovers.

Posted by Jason Owens at 12:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN DIEGO -- The hometown team may be in trouble. at the 16:43 mark of the first half, Saint Mary's has taken a 13-2 lead over the Toreros with a quick-strike, fast break offense. Patrick Mills and Diamon Simpson have already combined for three 3-pointers as the Gales have picked up six points on three early USD turnovers.

The San Diego crowd is lively, but nothing compared to what Gonzaga fans brought to the table in the early game.

Posted by Jason Owens at 12:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN DIEGO -- It will be interesting to see how the complexion of the crowd changes for the night cap as the hometown Toreros take the floor against the Gaels in tonight's WCC semifinal. The crowd for the early Gonzaga win was louder for the Bulldogs than the Jenny Craig Pavilion ever gets for a USD home game.

That is, except when Gonzaga comes to town once a year to play USD. Torero fans have no love for Gonzaga, but it looks like the Bulldogs have the monopoly on seats this weekend. Unless there's some ticket-trading going on in the street, the Toreros may not have as big of a homecourt advantage as they hope with the 2nd-seeded Gaels in the building.

Posted by Jason Owens at 11:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southern Illinois coach Chris Lowery always knew Bryan Mullins could score.

Now, a lot of other people know it too.

The junior guard scored a career-high 24 points, including 11 of the Salukis' last 13, as SIU ended a three-game losing streak with a 71-56 win over previously unbeaten Saint Mary's on Tuesday.

"We've always had guards that do stuff like that when we needed it," said Lowery. "I've told him this past three weeks that this was his team."

Mullins stepped into the spotlight after Saint Mary's had massaged away most of had been a 19-point second-half lead. Up 53-34 with 13:17 remaining, the Salukis started missing shots from close range. Conversely, the Gaels started pushing the ball up court. Two free throws by Todd Golden with 5:51 left got Saint Mary's within 55-52.

"We did some things right to get us back in the game," said Saint Mary's coach Randy Bennett. "We just didn't do enough things to win the game.

"Give them credit. We knew they were going to be good. We didn't walk into this ball game thinking this was a bad team."

The Salukis had dropped contests to USC, Indiana and Charlotte and were struggling for an identity. Graduation left some big holes to fill in the scoring. Mullins filled one of them Tuesday.

"We opened up the floor more and I was able to hit a couple of shots," he said. "We came out with a lot of energy tonight."

Tyrone Green held off Saint Mary's until Mullins got untracked. His three free throws pushed SIU's lead back to 58-52. Omar Samhan's jumper got the Gaels back within four, but Mullins scored the next nine points of the game.

"With the work ethic he has, you know it's going to pay off sooner or later," Shaw said of Mullins.

Shaw's previous career best had been 16 points. Tuesday, he nearly had that in the final four minutes. And he added five assists to his line as well.

SIU's Randall Falker scored all eight of his points in the first half, but he had eight rebounds in the second and 12 for the game. Shaw finished with 13 points and nine boards as SIU out-rebounded the Gaels, 39-24.

"I think it's a credit to this team that we came out and played with the energy we did and the enthusiasm we did after losing three straight," Shaw said.

Saint Mary's (7-1) got 11 points from Patrick Mills, 10 from Diamon Simpson and eight from Samhan, some 15 below their combined average for the season.

The loss probably knocks the Gaels, ranked 24th in both the AP and USA Today/ESPN Coaches' poll, out of the Top 25.

"It's December," said Bennett. "If we're a good team, we'll get back in there."

Yes, it's only December, but a team looking for answers like SIU, there was no time like the present.

"I told them it's winning time," Lowery said of his charges. "We're not going backwards."

Mullins seemed to listen most of all.

"He was special," Lowery said. "He wanted to win."

Posted by Rick Underwood at 10:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Salukis' Bryan Mullins took over down the stretch, scoring seven straight points after Saint Mary's cut an 18-point lead to four, and Southern Illinois held on to break a three-game losing streak, 71-56.

The loss was the first of the year for the Gaels, while Southern Illinois improved to 4-3.

Posted by Rick Underwood at 09:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A big cushion for Southern Illinois is wafer-thin.

Saint Mary's poured on six straight free throws, four from Patrick Mills and two from Todd Golden, and cut SIU's 18-point lead down to just three with just under six minutes to go.

The Salukis are attacking the paint, but missing from close range. A free throw and a Saint Mary's turnover has stemmed the tide. The Gaels' Diamon Simpson fouled out with 4:48 to go, and SIU's Tyrone Green hit the subsequent throws to put SIU back up, 58-52.

Posted by Rick Underwood at 09:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- With Saint Mary's protecting the post, Southern Illinois found room on the perimeter.

The Salukis got back-to-back three-pointers from Bryan Mullins and Matt Shaw, and one of three free throws from Shaw when he was fouled on a trey to open a 50-32 lead just six minutes into the second half.

But SIU started settling for the jumpers and Saint Mary's took rebounds up court for transition opportunities. Diamon Simpson's two free throws when fouled on a fast-break got the Gaels back within 14 at 53-39 with 12 minutes to play.

An SIU turnvoer and a Patrick Mills three-pointer pulled Saint Mary's withing 11 and swung the momentum, with the Salukis earlier in the half, back to the Gaels.

Posted by Rick Underwood at 09:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Call off the ABP on Randall Fallker.

Falker, held scoreless in Southern Illinois' weekend loss to UNC-Charlotte, resurfaced on the Salukis' home court Tuesday against the Gaels.

Falker, the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Player of the Year, finished the first half with eight points, four rebounds and a blocked shot in 14 minutes of play as SIU posted a 36-24 halftime lead. Along the way, Falker drew three fouls on Saint Mary's big man, Omar Samhan, who played just eight minutes in the first half.

Also in foul trouble for Saint Mary's was starting guard Patrick Mills, the Gaels' leading scorer. He picked up his third foul late in the half and had just four points at the break.

Both teams worked the ball into the paint instead of settling for jumpers, as Saint Mary's shot 47.4 percent for the half but was plagued by 12 turnovers. SIU shot 46.4 percent with nine turnovers.

Matt Shaw and Joshua Bone added seven points each for SIU. Mills and Samhan led the Gaels in scoring with four each.

Posted by Rick Underwood at 08:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Neither Saint Mary's or Southern Illinois can get much separation on scoreboard or on the court. Tight defense at both ends are forcing extended possessions.

The Salukis' Tyrone Green took a steal coast-to-coast for a jam that brought the crowd to life and prompted a Gael timeout. Another Saint Mary's turnover after play resumed resulted in a Joshua Bone teardrop down the lane to give SIU its biggest lead of the first nine minutes at 18-12.

Posted by Rick Underwood at 08:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Saint Mary's and Southern Illinois are firing shots from close range early in the contest, with the Salukis hanging onto a 9-8 lead.

Both teams are getting the ball into the paint when they're getting shots. Less than five minutes into the game, Saint Mary's has three turnovers and SIU has a pair.

Gael center Omar Samhan was just saddled with two fouls and is headed for the bench.

Posted by Rick Underwood at 07:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Earlier in the day, some 1,000 students were scattered about SIU Arena, taking a final exam.
Later Tuesday night, the Salukis of Southern Illinois were hoping to have just one answer -- how to end the first three-game losing streak in Chris Lowery's three-plus years as head coach.

Not that the Salukis have been terrible of the past three games, losing to USC and UNC-Charlotte on the road and at home to Indiana.

Meanwhile, the Gaels of Saint Mary's look to keep their record spotless. This is the Gaels' first road game of the season, although they have posted a win on a neutral court. The other six have come at home.

For SIU, it seems a different ingredient has been missing in each of the three losses. Against USC, the defense didn't show up. Against Indiana, the offense couldn't find the hole.

And against Charlotte, the Salukis' all-everything, Randall Falker, was held scoreless for the first time since his freshman season.

The teams have met five previous times, with SIU holding a 4-1 edge. The Salukis won, 66-61, at Moraga, Calif., last year.

Posted by Rick Underwood at 07:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ANAHEIM -- Saint Mary's win over San Diego State came down to one big factor -- composure down the stretch. In a taut game from the start, the Gaels were clearly the better team in the final two minutes of the game and it showed up on the scoreboard.

The most glaring discrepancy is at the free throw line, where the Aztecs faltered at an 0-for-5 clip down the stretch. For the game they finished 8-for-18.

"You're not going to win if you don't make free throws," SDSU coach Steve Fisher said. "When you get there, you have to be able to make them and we were 8-for-18 from the free throw line."

Continue reading "Saint Mary's - SDSU Wrapup" »

Posted by Jason Owens at 06:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- In a game that was nip-and-tuck throughout, Saint Mary's proved to be best prepared for crunch time. The Gaels controlled the last two minutes of the game from the floor and at the foul line to pull out the 69-64 win over San Diego State.

The Aztecs looked frantic on offense and tired at the free throw line, missing their last six attempts at the line, which proved to be the difference in the game. I'll check back in after the press conference and in time for the feature matchup between Davidson and UCLA.

Posted by Jason Owens at 05:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- With the clock ticking under two minutes, San Diego State has just left four points off the board and trails Saint Mary's 63-60. Lorenzo Wade missed the front end of a one-and-one at about the 2:30 mark and Richie Williams just missed two free throws to keep the Gaels firmly in control. The Aztecs will know where to look if they don't end up pulling this one out.

Posted by Jason Owens at 04:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- At the final television timeout with 3:27 left on the clock, San Diego State just got a shot-clock beating layup from Billy White to cut Saint Mary's lead to 61-58. The Gaels looked ready to pull away, but San Diego State is determined to keep it close.

Posted by Jason Owens at 04:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- While neither team was lighting it up in the first half, both SDSU and Saint Mary's are finding a rhythm in the second as the Gaels' hold a 45-44 lead with about 11 minutes left in regulation. While this is certainly not a playoff game, it could end up being an elimination game once NCAA at-large bids are handed out. And it looks like it's going to come down to the wire.

Both teams are off to hot starts on the season, but have to contend with powerful squads in their own conferences to seal up an automatic bid come March. They're both looking up the national polls in their respective conferences with the Aztecs likely doing battle with No. 20 BYU for MWC supremecy, while No. 17 Gonzaga is the favorite in the WCC.

If both SDSU and Saint Mary's end up battling for at-large bids, the outcome of this game will likely weigh heavily in the committee's collective mind.

Posted by Jason Owens at 04:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- I'm sitting beside Steve Aminoff, a stringer for the Canberra Times out of Australia -- not exactly the media presence I expect to see at a college basketball game in Southern California. But after taking a look through the Saint Mary's bios, it makes sense.

Three Australian-born players suit up for the Gaels, including Aborigine Patrick Mills. Mills just happens to be the Gaels' best player and leading scorer with 16.3 points per game and even has NBA scouts checking him out.

Continue reading "Aussie Connection, Saint Mary's Takes Control" »

Posted by Jason Owens at 04:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ANAHEIM -- Through one half, Saint Mary's hasn't looked like the same team that beat Oregon as San Diego State has stifled the Gaels' offense into 32 percent shooting and opened a 29-24 lead. The vocal Aztec crowd, which traveled about 80 miles north on I-5 have had a lot to cheer about early in a game that could have big implications for both teams come March if either is sitting on the bubble.

Continue reading "Aztecs in Control at Halftime" »

Posted by Jason Owens at 03:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The feature presentation of the Wooden Classic pits UCLA against upstart Davidson in the late game, but the early game features the second best team in the country. That is if you trust the RPI. Believe it or not, after compiling wins over Drake, Seton Hall and Oregon en route to a 6-0 start, WCC power Saint Mary's is ranked No. 2 in the early season RPI.

Continue reading "So Much For Cinderella" »

Posted by Jason Owens at 03:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)