TAMPA, Fla. -- 13 years ago, Darrin Horn helped take Western Kentucky to the Sweet 16 as a player.
Now, he has done it as a coach.
The Hilltoppers advanced with a 72-63 win against San Diego and will now face top seed UCLA on Thursday in Phoenix.
"I'm just unbelievably happy for these kids," Horn said. "These guys have worked hard. They're great kids and they deserve it. I'm really happy for our players and our program."

Continue reading "Tampa sweet for Western Kentucky, Villanova" »

Posted by Mike McCall at 06:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TAMPA, Fla. -- Brazelton hit a huge 3 to stretch the lead to 6, but De'Jon Jackson answered with a layin as the shot clock expired.
With WKU up 4, Brazelton made a cut to the basket, drew three defenders and dished to an open Jeremy Evans, but he lost the ball out of bounds. Big mistake there, would have made the lead 6 with a minute to go.
A.J. Slaughter hit two free throws for WKU to make it 66-60 with 45.3 left, and the Tops got the ball back and were fouled. Lee hit another pair of free throws, and it's Tops by 6, 33.6 seconds left.
It looks like the WKU has it under control so I'll be back with quotes later.

Posted by Mike McCall at 04:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TAMPA, Fla. -- Western Kentucky is leaning on its three big seniors to carry it to the Sweet 16. Brazelton and Lee are handling the scoring load with 12 and 23 each, and Ty "Hero Boy" Rogers is the spark plug, providing a steady hand in tight spots.
Lee and Rogers both got hit with their third fouls, but they should stay on the floor for the rest of the contest.
The Hilltoppers are taking long possessions to run the clock out, a smart move but it concerns me that they're trying to run out the clock instead of putting some distance between them and San Diego.
D.J. Magley fouled out for WKU, no suprise there.
This game is going to come down to Brandon Johnson/Gyno Pomare vs. Brazelton and Lee. It's that simple.
61-58 WKU with 3:28 to go.
Scores just got announced here, with the Butler-Tennessee overtime game drawing a loud "OOOHHH" from the crowd.

Posted by Mike McCall at 04:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TAMPA, Fla. -- We've got a serious ballgame here now folks.
Pomare cut the lead to 2 points with a short hook shot, and on the WKU inbound, Courtney Lee never saw the ball coming and it bounced out of bounds.
Devin Ginty then hit a 3 to give the Toreros a lead, and Lee answered with a 3 of his own.
The momentum was squarely with SDU until Lee's shot and the atmoshere is just electric.
Pomare and Johnson are on the floor and are fired up now, this should be a good finish.
60-55 WKU with 5:32 to go.

Posted by Mike McCall at 04:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TAMPA, Fla. -- Finally, the Toreros are making their move.
San Diego has cut into the Western Kentucky lead and now trails by just 6 at 54-48 with 7:47 to go. We could be headed for another fantastic finish here in Tampa.
SDU is on a run but Pomare is on the bench. The question is whether the Toreros can cause turnovers and get out on the break where they thrive. It's not easy to crack this tough WKU defense in a set offense.

Posted by Mike McCall at 04:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TAMPA, Fla. -- It's halftime and Western Kentucky leads San Diego 39-27.
The Hilltoppers are undefeated this season when leading at the break.
Big Red, the WKU mascot, is entertaining fans during the break by attempting backward shots from the free throw line. To its (no way to distinguish the sex of this character) credit, it hit one.
Here's a Stat Breakdown:

Continue reading "Halftime stat bonanza" »

Posted by Mike McCall at 03:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TAMPA, Fla. -- Western Kentucky leads San Diego 33-23 with 3:49 left in the half. The Toreros better get going soon because the Tops haven't blown a halftime lead all season long, even though they came close in Friday's overtime win against Drake.
Lee and Pomare are leading their squads with 15 points a piece, WKU is shooting 56 percent and SDU 47.
Pomare does have two fouls though, so he's on the bench.
Good time for WKU to make a run.

Posted by Mike McCall at 03:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Hilltoppers just look like they're having fun. They are spreading the ball around and making great cuts on offense. Brazelton is they key to this with his slick ballhandling and Courtney Lee has a whopping 15 points.
Jeremy Evans absolutely demolished a shot from SDU's Gyno Pomare in the paint, but Pomare has still been pretty good, 13 points and just two misses.
Magley has two fouls now for WKU and has checked out.
The Toreros have only taken two 3s - that isn't the San Diego team we all know and love. Right now they don't need to shoot from outside with Pomare having his way down low. If that goes sour, look for Brandon Johnson to start ripping some nets.
27-19 WKU with 6:52 to play.

Posted by Mike McCall at 03:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TAMPA, Fla. -- Western Kentucky isn't having any trouble scoring.
The Hilltoppers are driving and scoring at will, with Tyrone Brazelton and Courtney Lee chipping in a few highlight reel moves. They have 6 and 7 points, respectively.
The Tops are superior in every aspect of the game right now, but it's still close - nothing a few possessions can't fix for San Diego.
Gyno Pomare looks good again for the Toreros, he has 5 points.
17-11 WKU with 11:41 to play in the first half.

Posted by Mike McCall at 03:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TAMPA, Fla. -- It's back and forth early. Great sign.
Courtney Lee is off to a good start for WKU. He's their leading scorer but wasn't that great on Friday. So far, 5 points including a 3.
D.J. Magley picked up his customary early foul, and Hero Boy (Ty Rogers) also got one. The Hilltoppers aren't very good with fouls. Against Drake they shot zero free throws to the Bulldogs' 17 in the first half. That wasn't all their fault, but still.
This is going to be a fast-paced game and I fully expect it to be awesome. Fouls would muddle that considerably.
With 15:40 to go, WKU leads 9-7.

Posted by Mike McCall at 03:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TAMPA, Fla. -- Look out UCLA, Cindarella is in the house. We just don't know which one yet.
San Diego and Western Kentucky just got underway, here's a look at the starters:

Continue reading "WKU-San Diego tips off" »

Posted by Mike McCall at 02:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TAMPA, Fla. -- One minute left, Villanova leads the Saints 83-69.
I think it's safe to call this one now. Tay Fisher is checking back in to jack up some 3s, pretty much Siena's only chance right now.
Unless there's a miracle, I'll see you later with a wrapup of this one - probably early in the Western Kentucky-San Diego game.
That one promises to be a real fight, with scrappy guards, good shooting and two intriguing big men. San Diego has Gyno Pomare down low, and he can spot up from nearly anywhere. It took quite a while for him to miss against UConn. For WKU, there's D.J. Magley, a Sean-May type but a little rough around the edges.

Posted by Mike McCall at 02:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TAMPA, Fla. -- Call it Tampandemonium.
After all of Thursday's games yielded just one upset that wasn't an 8-9 game, Tampa gave us four in a row on Friday.
If you're religious, today was Good Friday. If you're a hoops fan, it was great.

Continue reading "Tampa doesn't disappoint" »

Posted by Mike McCall at 01:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TAMPA, Fla. -- There's no question, Tampa is the place to be.
San Diego ended the second overtime game of the day in dramatic fashion, pulling a shocking upset of fourth-seeded Connecticut.
After traveling with just over a minute left to open the door for UConn to take the lead, De'Jon Jackson redeemed himself with one shot, a jumper that clinched the Toreros' 70-69 victory.

Continue reading "San Diego Torerrorizes Huskies" »

Posted by Mike McCall at 05:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TAMPA, Fla. -- After a Thursday that went the way of the chalk, we've had plenty of excitement already in Tampa. After Western Kentucky topped Drake in overtime, San Diego has taken Connecticut to an extra frame.

Continue reading "Overtime, again" »

Posted by Mike McCall at 05:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TAMPA, Fla. -- It looked like Connecticut had swung the momentum in its favor after a Doug Wiggins 3 gave them the lead. Then Gyno Pomare answered and Rob Jones hit an amazing reverse layup, followed by a one-hander to put the Toreros up 4 with 50 seconds to go. The Toreros might actually pull this one off.

Posted by Mike McCall at 05:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TAMPA, Fla. -- San Diego's possessions are taking much longer now. The Toreros are having a hard time cracking Connecticut's defense, often settling for outside shots late in the shot clock. That's fine with Brandon Johnson, as his three as the 35-second timer expired dropped through the net to give SDU a 49-46 lead.
Toreros by 3 with 7:08 left.

Posted by Mike McCall at 05:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TAMPA, Fla. -- The tide is starting to turn here in Tampa, albeit a bit slower than I expected.
Connecticut has scrapped within 3 at 44-41, and with 11:19 left there is plenty of time to make this a rout.
The Huskies are starting to get the ball deep into the lane for easy looks and have put together a 6-0 run, all on layups.

Continue reading "Finally, UConn makes a run" »

Posted by Mike McCall at 05:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TAMPA, Fla. -- The crowd here is certainly pulling for an upset. After the drama from Western Kentucky's overtime win against Drake, who could blame them?
They might just get some more drama in the form of San Diego, whose Gyno Pomare is essentially having his way with Connecticut.

Continue reading "Pomare leading Toreros" »

Posted by Mike McCall at 04:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TAMPA, Fla. -- I'm still not ready to say Connecticut is in trouble, but they had better wake up because San Diego is playing right with them.

Continue reading "Toreros up 5 at halftime" »

Posted by Mike McCall at 04:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TAMPA, Fla. -- UConn isn't exactly impressive right now, although according to the scoreboard here in the Forum, they are beating Austin Peay in addition to facing San Diego.

Continue reading "Toreros giving Huskies a fight" »

Posted by Mike McCall at 04:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tampa, Fla. -- Sorry for the delay. I'm still catching my breath from that Drake-Western Kentucky finish, and the Connecticut-San Diego game seems a great chance to do so.
The Toreros are showing some fight, although they are at a definite physical disadvantage.

Continue reading "UConn trails early" »

Posted by Mike McCall at 04:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN DIEGO -- Do you hear that sound? Listen closely. That's the sound of somebody's bubble bursting as San Diego just stunned No. 20 Gonzaga, 69-62 to win the WCC Championship and the automatic NCCA bid that comes with it. With Gonzaga a virtual lock to earn an at-large bid, somebody will be left out in the cold.

But that's of no concern for the Toreros, who are going dancing for the first time since 2003 when Jason Keep trolled the middle to lead USD past the same Gonzaga program for the conference title. Neither is it any concern of the USD students, who stormed the floor of the Jenny Craig Pavilion for the second straight night, thrilled at a conference title won on their home court.

USD capped off the win with a fast-break two-handed slam by Trumaine Johnson with 7.9 seconds left. He got a technical for hanging on the rim, but it was of no consequence as Gonzaga could get no closer than final seven-point margin.

"We got beat tonight," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. "It shows up in the rebounds and the hustle plays. Outside of the first five or seven minutes, we just could not match their desire."

Continue reading "WCC: They're Dancing in San Diego" »

Posted by Jason Owens at 10:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

SAN DIEGO -- It's go time for Gonzaga. Trailing 59-51 at the final media timeout, the Gonzaga students are trying to will their team to the comeback. USD has the ball with 3:35 and the Zags need a rally.

Posted by Jason Owens at 10:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN DIEGO -- In a situation that looks eerily similar to San Diego's win over Saint Mary's on Sunday, the Toreros are locking down on defense as the game winds down. Gonzaga has scored just one field goal in the last six-plus minutes as the Toreros have pulled away for a 57-47 edge with 5:30 remaining.

The Toreros won last night by holding Saint Mary's to one field goal over the final 11:31 of regulation to take it to overtime. The USD crowd can smell blood and bubble teams everywhere are worried. But I'm guessing Gonzaga has another run before we're done here.

Posted by Jason Owens at 10:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN DIEGO -- After a semifinal round that saw one game come down to the final possession and the other go to two overtimes, it looks like the WCC Championship will live up to the billing. With 10:56 left in regulation, San Diego has taken a 49-45 lead over top-seed Gonzaga with both teams throwing body blows and long range daggers at each other.

The Toreros just got back on top with a newfound 3-point proficiency. They missed their first four from behind the arc, but are 5-of-13 for the game, including one on each of the last two possessions. They're doing it with balance too with five players scoring between 8-10 points each.

And again -- in case you forgot -- the Toreros are playing for their season with an automatic NCAA bid at stake on the outcome.

Posted by Jason Owens at 10:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN DIEGO -- After relinquishing control to close the first half, Gonzaga has jumped back out to a 39-34 lead at the 15:35 mark of the second half.

San Diego took the lead in the first by dominating the boards, 23-13, including nine on offense. It looks like Mark Few made some halftime adjustments as the Zags have a 5-3 edge on the board through the first few minutes of the second stanza. Star guard Jeremy Pargo is getting into his game too, scoring four quick points after tallying six in the first.

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

SAN DIEGO -- Sparked by a 9-2 run to close the half, San Diego has seized momentum in the WCC Championship with a 30-27 halftime lead. But the Zags caught a break in the closing seconds when the officials allowed a Micah Downs jumper that appeared to come after the shot clock expired.

Either way, bubble teams are sweating everywhere.

Posted by Jason Owens at 09:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN DIEGO -- After four San Diego misses from behind the arc, De'Jon Jackson pulled up for a transition long ball to put the Toreros on top for the first time, 28-25 in the final two minutes of the first half. The Toreros have an NCAA tourney bid on the line. It looks like they're starting to figure that out.

Posted by Jason Owens at 09:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN DIEGO -- USD weathered an early Gonzaga storm and has kept things close with the Bulldogs holding a 19-16 edge with 7:40 left in the first half. The Zags have had no trouble scoring, hitting at a 58 percent clip from the field while USD has kept things close working the offensive glass. The Toreros' four early offensive rebounds have made up for 37 percent shooting from the field.

Posted by Jason Owens at 09:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN DIEGO -- With Gonzaga grasping early control on the court and in the stands, the Toreros got a timeout and stopped the bleeding with two straight baskets to cut their deficit from 13-6 to 13-10. We'll see if they can maintain focus in an almost hostile environment.

Posted by Jason Owens at 09:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN DIEGO -- The Toreros have the ball on offense next to the Gonzaga student section which, judging by its call and response, has officially declared the Jenny Craig Pavilion as their house. It's hard to argue as it feels like a Gonzaga home game -- at least from where I'm sitting (directly in front of the students).

So far the Toreros have committed three shot clock violations and we're only six minutes into the game. They didn't commit any last night against Saint Mary's. The Zags have an 13-6 edge at the 13:57 mark and the USD fans already look downtrodden.

Posted by Jason Owens at 09:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN DIEGO -- While tonight's WCC championship between top-seed Gonzaga and 3-seed San Diego is drawing a lot of local buzz, there may be even more interest nationwide.

The Floridas, Virginia Techs and Marylands of the college basketball are all Bulldogs fans tonight as a USD win would take one more coveted NCAA tourney spot away from a bubble team.

The biggest question inside the arena tonight is who will actually have the home court advantage. USD is playing in its home gym, but Gonzaga travels well and had a considerably stronger presence in the stands during Sunday's semifinal round. Torero fans will have to step up to give their home team an edge.

Continue reading "WCC: Zags, Fans Look to Overtake USD's Home Court" »

Posted by Jason Owens at 08:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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 -- The USD offense has woken up a bit, but Saint Mary's is still running away with this one. USD has no answer for the Saint Mary's offense, which is shooting 58 percent from the field and 56 percent from long distance en route to a 35-19 lead with 3:21 left in the first half.

The Torero fans are still making noise, some of it inappropriate and obnoxious, but they're not going to have much to cheer about if USD doesn't close the gap before halftime.

Posted by Jason Owens at 12:28 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)

SAN DIEGO -- Pepperdine looked ready to make this a game early in the second half, but once the hometown Toreros started to pull away, this one was over. USD advances to face St. Mary's in Sunday's 2-3 semifinal matchup with a berth in the WCC championship game on the line. courtesy of its 73-55 win. Pepperdine goes back to Malibu to regroup for next season.

De'Jon Jackson led the way for USD with a 24-point effort as the Toreros pretty much controlled every aspect of the box score. Rob Jones had a great game as well, logging 16 points and 15 rebounds. The Toreros scored with ease, hitting half their field goals and logged a double-digit advantage on the boards.

Continue reading "WCC: Toreros Advance to Face Saint Mary's" »

Posted by Jason Owens at 01:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN DIEGO -- A friend of mine in the stands who's a USD grad just made an astute observation. If this was a dance competition, Pepperdine would have been served long ago. The USD dance team, fully equipped with form-fitting tops and parachute pants tucked into shin-high shoes that look like a cross between combat boots and boxing shoes have indeed been bringing it.

And it's no knock on the Peppedine cheerleaders, who are doing a fine job in their much more traditional cheerleader attire of pompoms and short skirts. But the Torero girls look ready to star in a cheesy street-dancing movie. And they have the moves to match.

As for the game, the USD basketball team has a clear edge as well, mounting a 63-46 lead with 6:51 remaining. The Waves are outmatched and don't really stand a chance for a comeback on USD's home court right now. I'm not in the business of calling games, but I'd be shocked if the Waves make this interesting.

Posted by Jason Owens at 12:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN DIEGO -- When USD took a 28-14 lead behind an amped home crowd, it looked like the Toreros were going to run away with it. But Pepperdine maintained its composure to keep the game reasonable and goes into halftime trailing 39-30.

The Toreros are still in control and pretty much dominate the halftime box score. They're outshooting (48-42 percent) the Waves and controlling the glass (23-14 rebounds) and have hit 5-of-11 3-pointers. De'Jon Jackson leads USD with 12 points while Rob Jones already has 11 rebounds while Tyrone Shelley has matched Jackson with 12 points for Pepperdine.

Posted by Jason Owens at 12:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN DIEGO -- I made sure to catch Eddie Sutton's last words as coach in his postgame press conference, so we're picking up the action with about 8 minutes left in the first half of the San Diego-Pepperdine game.

Playing in front of a home crowd, the Toreros are off to a 24-14 lead as they look to advance to the WCC semifinal round as the three-seed. Sixth-seeded Pepperdine advanced to tonight's matchup with a win over Portland in Friday's play-in round.

Continue reading "WCC: In Progress -- USD up Early on Pepperdine" »

Posted by Jason Owens at 11:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)