Dec. 28, 2003
The San Diego women's basketball team is playing its best basketball of the season heading into the third annual Surf 'N Slam Holiday Classic, featuring No. 3 Texas Tech (11-0), Maryland (7-2) and USD's first round opponent Georgetown (6-2). The Toreros face the Hoyas at 6pm Sunday night. The pending result has USD playing in the Tournament Championship game on Tuesday at 8pm or the consolation game scheduled for 6pm. San Diego (4-6) has won back-to-back games for the first time this season after routing Oral Roberts 77-57 on December 22. The lopsided victory marked the second time this season San Diego won by 20 or more points.
USD's Marta Menuez leads the WCC in scoring
6-foot-1 senior center Marta Menuez scored a game-high 21 points and cleared nine rebounds in USD's blowout of Oral Roberts last week. Menuez's season average of 16.7 points per game is tops in the West Coast Conference. The Bodega, California native also ranks third in the league in offensive rebounds. Menuez earned All-WCC honors a year ago and is challenging San Diego school records in total points and points per game average in a single-season. Menuez's 2003-04 campaign has seen her match career-highs in both scoring and rebounding (26-points vs. New Mexico State/11-rebounds vs. then-No. 18 UC Santa Barbara). Menuez was also honored as the WCC Player of the Week (11/23) after shooting 9-of-13 from the floor en route to scoring 23 points and grabbing eight rebounds during a 96-74 USD win over Nevada.
None Better Than USD's Polly Dong
No other player in the West Coast Conference is helping her teammates pad their stats more than San Diego's sophomore point guard Polly Dong. With an average of 5.6 assists per game and 56 on the season, Dong ranks first among all WCC players in assists. On two different occasions this season Dong has dished out nine assists, most recently against Oral Roberts on December 22.
Menuez Approaching 1,000-point & 500-rebound Milestones
Over her four-year Torero career and heading into this week's Surf 'N Slam Tournament, Marta Menuez has totaled 956 points, leaving her 44 points shy of the 1,000 mark. Only seven players in USD history have reached the milestone, with current pro Erin Malich and first-year San Diego assistant Kerri Nakamoto joining the 1,000-point club last season. Also to note, Menuez is on pace to total 500 career rebounds. To date Marta owns 447 career boards, leaving her 53 shy of the 500 mark.
Toreros On the Air
San Diego vs. Georgetown (Sunday Dec. 28 6pm)
San Diego vs. Texas Tech or Maryland (Tuesday Dec. 30 TBA)
Live Audio Broadcasts on WWW.USDTOREROS.COM
Former USD greats Paula Bott (play-by-play) and Susie Erpelding (color analyst) will be the voice of San Diego women's basketball throughout the 2003-04 season. All USD home games and selected road contests can be heard live over the internet on www.usdtoreros.com. USD will play in front of a television audience at least three times during the course of the '03-04 season. Fox Sports West and Fox Sports Northwest will air San Diego's road game with WCC rival Portland on Thursday, January 29th at 7:00pm. The Toreros will also be showcased locally on San Diego 4 on both January 22nd against St. Mary's at 7:00pm and on February 5th against Santa Clara at 7:00pm.
Home Cooking
San Diego has enjoyed a great deal of success playing in front of their home fans in the recently opened Jenny Craig Pavilion (5,100). Under the leadership of two-time WCC Coach of the Year Kathy Marpe, the Toreros have won 22 games in the JCP over the past three seasons. Included in those 22-wins are key post-season victories over both St. Mary's and San Francisco in the 2003 WCC Tournament. Other notable home performances by USD, a 79-51 rout of UCLA (12/5/01) and a 69-67 overtime loss to then-No.4 Iowa State (12/30/01). Entering the holiday tournament, San Diego owns a 3-2 record at home this season. Two of San Diego's three wins at home this season have blowouts, a 22-point win over Nevada (11/22) and a 20-point drubbing of Oral Roberts (12/22).
Last Time Out
San Diego Wins Big, 77-57 Over Oral Roberts
Marta Menuez put up 21 and grabbed nine rebounds
San Diego shot 60% from the field and sophomore Brandi Collato went 5-for-5 from three-point range as the host Toreros defeated Oral Roberts 77-57 Monday night at USD's Jenny Craig Pavilion. Collato scored 18 and senior center Marta Menuez put up 21 and grabbed nine rebounds for a San Diego team that won back-to-back games for the first time this season.
San Diego (4-6) led 38-26 at halftime and never looked back. Oral Roberts (5-5) had won three straight before running into the hot shooting Toreros Monday. Six different USD players found the net from beyond the arc, helping San Diego connect on 11-of-18 three-point attempts. USD sophomore Jamie Corwin followed up a career night against Pacific with 12 points and classmate Tiara Harris added nine.
The Golden Eagles trailed by as many as 22 despite shooting 44% on the night. Both Cori Williston and Elisha Turek scored 13. Guard Claudia Louis totaled seven steals in the losing effort.
