Feb. 7, 2004
GAME #23: The USD Toreros (0-7 WCC; 3-19) play WCC travel partner Santa Clara (5-3 WCC; 13-10) for the second time in two nights. The Broncos won Thursday's contest 74-69 at Santa Clara's Leavey Center. The Toreros are trying to snap their current 11-game skid.
SERIES RECORD: This is the 53rd meeting between USD and Santa Clara ... the Broncos hold a 30-22 after Thursday's victory. The Broncos have won the last three games played at the Jenny Craig Pavilion, including last year's 67-65 win.
RADIO/WEBCAST/TV: The game will be aired on KCBQ 1170 AM with Jerry Gross (play-by-play) and Richard Muscio (color analyst) calling the action. The game will also be aired via the internet at www.usdtoreros.com and www.kcbq.com. The Brad Holland Show, hosted by Gross, airs 20 minutes before tipoff. Saturday's game will also be telecast by Channel 4 San Diego (Jim Laslavic & John Kentera).
TIO LEOS TORERO TALK: Every home game Jack Murray will webcast a 40 minute pre-game show from 6:00 p.m. to 6:40 p.m. that will include interviews with USD coaches, players, alumni and administration. Go to www.usdtoreros.com and click on the game's Listen Link to hear Tio Leos Torero Talk beginning at 6:00 pm.
Brad Holland (10TH YEAR): Coach Brad Holland (UCLA, 1979) is in his tenth season at the helm of Torero basketball. Last season he directed the Toreros to an overall 18-12 record and 2nd place finish in the WCC at 10-4. The Toreros won their first WCC Tournament title and played in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in sixteen years. In 1999-2000, Holland was chosen WCC Coach of the Year by his peers for the second straight season after he guided the Toreros to a 20-9 mark -- including wins over every WCC foe. In 1998-99 he guided the Toreros to an 18-9 mark and 2nd place finish in the WCC (9-5; tie for 2nd). Holland's USD career mark heading into the Santa Clara game is 147-130; including two seasons at CS Fullerton, his overall coaching record is 170-161. Since the start of 1998-99 season, Holland is 91-75. Holland, who played four years of basketball at UCLA (1976-79), was the 14th player taken in the first round of the 1979 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a member of the 1980 NBA Los Angeles Lakers championship team. Brad and his wife Leslie, who reside in Carlsbad, have three children: twin daughters Kristin and Lisa, seniors at USD, and a 11-year-old son, Kyle.
WCC STANDINGS (thru 2-6-04): #8 Gonzaga (8-0; 18-2), Santa Clara (5-3; 13-10), Saint Mary's (4-3; 13-9), San Francisco (4-4; 14-10), Portland (4-4; 10-11), Pepperdine (4-4; 9-14), Loyola Marymount (2-6; 11-10), San Diego (0-7; 3-19). SAT. WCC GAMES: LMU at Gonzaga; Pepperdine at Portland; St. Mary's at USF.
TOREROS FALL AT SANTA CLARA: Once again the Toreros battled their WCC foe tough but came up on the short end losing 74-69 at Santa Clara on Thursday ... USD shot 54.2% from the field and outrebounded the Broncos 36-34, but 18 turnovers and 50% shooting from the charity stripe hurt their chances ... Nick Lewis poured in 18 points and was followed by Brice Vounang and Brett Melton, each with 14 points ... Avi Fogel made 4-of-6 treys, including three early in the 2nd half, to finish with a personal-best 12 points ... Vounang led with 9 boards and Mike McGrain dished out 9 assists.
TORERO TIDBITS: The Toreros will be looking to snap their current 11-game skid ... USD is 3-5 in the JCP but are still looking for their first home WCC win this season where they own an 0-4 mark ... Brice Vounang continues to lead the team in scoring ( 16.5 ppg; 3rd in WCC) and rebounding (6.9 rpg; 3rd in WCC) ... Brandon Gay ranks second on the team in both departments - 13.4 ppg (11th WCC) and 6.4 rpg (6th in WCC) ... Mike McGrain continues to rank second in the WCC in assists (6.6) ... Brett Melton is up to 12.0 ppg after pouring in 52 points over the past three games - 22 against Gonzaga; 16 vs. Portland and 14 at Santa Clara.
VOUNANG & GAY SOLID OVER LAST 8 GAMES: First year junior college transfers Brice Vounang (6-8 center; Dschang, Cameroon) and Brandon Gay (6-8 forward; Missouri City, TX) have been USD's most consistent players over the last eight games ... both scored personal-highs in USD's last nonconference game at New Mexico on January 6th - Vounang (25) & Gay (24), and they both have carried that play through USD's first seven WCC games ... over the past 8 games Vounang is averaging 19.8 ppg and Gay is averaging 16.4 ppg. Overall on the season Vounang has scored in double-digits 18 games; Gay 11 times in 16 games.
SCOUTING THE BRONCOS: The Santa Clara Broncos handed USD a 74-69 setback on Thursday ... guard Kyle Bailey tossed in 23 points to lead four Broncos in double-digits ... SCU made 13 treys on 35 attempts ... last week they split their two WCC games ... they earned a 75-64 win over Portland with junior guard Doron Perkins scoring 18 points, and they dropped a hard-fought 79-63 contest on Saturday to No. 10 Gonzaga ... Perkins and 6-7 sophomore forward Travis Niesen each tallied 11 points against the Zags ... the Broncos have played just six road games with a 2-4 mark ... Perkins (12.2 ppg) and junior guard Kyle Bailey (11.5 ppg) are the lone Broncos averaging in double digits ... in three seasons at the Jenny Craig Pavilion the Broncos are 5-3 (3-0 against USD in WCC play and 2-3 in WCC Tournament games) ... head coach Dick Davey enters Saturday's game against USD needing a victory for his 200th career win and 100th WCC victory.
Brad Lechtenberg REINSTATED: Senior guard Brad Lechtenberg (Walnut Creek, CA), who was suspended on January 16th by head coach Brad Holland for violating team rules, has been allowed back on the team and participated in Friday's (Feb. 6th) practice. He did not suit up or play in the last six games. Through the team's first 16 games he is averaging 9.8 ppg and converting 45.5% of his treys.
TORERO MASH UNIT: Junior forward Corey Belser (Tacoma, WA), USD's lone returning starter from last year's 18-12 club that advanced to the NCAA Tournament, was lost for the season in the team's second exhibition on Nov. 7th. After grabbing an offensive rebound 3 minutes into the contest, he injured his right knee. Belser and sophomore guard Travis Smith (right shoulder) are both out for the season. Abdou Sane (leg injury) is still out indefinitely with a stress fracture in his right leg; more than likely he is lost for the remainder of the season.
FOLLOW USD ATHLETICS ON THE WEB: Get all the current notes and statistics on San Diego basketball, as well as all USD athletic teams, via the internet at www.usdtoreros.com.
UP NEXT: The Toreros play at Pepperdine on Thursday, Feb. 12th (7:30 p.m.; Fox West 2 TV) and at Loyola Marymount on Saturday, Feb. 14th (5:00 p.m.; Foxt West TV).
USD PICKED 5TH IN WCC PRESEASON POLL: In the 2003-04 WCC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll the Toreros have been picked to finish 5th. Gonzaga was tabbed as the favorite after receiving 7 first place votes and 49 points. Saint Mary's received one first place vote and tied with Pepperdine for second with 37 points. They were followed by San Francisco (32), San Diego (23), Santa Clara (22), Portland (13) and Loyola Marymount (11).
TORERO SPOTLIGHT ON ESPN 800 AM: Every Tuesday and Friday the University of San Diego will air four 'Torero Spotlights' hosted by Jack Murray. Murray will interview USD coaches and student-athletes and promote upcoming Torero events. The Torero Spotlights air at 8:22 a.m, 1:22 p.m., 4:25 p.m. and 8:20 p.m. every Tuesday and Friday.
WCC TOURNEY RETURNS TO BAY AREA: For the first time in four years, the WCC men's and women's Basketball Championships return to the Bay Area. Santa Clara's Leavey Center will be the site of the 2004 championship, while San Francisco will serve as the host site in 2005. Santa Clara has hosted the men's championship on eight different occasions, and the last time was in 2000. The WCC will again use the championship format that was adopted in 2003 where the #5 through #8 seeds will compete in the opening round to determine who will advance to the next round of the tournament. Waiting for the winners in the quarterfinals will be the #3 and #4 seeds, who will have first round byes. The winners of the quarterfinal match-ups will go head-to-head with the #1 and #2 seeds, who will have byes through the first two rounds of the tournament.
