Dec. 20, 2007
USD-UTSA Game Notes 
GAME #14: The University of San Diego men's basketball team (5-8), under the direction of first year head coach Bill Grier, return to the Jenny Craig Pavilion this coming Saturday, Dec. 22nd, for a 1:05 p.m. contest against the Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners (5-4).
SERIES RECORD: This is just the second game between these two schools. The Roadrunners won last year's contest in San Antonio, Texas by the score of 64-49 (Nov. 26, 2006)... USD made just 13-of-53 field goals (24.5%) and 3-19 three-pointers... Ross DeRogatis (13), Brandon Johnson (11) and Chris Lewis (11) reached double digits for USD.
RADIO/INTERNET: The game will be broadcast on XX Sports Radio (1090 AM & 105.7 FM) with Jack Cronin (p-by-p) and John Kentera (color) bringing you all the action. The audio broadcast is also available at www.usdtoreros.com andwww. XXSports Radio.com.
WCC STANDINGS (thru Dec. 19): Saint Mary's (7-1), #18 Gonzaga (9-2), Santa Clara (7-4), San Diego (5-8), Pepperdine (5-8), San Francisco (4-7), Portland (3-8), LMU (3-9).
COACH GRIER (1ST YEAR): Coach Bill Grier (Oregon, 1990) is in his first season at the helm of the USD program, and also his first head coaching position at the NCAA Division I level. He brings a record of 5-8 into the UTSA game. Hired on March 26, 2007, Grier is USD's 11th head coach overall and just the 4th head coach since the Torero program moved to the NCAA Division I ranks in 1979-80. The 44-year-old Grier spent the past 16 years at Gonzaga, including the last 8 seasons as Mark Few's top assistant. Over the past eight years Gonzaga compiled a 21-52 record; won the WCC regular-season title seven times; the WCC Tournament title seven times; advanced to the NCAA Tournament eight times, including three trips to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. Overall with Grier as an assistant coach, the Bulldogs combined for an overall record of 381-126; won 11 regular-season WCC titles; won nine WCC Tournament titles (33-7 WCC Tournament record); advanced to nine consecutive NCAA Tournaments, and ten overall, including four Sweet 16 appearances and the 1999 Elite Eight. Bill and his wife, Nicole, have one daughter, Giselle.
POMARE EARNS 2ND WCC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOR: Despite two tough losses to Nevada (76-62) on the road, and Stephen F. Austin (56-50) at home, USD junior center Gyno Pomare (Oceanside, CA) posted impressive numbers in earning his second West Coast Conference player of the week honor this season. This week he shares the honor with LMU's Orlando Johnson who scored 25 points against UC Riverside. Over the two Torero games Pomare averaged 23.5 ppg and 7.0 rpg while shooting 62.5% from the floor (15-24) and 94.4% from the charity stripe (17-18). He also chipped in with 3 blocked shots. He scored a career high 25 points against Stephen F. Austin on Saturday as he connected on 8-11 shots and 9-9 free throws. At Nevada he tallied 22 points and 9 boards before fouling with with just over 6 minutes to go. For the season he is averaging 14.8 ppg and 7.1 rpg while shooting 56.9% from the floor.
TORERO TIDBITS: The Toreros will be looking to snap a 3-game losing skid... UTSA saw their 3-game losing streak snapped Wednesday night with a 70-54 win over Texas Wesleyan... Among all WCC players, Brandon Johnson ranks 4th in scoring (16.0 ppg), 4th in steals (2.08), 6th in assists (3.15), 3rd in 3-pointers made per game (1.92) and 6th in assist/turnover ratio (0.95); Gyno Pomare ranks 7th in scoring (14.8), 7th in rebounding (7.1), 4th in field goal percentage (.569), 2nd in offensive rebounds per game (3.0) and 9th in blocked shots (0.77)... Pomare leads the team with 3 double-doubles this season, the last coming against SDSU (20/10)... The 6-8 junior from Oceanside owns 13 career double "D's"... Sophomore forward Chris Lewis posted back-to-back double-doubles against Boise State (10/10) and Hawaii (11/10)... Brandon Johnson sits in the 4th spot all-time for career dishes with 315 - Dana White (1997-01) holds down the #3 spot with 325... Pomare, with 507 career rebounds, needs 34 caroms to move into the 5th spot all-time among USD Division I records (1979-present).
TOREROS AT THE JCP: USD is currently 3-3 in games played at the JCP this season... The Toreros two-game home win streak snapped by Stephen F. Austin last Saturday... Torero leaders at the JCP include Gyno Pomare (18.2 ppg/7.3 rpg), Brandon Johnson (14.5 ppg/3.8 apg) and Chris Lewis (7.2 ppg/5.3 rpg)... USD is averaging 66.2 ppg while giving up 62.3 ppg... The Toreros are also outrebounding their opponents in games at the JCP - 34.3 to 28.7... Since opening its doors back in November of 2000, the Toreros are a combined 62-40 overall.
SCOUTING THE UTSA ROADRUNNERS: The Texas San Antonio Roadrunners (5-4) snapped their 3-game losing skid with Wednesday's 70-54 win over Texas Wesleyan... Forward Travis Gabbidon scored 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in leading UTSA to victory... Guards Isaiah Allen (12) and Joey Shank (10) also reached double digit scoring... For the season freshman guard Devin Gibson leads three starters in double digit scoring at 12.4 ppg... He is followed by Gabbidon (12.3) and Shank (10.8)... UTSA is averaging 65.3 ppg and giving up just 63.4 ppg... The Roadrunners opened their season at 4-1 with the one loss at #15 Texas (58-37)... They are 0-3 in "true" away games this season... Head coach Brooks Thompson, in his second year, returns 4 starters and 5 lettermen from last year's 7-22 club.
USD HOME GAMES WEBCAST THROUGH TOREROS ALL-ACCESS: All of USD home games will be streamed live via video on the athletics department website... Fans can watch all the action live, along with listening to the play-by-play, by logging onto www.usdtoreros.com. Once on the home page, click the LIVE button on the top right of the page.
WEST COAST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT RETURNS TO SAN DIEGO: The Jenny Craig Pavilion will be the site for the 2008 West Coast Conference Basketball Championships (Mar. 6-10). San Diego last hosted this event for a three-year run between 2001-03. For the sixth consecutive season, the men's championships will use an 8-team/Play-in format, while the women's championships will use the traditional 1 vs. 8 format with no byes for the fourth straight year. The men's games will begin on March 7th.
UP NEXT: Following Christmas the Toreros will head east to play at Kentucky on Dec. 29th, and at Marshall University on New Year's Eve.
