Feb. 14, 2008
USD vs. Portland Notes 
GAMES #26-#27: The USD Toreros (14-11; 7-1 wcc) will put their 6-game winning streak on the line this Saturday, Feb. 16th, when they host the Portland Pilots (8-17; 2-7 wcc) in a 6 p.m. contest at the Jenny Craig Pavilion. On Monday, Feb. 18th, the Toreros will take on Gonzaga (19-6; 8-1 wcc) in an 8 p.m. ESPN Big Monday contest.
SERIES RECORD: This is the 64th meeting between USD and Portland... The Toreros own a 41-22 advantage, and have won three straight and six of seven. Brandon Johnson's three-pointer at the buzzer gave USD a 64-61 road win back on January 21st. Against Gonzaga, this will be the 72nd meeting, and the Bulldogs own a commanding 51-20 lead... GU has won 12 straight, including an 80-70 win back on January 19th... USD's last win over the Zags came in the 2003 WCC Tournament title game.
TV/RADIO/INTERNET: Saturday's contest will be televised on 4SD with Steve Quis and Jim Brogan. Monday's game will be telecast on ESPN2 with Terry Gannon and Stephen Bardo. Additionally, both games will be broadcast on XX Sports Radio (1090 AM & 105.7 FM) with Andy Masur & John Kentera. The audio broadcasts are also available at www.usdtoreros.com and www. XXSportsRadio.com.
WCC STANDINGS (thru Feb. 13th): #21/#25 Saint Mary's (8-1 wcc; 21-3), Gonzaga (8-1; 19-6), San Diego (7-1; 14-11), Santa Clara (4-4; 12-11), Pepperdine (2-7; 8-17), Portland (2-7; 8-17), San Francisco (2-7; 6-18), Loyola Marymount (2-7; 5-20).
COACH GRIER (1ST YEAR): Coach Bill Grier (Oregon, 1990) is in his first season at the helm of the USD program, and his first at the NCAA Division I level. He brings a record of 14-11 (7-1 wcc) into the Portland 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 211-52 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.
TOREROS HOLD OFF SAN FRANCISCO FOR SIXTH STRAIGHT WIN: This past Monday the Toreros defeated San Francisco for the second time this season with a 73-62 victory at War Memorial Gym... It was San Diego's sixth straight win and improved the team's league record to 7-1 (best start since 1986-87)... Gyno Pomare scored 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field and chipped in with 5 rebounds... Brandon Johnson, despite having somewhat of an off night (7-17 shooting, 0-6 in threes), finished with 18 points (? in the 2nd half) and pulled down a game-high 9 rebounds... After USD led 25-20 at halftime, the host Dons battled back to within one point midway through the final period (42-41 with 10:30 to go)... From there USD pulled away and was never threatened again... For the game the Toreros converted on 58% from the floor (29-50).
TORERO TIDBITS: The Toreros have won 6 straight and 7 of 8, with six of the wins coming by 8 points or less... The last time USD started WCC play with a 7-1 mark was in 1986-87 (that team started 1-1, then won its final 12 league games)... A win Saturday will match last season's seven game win streak in the nonconference schedule (Dec. 5, 2006 to Dec. 22, 2006)... USD's win over No. 20 Saint Mary's marked just the third time the Toreros had knocked off a ranked opponent, and the first time in the JCP - USD's other wins came at No. 14 UCLA (86-81, ot, 11-26-02) and over No. 25 Gonzaga in the USD Sports Center (75-59, 2-4-99)... In USD's current 6-game win streak the Toreros have outscored their opponents 64.3 ppg to 55.8 ppg... A trio of Toreros have paced the way - Brandon Johnson (15.7 ppg), Gyno Pomare (14.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg) and Rob Jones (10.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg)... Among WCC players for all games, Brandon Johnson ranks 3rd in scoring (16.9 ppg), t-1st in steals (2.12), 6th in assists (3.21), 1st in 3-pointers made per game (2.21), and 8th in assist/turnover ratio (+0.94)... With his 7 steals at Gonzaga (1-19-08), Johnson tied the school record held by Corey Belser and Mike Whitmarsh... For all games among WCC players, Gyno Pomare ranks 6th in scoring (14.4), 7th in rebounding (7.2), 2nd in field goal percentage (.560), 6th in blocked shots (1.28) and 10th in FT% (.765)... Pomare leads the team with 6 double-doubles this season, the last coming against Santa Clara (11/10) - he owns 16 career double "D's"... Freshman Rob Jones ranks 7th in the WCC in FG% (.497) and 10th in rebounding (5.4)... In WCC games only, USD ranks 1st in scoring defense (57.0 ppg) and 3-point FG% defense (.278; 30-108).
TOREROS AT HOME IN THE JCP: USD is currently 7-4 in games played at the JCP this season... USD has won 3 straight and 6 of its last 8 at home, and is coming off a 63-55 win over No. 20 Saint Mary's College (Jan. 28th)... Torero leaders at the JCP include Gyno Pomare (17.4 ppg/8.0 rpg) and Brandon Johnson (15.5 ppg/3.6 apg)... USD is averaging 63.6 ppg while holding opponents to 59.5 ppg... The Toreros are also outrebounding their opponents in games at the JCP - 33.7 to 30.1... Since opening its doors back in November of 2000, the Toreros are a combined 66-41 overall (61.7 winning percentage)... Off to a 3-0 start in WCC games played at the JCP, USD is averaging just 54.0 ppg, but also holding its league opponents to 49.0 ppg... Johnson (16.7 ppg) and Pomare (16.3 ppg) lead the way in the three WCC home wins.
SCOUTING THE PORTLAND PILOTS: The Pilots come to town with a record of 8-17 (2-7 wcc)... They are coming off a tough 71-66 loss to Pepperdine from Monday; they defeated LMU on Saturday 74-63... The Pilots have dropped 3 of 4, including a 52-50 loss at Santa Clara on Feb. 4th... UP's Nik Raivio led the team with 17 points against Pepperdine, and has been the team's leading scorer the past four games... Raivio leads the team in scoring (13.2 ppg) and is followed by Robin Smeulders (10.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg) and Sherrard Watson (10.0 ppg).
A LOOK AT THE GONZAGA BULLDOGS: With one more win the Zags (19-6, 8-1 wcc) will secure their 11th consecutive 20-win season... GU swept both games at home this past week with wins over Pepperdine (101-59) and LMU (83-50)... It marked the second time this season that they recorded back-to-back 30-plus point victories... Junior guard Jeremy Pargo earned his second career WCC Player of the Week honor after averaging 14.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg and 4.5 steals in the two victories... Freshman Austin Daye has played extremely well in WCC games, averaging 13. ppg and leading the league in FG% (.662)... For the season guard Matt Bouldin leads the team in scoring (13.1 ppg), followed by Pargo (11.9 ppg), Daye (11.5 ppg) and Josh Heytvelt (11.2 ppg)... Monday's game marks the second straight year that GU & USD will have met on ESPN's Big Monday package.
WCC 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 Portland, USD will face Gonzaga as part of ESPN's Big Monday package (8 pm, ESPN2).
