March 9, 2008
USD-SMC Game Notes 
GAME #33: The #3 seed USD Toreros (19-13) will face the #2 seed Saint Mary's College Gaels (25-5) in Sunday's 2nd semifinal game (approx. 8:50 p.m.). #1 Gonzaga will take on #4 Santa Clara in the 6:30 p.m. contest. USD defeated Pepperdine Saturday night, 73-55, to advance to the WCC semifinals for the 4th straight year. The SCU Broncos advanced with a 51-50 win over San Francisco in the first quarterfinal game.
WCC TOURNEY BRACKET: (Sun., Mar. 9th, 6:30 pm) #1 Gonzaga vs. #4 Santa Clara; #2 Saint Mary's vs. #3 San Diego (30 min. after). (Mon., Mar. 10th, 6 pm) Semi-final #1 winner vs. Semi-final #2 winner.
TV/RADIO/INTERNET: Both semifinal games will be telecast on ESPN2 with Terry Gannon and Stephen Bardo. USD's contest will also be broadcast on XX Sports Radio (1090 AM & 105.7 FM) with Andy Masur and John Kentera bringing you all the action (pre-game 15 minutes prior to tipoff). The audio broadcasts is also available at www.usdtoreros.com.
WCC RECORDS (as of Mar. 8th): #1 Gonzaga (13-1 wcc; 24-6), #2 Saint Mary's (12-2; 25-5), #3 San Diego (11-3; 19-13), #4 Santa Clara (6-8; 15-15), #5 San Francisco (5-9; 10-21), #6 Pepperdine (4-10; 11-21), #7 Portland (3-11; 9-22), #8 LMU (2-12; 5-26).
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 19-13 (11-3 wcc) into the Saint Mary's game. His 11 WCC wins are the second most for a single season in program history. 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. His 19 wins is also the most by a Torero coach in his first season at USD - previous mark was 16 held by Hank Egan ('84-85) and Jim Brovelli ('73-74). 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.
JACKSON AND JONES LEAD TOREROS PAST PEPPERDINE: De'Jon Jackson scored a career-high 24 points and Brandon Johnson added 17 to lead USD to a 73-55 win over Pepperdine Saturday night in the second WCC quarterfinal game. No. 3 seed San Diego (19-13) will now face No. 2 Saint Mary's in the semifinals Sunday night (approx. @ 8:50 pm). This is USD's fourth straight trip to the WCC semifinals. No. 4 seed Santa Clara downed No. 5 USF, 50-48, and will face No. 1 Gonzaga in tonight's 6:30 p.m. game. USD's Jackson finished 10-of-14 from the floor, including 4-for-6 from 3-point range. Johnson made 5-of-7 3-point shots. Freshman Rob Jones scored 16 points and had a career-high 15 rebounds for the Toreros, who enjoyed a 45-25 rebounding edge. Waves freshman Malcolm Thomas scored 17 points to lead No. 6 seed Pepperdine (11-21), which lost to the Toreros in the WCC tournament for the fourth straight year. Freshman Tyrone Shelley added 16 points. The Toreros jumped in front 16-7 less than eight minutes into the game and led by double digits most of the final 10 minutes of the half. San Diego, which held a 39-30 halftime lead, quickly built its margin to 49-33 just more than three minutes into the second half and led by double digits the rest of the way.
TORERO TIDBITS: A win tonight would give USD 20 wins for just the third time since moving to Division I back in 1979-80 (24 in '86-87; 20 in '99-00)... Tonight's contest marks the 4th straight year USD has advanced to the WCC semifinals - the last three resulted in losses to Gonzaga... This marks the fourth time USD has hosted this event at the JCP (2001-2003) - USD is 5-2 in WCC Tourney games played at the JCP, including the championship win in 2003 when they were the No. 2 seed and beat No. 1 Gonzaga 72-63...USD's 11 WCC wins this season is the second best total in USD history (13-1 in 1987 under head coach Hank Egan is the top record)... Last Monday junior Gyno Pomare became just the third USD Division I player to record 1,200 points and grab 600 rebounds - he currenty sits at 1,218 and 645 rebounds... Scott Thompson (1,379 & 740; 1983-87) and Ryan Williams (1,318 & 653; 1994-99) sit ahead of him in the 1200-600 club... Among WCC players for all games, Brandon Johnson ranks 3rd in scoring (16.8 ppg), 1st in steals (2.29), 4th in assists (3.65), 1st in 3-pointers made per game (2.26), and 7th in assist/turnover ratio (+1.12)... 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 8th in scoring (13.4), 7th in rebounding (7.2), 3rd in field goal percentage (.545), and 6th in blocked shots (1.28)... 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% (.504) and 10th in rebounding (5.7)... Over the past eight games, freshman guard Trumaine Johnson has reached double-digit scoring six times, including his career-high of 22 points against Pepperdine... He is averaging10.6 ppg during this stretch... In WCC games only, USD ranked 2nd in scoring defense (59.8 ppg) and 1st in 3-point FG% defense (.310; 63-203)... USD's win over No. 20 Saint Mary's back on Jan. 28th marked just the third time the Toreros have 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).
TOREROS AT HOME IN THE JCP: USD is currently 11-5 in games played at the JCP... USD saw its 4-game home win streak snapped back on Feb. 18th by Gonzaga (59-55), but with Saturday's win over Pepperdine, USD has now won 7 of 8... Prior to the Gonzaga loss, USD turned in a key win by knocking off No. 20 Saint Mary's (63-55)... USD leaders at the JCP include Brandon Johnson (16.1 ppg/4.1 apg/2.6 steals)and Gyno Pomare (14.8 ppg/7.7 rpg)... USD averages 66.8 ppg while holding opponents to 60.5 ppg... USD outrebounds its opponents at the JCP - 34.6 to 30.7... Since opening its doors back in November of 2000, USD is 70-42 overall (.625 winning percentage)... With its 6-1 final WCC home record at the JCP, USD averaged 65.4 ppg, and held its WCC opponents to 57.9 ppg (+7.5 scoring margin)... Johnson (17.1 ppg) and Pomare (13.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg) led the way in the seven WCC home games.
