Nov. 7, 2009

Box Score

(San Diego, CA) - The USD men's basketball team dealt the visiting Occidental Tigers a 91-52 defeat in the Toreros lone preseason exhibition game. Senior guard De'Jon Jackson led five Toreros in double-digit scoring with 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field. All told, twelve of the thirteen Toreros that played scored at least one point. Jackson was followed in double-digit scoring by freshman guard Patrick McCollum (13 points), junior forward Clinton Houston (11 points), junior guard Matt Dorr (11 points) and freshman forward Chris Manresa (10 points, game-high 8 rebounds).

The Toreros jumped out to a 42-29 halftime lead as Houston scored the team's first 5 points of the game and 7 of 11 out of the gates. Occidental, behind Huston Conti's 14 first half points (4-6 in threes), were within two midway through the half (21-19 at 10:17 mark) before the Toreros closed out the half with a 21-10 run. USD's pressure defense and ability to push the ball up the floor helped them extend their lead in the second half and the game was never in doubt. USD, with both experience and youth this season, showed it will have some depth at both ends of the floor.

For the game USD shot 57.6% from the field (38-66) and outrebounded the smaller Oxy Tigers, 41-24. Additional tidbits included Dorr making all three of his treys; fifth-year senior guard Brandon Johnson chipping in with 9 points and 5 assists; and Jackson and McCollum each tallying three steals.

USD's regular-season begins this coming Friday, November 13th, when they host the Stanford Cardinal at 7 pm at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.