Feb. 27, 2010

Box Score

MALIBU, Calif. - The University of San Diego women's basketball team dropped a heartbreaker, 76-65, in overtime to Pepperdine University Saturday evening in the regular- season-finale for both teams.

With the loss, the Toreros finish the season 15-13 overall, move to 7-7 in the WCC and have earned the No. 5 seed in the upcoming West Coast Conference Tournament. USD will play on Friday at 12:00 p.m. against either San Francisco or Santa Clara. With the win, the Waves finish the regular-season 18-10 overall and 9-5 in the WCC and will have the third seed in the WCC Tournament.

After a questionable call in the final second of regulation put Pepperdine at the line, and they hit a pair of free throws, to force overtime, the Waves took over in the overtime period and outscore USD 19-8 to claim the win and end the Toreros' hopes of earning a first-round bye in the WCC Tournament.

The Waves took a 52-49 lead with 3:20 to go, but that is when Dominique Conners took over, as she went on a 6-0 run herself to give USD a 55-52 lead with 1:37 to go.

Pepperdine would tied things up at 55 on a Jazmine Jackson free throw, but Conners hit a jumper with 11 seconds to go to give USD a 57-55 lead. Pepperdine's Miranda Ayim then drove to the basket and missed a jumper, but the officials blew their whistle on what appeared to be clean defense by the Toreros. However, the questionable call put Aiym on the line and she hit both free throws with just .7 seconds left to force the overtime period.

Conners led all players with 22 points on 8-of-21 shooting from the floor and she also pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds to post her first collegiate double-double. Morgan Woodrow was the second of three Toreros in double figures as she scored 15 points. Felicia Wijenberg recorded her second career double-double as she scored 10 points and grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds. As a team, USD shot .338 from the field and out rebounded the Waves 53-36.

In the first half of the game, the Waves got off to a fast start as they went on an 8-0 run over the first 2:15 of action, forcing USD into a timeout.

Out of the timeout, USD got rolling as a pair of Nya Mason free throws ignited a 16-7 San Diego run that was capped on a Wijenberg lay-up to give the Toreros their first lead of the game at 16-15 with 12:00 to go.

The two teams then began to trade basket for basket over the next several minutes, with Pepperdine regaining the lead and moving its lead to as many as five at 21-16 with 6:57 to play on a T'Keyah lay-up.

A Wijenberg lay-up then sparked a 13-4 run that saw five different Toreros score a basket, closing out the half, and giving the Toreros 29-25 lead going into the break.

In the second half, the Toreros quickly build up their lead to six points at 37-31 on a Wijenberg lay-up with 14:35 to go. The Waves however were able to get Conners in foul trouble and with Conners on the bench, Pepperdine pulled back to within two at 39-37 with 12:39 to go.

Pepperdine would eventually tie things up at 39 all before back-to-back baskets by Woodrow and Conners sparked an 8-0 San Diego run over the next three minutes to give USD a 47-39 lead with 8:47 to go, forcing the Waves into a timeout.

Out of the timeout, the Waves took advantage of several USD turnovers and went on a 6-0 spurt to pull back to within two at 47-45 with 5:40 to go, which then set up the exciting finish to regulation.