Nov. 21, 2013
Final Stats
(San Diego, Calif.) - The USD Toreros improved to 5-0 on the season with tonight's 82-46 win over visiting San Diego Christian. San Diego received a career-best double-double from junior
Thomas Jacobs off the bench with 14 points and 13 rebounds. He was followed in the scoring column by sophomore guard
Duda Sanadze (12 points, 3 steals), junior guard
Johnny Dee (11 poionts) and sophomore center
Jito Kok (10 points). The five wins out of the gate ties USD's NCAA Division I mark set back in 1990-91. The all-time program record is the 8-0 start from the 1976-77 squad at the NCAA Division II level.
Asked about Jacobs' performance off the bench, head coach Bill Grier stated, "Thomas just plays his tail off. He does it in practice, and in everything he does. He is as hard a worker as anyone I've been around. He's becoming an X-factor for us. It's great to see him taking advantage of this opportunity with the loss of John Sinis."
The SDCC Hawks, playing their third game in three nights, came out with a lot of energy and took the early lead at 6-5 on a Derek Dickerson basket. It was still close with 13:13 left in the first half at 18-14 Toreros, before USD went on a 13-0 run over the next 5 ½ half minutes to take control of the game at 31-14. USD would hold a 47-20 intermission lead and did not allow the Hawks to make any kind of run over the final 20 minutes of action.
"Quite honestly, I thought our guys off the bench did a great job of executing tonight," added Coach Grier. "They did what we asked them to do. That's great to have them go in and produce for us. They did some good things."
Junior center Simi Fajemisin chipped in with 7 points, and junior guard Chris Sarbaugh added 4 points and 3 rebounds. Christopher Anderson (8 points, 7 assists) and Dennis Kramer (8 points, 5 rebounds).
For the game USD shot 50.7% from the field (34-67) and was solid from the charity stripe at 75.0% (12-16). The Toreros also came out on top in the rebounding department (45-38), while the defense turned in another impressive effort limiting SDCC to just 25.9% shooting (15-58).
USD looks to make it a 6-0 start on Monday when they take on Illinois-Chicago in the first of three games they'll play at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Florida.
