SAN DIEGO - Cindy Fisher is juggling during the coronavirus pandemic. One minute she's playing home-schooling mother, using math flash cards to teach 8-year-old Rocco and Ryder, who'll turn 6 next month.
 
Then she's reading with the boys. There's a snack break, followed by a walk to the park so the boys, and mom, don't go stir crazy.
 
"You definitely have got to get outside, especially with two boys who have high energy," said Fisher, who just concluded her 15^th season as San Diego's women's basketball coach.
 
Then Fisher puts on her basketball hat, meeting with players and coaches via a video conferencing ap. There's recruiting, weight-lifting sessions to organize, making sure the returning Toreros are ready to start classes via the Internet on Monday.
 
 "It's challenging times right now," said Fisher.
 
Part of that challenge is navigating the gamut of emotions Fisher and the players are experiencing. There's pride as the team followed a disappointing 2018-19 season marred by injury with this year's 20-11 campaign.
 
And there's disappointment that this season was cut short, the NCAA canceling the NCAA Tournament and WNIT because of the coronavirus. By finishing second in the West Coast Conference, USD automatically qualified for the WNIT. It's the eighth time in Fisher's 15 seasons that the Toreros qualified for a postseason tournament.
 
"I'm so proud of the entire group and staff," said Fisher, whose team finished 20-11, losing to Portland in overtime in the West Coast Conference Tournament championship game. "I was talking to a recruit and said the thing that's most gratifying for all of us was the way the team really responded. They kept buying in and buying in, understanding our defensive philosophy at USD was going to win us a lot of games."
 
"You can have good group of individuals capable of doing things, but they have to execute that. The thing that's most rewarding is they bought into our system and did it as well as they could." 
 
Defense was the signature of this year's USD team. The Toreros allowed on average 57.6 points, 37^th out of 351 Division I teams. Applying constant pressure via a full-court press, USD forced 20.6 turnovers (17^th) and 11.2 steals (eighth).
 
Another hallmark of this year's team: the ability to win close games. USD's average margin of victory was just 3.3 points. Yet the Toreros won 11 games by eight points or less, including wins by 8, 8, 2, 3, 4, 4, 6, 5, 3, 4 and 4 points.
 
"I think our defense frustrated some people toward the end of games, got them out of rhythm a bit," said Fisher. "When you (force a turnover) in the backcourt you put yourself in position for high-percentage shots. I think that gives you confidence, knowing you can win close games and never giving up, even if you're down by three with 50 seconds to play."
 
As for the disappointment of not playing in the WNIT, Fisher was most saddened for seniors Leticia Soares, Madison Pollock, Patricia Brossmann and Ana Ramos.
 
"The seniors had set goals to be in the postseason, to finish in the top of the conference," said Fisher. "To hit all those goals and not reap the rewards is disappointing for those seniors, who just put us on their backs at the end."
 
Most of all, she's hoping those seniors, along with Kat Olczak, who missed the season with a knee injury, will be able to walk at graduation in May.
 
Said Fisher, "In the big picture that's why they're here, to earn an education and graduate."