SAN DIEGO - San Diego women's basketball (12-5, 9-3 WCC) fired on all cylinders on Thursday night as the Toreros took down the Pilots (10-10, 7-7 WCC) 66-59 inside the Jenny Craig Pavilion. The victory secures the regular season sweep against Portland.
 
The Toreros had three players score in double figures, led by guard Steph Gorman, who had 19 points. Sydney Hunter put together her second double-double of the year with 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Kendall Bird chipped in as well with 12 points.
 
San Diego shared the ball well in Thursday's game, racking up 20 assists on 26 made field goals. Hunter's seven assists paced the Toreros.
 
The San Diego defense did not let up against Portland, forcing 20 turnovers while committing 16. Those takeaways turned into 28 points on the other end of the floor as Edwards led the way individually for the Toreros with five steals.
 
San Diego started off strong, putting together a 20-15 lead heading into the second quarter. Gorman came out swinging for USD, shooting 3-for-3 from the field and firing away from three to shoot 100 percent from beyond the arc. The Toreros did most of their first quarter damage in the paint, scoring 14 of its 20 points close to the basket.
 
USD continued to add to its lead in the second, entering halftime with a 35-26 edge. The Toreros forced seven Portland turnovers in the quarter and turned them into seven points on th offensive side of the ball.
 
The Pilots battled back after halftime, outscoring San Diego 16-11 in the third. The Toreros continued to work to gain momentum as Gorman and Horstmeyer chipped away to give the Toreros a 46-42 edge headed into the fourth. San Diego knocked down two three-pointers in the quarter to score six of its 11 total points.
 
San Diego started tacking on points in the fourth almost immediately, going on a 7-0 run, finished off by layup from Hunter, to grow the lead to 53-42 with eight and a half to go in the contest. The Pilots narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Toreros still cruised the rest of the way for the 66-59 win. San Diego took advantage of six Portland turnovers in the quarter, scoring 10 points off of those takeaways.
 
The Toreros are back in action on Saturday, when they'll face No. 16 Gonzaga inside the JCP. Saturday's contest will be the first televised game for the Toreros during the 2020-21 campaign.
 
This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.