USD flattens Waves, awaits Gaels in semis

By TOM SHANAHAN - For The North County Times | Sunday, March 9, 2008 1:52 AM PST ∞

SAN DIEGO ---- Those opposed to college basketball's conference tournaments contend it's unfair to ask even a good team to beat a conference rival twice in the regular season and then again in the postseason.

For the University of San Diego on Saturday night, it wasn't much of an issue.

After struggling to beat Pepperdine by a combined seven points during the regular season, the Toreros solved the Waves' helter-skelter offense and defense for a comfortable 73-55 victory in the West Coast Conference tournament quarterfinals.

"The two times we played them they gave us some fits and caused havoc with the way they play," first-year USD coach Bill Grier said. "But two of the keys this time were turnovers and rebounds The last time we played them we had 22 turnovers, and this time we had 15."

USD (19-13) outrebounded Pepperdine 45-25 and dominated the Waves (10-21) throughout the night. The Toreros opened a 39-30 halftime advantage and built on it throughout the second half.

A victory earned the third-seeded Toreros a berth in tonight's semifinals against No. 2-seeded Saint Mary's (25-5).

Saint Mary's split two regular-season games with the Toreros, losing here on Jan. 28 by eight points before posting a seven-point victory in Moraga on Feb. 25.

Sophomore guard De'Jon Jackson led the Toreros against Pepperdine with 24 points, making four of his six 3-point attempts. Junior guard Brandon Johnson added 17 points, and true freshman forward Rob Jones contributed 16 points and a career-high 15 rebounds.

USD doesn't win many games when junior forward/center Gyno Pomare (El Camino High), limited to 16 minutes by foul trouble, scores only two points with four rebounds, as he did Saturday. But by building a big early lead, the Toreros were able to rest Pomare and Johnson (29 minutes) for the semifinals and possible trip to the finals coming up the next two nights.

Johnson played all 40 minutes when the Toreros edged Pepperdine seven days earlier.

Pepperdine, which dressed just 10 players for the game, was led by 17 points from true freshman center Malcolm Thomas, a Crawford High alumnus. Tyrone Shelley, also a true freshman from Crawford, finished with 16 points after scoring 12 at halftime.

Santa Clara 51, San Francisco 50

John Bryant scored 25 points, grabbed 17 rebounds and made two free throws with 3 seconds left to lift Santa Clara (15-15) over San Francisco (10-21) in the quarterfinal round. Bryant had made just 5-of-9 free throws before he was fouled by Hyman Taylor with three seconds left. The fourth-seeded Broncos will face top-seeded Gonzaga, ranked No. 22 in the nation, in tonight's semifinal round.