News Scrapbook 1989

~llSOT atUSD 3-pointers help stop Toreros By Ric Bucher, Staff Writer It was the old what-goes-around-comes- around rule in effect. The three-point shot_ ke~t the University of San Diego in last mght s game through regulation, then took the Toreros out of it in overtime. Three-point jump shots from Doug Spradle~ and Mike Winger provided six of Bulldogs nine overtime points for a 71-66 wm m the USO Sports Center. . . . "They hit some incredible shots, especially Spradley's three-pointer," said USO coa,ch Hank Egan. "That was (from) way out. They re a tough group, and Spradley's a heck of an athlete." The Toreros (5-8) lost their West Coast ~th- letic Conference opener and third st~a1ght game despite leading by as many as 10 m the first half. They needed senior guard Danny Means to block a Spradley jumper at the free- throw line, however, to preserve a 30-28 half- time lead. . The WCAC season continues tonight m the Sports Center agains_t P~rtland, whi~h. i~ 0-14 this season after losing its NCAA D1v1S1on I- worst 21st straight last night at St. Mary's. Egan expects to be playing team despe~ate for a win and better than its record might indicate. "It does (worry me)," he s~id. "They:re pre_t- ty good. And their schedule 1s rated higher (m terms of difficulty) than 12 of the top 20 teams in the country." Last night, Bulldogs sophomore forward Brian Frederickson converted both ends of a one-and-one with seven seconds left to give Gonzaga (10-4, 1-0) a 62_-60 lead. US~ forced overtime - and the estimated 1,750 m atten-

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Los Angeles, CA (Los Angeles Co) Times (San Diego Ed .) (Ci r. D 50,010) (Ci r. S 55,573) JAN 1 1989

..Allot', ,. C, B fat 1888 ' W M~N'S ~ASI ETBALL tr.S. I rnational University (2-10) lost its ninth in a row, 84-74, to Missouri at the Larry Lawrence Community Center in La Jolla. USIU had an 18-10 lead early but was tied at 31-31 on a 16-foot shot by Missouri's Marcia Brooks. Sonia Carter scored 30 points for usm. • The Universi.tYJl!Jian Diego lost, 73-59, to Murray State at the USD Sports Center. Rochelle Lightner and Paula Mascari each scored 12 points for USD (3-5). Sheila Smith scored 24 for Murray State (9-1).

Toreros blew an early lead and lost their third straight, 71-66, in overtime. ---~----~~-~~-~----

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Guard Kelvin Means makes his move to the basket aga nst Jim McPhee of Gonzaga in first-half action. The

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..All.11'• ,. C. I ,,u Portland ends 21-game osing streak by beating USD · ,;z__q~ . . the ball at their home baskets with half, when the hosts continued to cast By Bill Cen

winning clo e games," Egan said. "Io overtime, momentum was on our 1de. But they're a veteran group a Spradley tuck in there He' a t(lugh kid." pradley's 21 paced Gonzaga (10- 4) U D was led by Means, who h 21 and Dottin, who had 17 and proved he can play when the gomg gets tough But Egan obvio ly has som work fo do. His club opened with three . traight victorie , including a dra• matic wm at New Mexico. Sinee ~hen, it has won but twice. And the e 1s no rest. To~1ght at 7'30, the Toreros entertain Portland which la t night wa handed a 71-45 defeAt at St Mary's. Portland womes Egan. The Pilots are 0-14 this year and have lost 21 in a row, the longest losing streak D!v 10n I. Theu- last victory? High They defeated USO last year in Port• land after the Toreros smacked them by 20 in an Diego. "They (the Pilots) played the toughest preseason schedule in the league," Egan aid. "I saw a sta ment m the paper that said their schedule was tougher than 12 of the top 20 te ms in the country." So even th~ Pilots concern Egan, as,1f he doesn t have enough worries. ·we had a good chance to win this one," he said, baking his head. " a doubt bout it And we let it go." And this was no fish story.

Koenitzer led Portland with 16 points, eight rebounds and seven blocked shots. Former San Diego State guard Josh Lowery scored 12, and Deaton had 11 points. The only USD player to reach dou- ble figures was freshman forward Gylan Dottin, whose 14 points includ- ed a clutch three-pointer that gave

night. We were outcoached and out- played. We didn't deserve to win." Yet, USD almost did. A slam by center Dondi Bell off a feed from Efrem Leonard gave the Toreros a 49-43 lead with eight minutes to go. USO would get only two more bas- kets.

Bell finished with eight points; Means and Woods each had seven. Worse news might be on the hori- zon for the Toreros. Last night repre- sented one of USD's best hopes for a WCAC victory this season. Next weekend they hit the road to play San Francisco and Santa Clara.

USO was still clinging to a 54-51 lead with 2:43 to play when Koenitzer hit an 8-foot turnaround jumper to bring the Pilots to a point down. USD missed three shots before Koenitzer scored on an inside move to put Port- land ahead to stay, 55-54, with 1:30 to

USO missed two more three-point tries before time expired on the Pi- lots' streak. "It feels great," Portland coach rry Steele said. "I'm not saying this was a great ball game, but I thought it was solid. Our decisions

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Los Angeles.CA (Los Angeles Co.) Times (San Diego Ed.) (Cir. D. 50,010) (Cir. S. 55,573) JAN 1 1989

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USO the Victim as Portland Ends Its Losing Streak at 21 Game~ ') By'JI ~REN these circumstances. With a tight game on the line in point and pulled the Pilots even at rebounded, but his power .shot this game, you stick it_ on.~e," ~SD Steele played at Kentucky under the second half, Koemtzer, a 6-foot 49-49. inside was blocked by Koemtzer. Coach Hank Egan said. That~ as

SAN DIEGO-Before Saturday, the last time the Univ rs'tY. of Por and's men's basketball team had won a game was Feb. 6, 1988. The Pilots defeated the l.}njyet=_ sjty of San Diego, SB,-64, in Port- land, then lost their neit 21. Saturday. in front of 1,244 fans at USO, Portland won again, 57-54. Afterward, several Portland players tried to throw the tiniest Pilot into the USO swimming pool. But Adolphis Gaffney, a 5-foot 9-inch Junior guard, escaped to the locker room. Portland Coach Larry Steele is no stranger to locker-room cele- brations but hadn't seen one under

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college basketball's all-time win- ningest coach, Adolph Rupp. In the National Basketball Assn., he won a world championship with the Portland Trail Blazers (1976-77) during his 9-year career. "It feels terrific," said Steele, who won for just the seventh time in two seasons at Portland, which is 1-14 this season. "The effort has always been there. But we haven't "Our reboundi~g has been de- cent. Our execution has_ been de- cent. But the bottom line is, we have to make the shots when they count. Bart Koemtzer made the shots tonight when they counted." been rewarded.

10-inch junior center, scored 12 of his game -high 16 points. After an uninspired first half, Koenitzer came to life in the sec- ond. He finished having made 6 of 12 shots from the floor and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line and added a game-high 8 rebounds and 7

USD's Gylan Dottin (14 points) hit a 3-pointer Koenitzer made two free throw~ and Dottin then made two as USO led 54-51, with USO (5-9, 0-2 1~ the. WCAC) would not score agam, mIBsmg six shots down the stretch. Koenitzer ma~e the next two baskets, then dished off to Ron Deaton, who scored on a layup with USD's Wayman Strickland (0 of 3-point range with 35 seconds to play and missed. Craig Cottrell 10 from the floor) fired from 2,59 left. ' . 45 seconds left.

Kelvin Woods missed a wild layup try, then fouled Hutchinson with 15 Hutchinson missed the free- throw attempt, and USD had an- other chance to tie. But Danny Means' 3-point attempt was off the rim; Woods rebounded and passed out to Strickland, who likewise missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer. The Toreros plagued by poor shooting all ye~ shot just 32% (20 of 63) from th~ floor, including 19 % ( 4 of 21 ) from 3-point range. At the free-throw line, they made "You want to put the blame on seconds left. just 48 % (10of 2 l).

bad as I've seen a basketball team In Friday's 71-66 overtime loss to Gonzaga, the Toreros made just nine shots inside the key against the Bulldogs' zone defense. From the start against Portla,nd's zone, it was apparent USO was trying to work the ball inside more. The Toreros made 10 shots iil'stde the key before scoring from lhe outside and led, 32-31, at'th~ half. play."

blocks.

"In the second half, I just felt real

good," Koenitzer said.

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Koenitzer also had 2 assists, one of which was a key pass to Steve Hutchinson, who scored on a layup with 4 minutes 50 seconds to play. It was Portland's sixth consecutive

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