Toreros to Play Another Stingy WCAC Defense

Two of the country’s best defensive teams--the University of San Diego and St. Mary’s--play at 7:30 tonight in a West Coast Athletic Conference game in the USD Sports Center.

USD (9-1 in conference, 19-4 overall) is ranked second in field-goal defense, allowing opponents to shoot 39.9% from the floor.

The Toreros lead the conference by two games over Gonzaga with four to play. St. Mary’s (5-5, 14-10) is tied for third with Portland.

The Gaels are ranked fourth in the country in scoring defense (59.7 points per game) and have yet to allow a conference opponent to shoot better than 50%.

What offense that does occur tonight should come from center Scott Thompson and forward Nils Madden for USD and guard Paul Robertson and forward Robert Haugen for St. Mary’s.

Thompson averages 16.6 points per game, third in the conference, and Madden leads the conference in field-goal percentage (59%). Robertson averages 13.7 points and leads the conference with 53 three-pointers. Haugen is second to Madden in field-goal percentage (58%).

USD, which has won 14 of its last 15, set a school record for points scored in a single game at the Division I level in beating United States International University, 113-72, Thursday.

St. Mary’s also has been playing well. The Gaels split two games last weekend, winning at Loyola and losing at Pepperdine. With 14 victories, St. Mary’s is only two short of the school’s best record in 25 years.