USD Gets First Victory in Conference Play, 66-61

Marty Munn, who spent the first five games of the West Coast Athletic Conference basketball season in a slump, scored 24 points Saturday night to lead the University of San Diego to its first conference victory, 66-61, over St. Mary’s in front of 1,855 at McKeon Pavilion in Moraga.

Munn was 9 of 16 from the floor and hit 6 of 10 three-pointers for the Toreros (9-10, 1-5). Munn made only 1 of 10 shots in St. Mary’s 41-40 victory over USD in San Diego Wednesday night.

“Marty’s a pure shooter,” USD Coach Hank Egan said. “He’s the type of player who can get on a roll. Hopefully, he’s out of his slump.”

Munn averaged 16.7 points per game before conference play started but has struggled since. Before Saturday, he had been in double figures only once, a 10-point effort against San Francisco last week.

“My shooting’s real mental,” Munn said. “It’s usually a good sign when I miss all of my shots during the warmup, and I did that before this game.”

Mike Haupt, USD’s starting forward, injured his right knee early in the second half and had to be carried from the floor. The extent of Haupt’s injury was not known.

With Haupt out, Efrem Leonard--in his first significant action of the conference season--scored 14 points in 29 minutes. After winning a starting job in nonconference play, Leonard had played sparingly because of an injured left ankle.

USD led, 31-25, at halftime, but St. Mary’s (11-6, 3-3) went on a 16-3 run to start the second half. Al Lewis, who led the Gaels with 16 points, hit a pair of three-pointers during the run and St. Mary’s held a 41-34 lead with 11:32 remaining.

But Munn hit a 12-foot bank shot to start a 12-0 run for USD.