USD Plays Gonzaga Tonight

The University of San Diego men’s basketball team will meet Gonzaga University tonight in a game matching two teams that are wondering how so much good could be undone so quickly.

A year ago, USD and Gonzaga finished 1-2 in the West Coast Athletic Conference regular-season race, but they enter tonight’s 7:30 game in Spokane, Wash., tied for sixth with 1-5 records.

USD, which snapped a five-game losing streak with its first conference victory Saturday at St. Mary’s, is 9-10. Gonzaga, which has lost three in a row, is 10-9.

USD has struggled since losing four starters off its WCAC regular-season championship team of last season, but Saturday’s 66-61 victory over St. Mary’s provided some hope. Efrem Leonard, injured for most of the conference season, came off the bench to score 14 points, and Marty Munn snapped out of a recent slump to score 24.

But starting forward Mike Haupt, USD’s leading rebounder, injured his right knee in the game and, after undergoing reconstructive surgery Monday, will be out for the season.

Gonzaga has struggled since losing its top scorer of a year ago, all-conference guard Jim McPhee, who injured his knee during the preseason and was redshirted. Doug Spradley (19.9 scoring average) has picked up some slack, but Gonzaga is winless in four conference road games.

At home, the Bulldogs are 7-1 and last year beat USD, 61-48, in the Toreros’ only conference loss.