Toreros’ Many Combinations Finally Open Way to Victory

For the first 15 minutes of the game Wednesday, the University of San Diego did not look like a basketball team that had just defeated No. 24 New Mexico by 9 points at New Mexico.

It looked instead like a team that might be upset by Cal Lutheran, which is in the NAIA’s Division II. With 5 minutes left in the half, USD was playing sloppily and holding a 1-point lead.

The Toreros then went on a 16-3 scoring streak to end the half leading, 44-30. And they settled down after that, played their game and won, 90-64.

The 3-0 start matches the school’s best since the program went to Division I in 1979-80; the 1984-85 team also started 3-0.

“We came out with the idea we’d win the game in the first 5 minutes,” USD Coach Hank Egan said. “We just can’t do that. We can’t just throw it out on the floor and win games.

“Maybe they were still taking bows.”

Egan’s use of 11 players in the first half might explain the sluggish start. All 14 Toreros played in the game.

Egan in trying to find the right combinations and get as much experience as possible for his younger players.

“They zig when they should zag,” he said. “They push when they should slow it down.

“But we’re getting close. We’ve got to get this down to a workable number. It’s all part of the learning process for a young basketball team.”

Saturday against New Mexico, the USD bench outscored the Lobos’ subs, 30-10. Against Cal Lutheran (4-3) in front of 1,744 fans in the USD Sports Center, center Dondi Bell and guard Gylan Dottin came off the bench to score 17 and 13 points, respectively.

In all, the bench matched the starters with 45 points. Starters Danny Means (14 points), Craig Cottrell (13) and Wayman Strickland (10) gave USD five players in double figures.

Cal Lutheran was paced by Steve deLaveaga with 21 points--he had been averaging 30.5. Center Mike Demeter scored 18 for the Kingsmen before he fouled out with 3:36 remaining.

USD outrebounded Cal Lutheran, 47-21; Bell had 10 rebounds and Cottrell and freshman Kelvin Woods had 5 each.