Utah Ices 75-57 Win Early Against Cold-Shooting USD

The University of San Diego had its worst shooting half of the season and left Salt Lake City Monday with a 75-57 loss to Utah of the Western Athletic Conference.

USD made 21% on 7-of-33 shooting in the first half, and connected on only 31.8% (21 of 66) for the game.

Dondi Bell led USD with 12 points and a game-high 4 blocked shots, but he was the only Torero who scored in double figures. Kelvin Woods added 9 points for USD (5-6).

“On the road you have to get good shots and make them,” USD Coach Hank Egan said. “And you have to have a great effort at the defensive end of the floor.”

Utah took a 10-0 lead in the first half before Kelvin Means put USD on the scoreboard with a 7-foot jumper on the right baseline with 4:39 gone.

The Utes’ largest lead, 27-8, came in the first half with 9:28 to go. USD was down, 29-9, and had a slight run, scoring 8 in a row, to make it, 29-17, with 6:01 to go, on a layup by Woods.

“We got a lot of good shots, we just didn’t convert them,” Egan said.

Utah’s All-American candidate Mitch Smith had 11 rebounds and scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half. Jimmy Madison added 14 points and Walter Watts 12 as Utah improved to 9-6. The Utes have won 5 consecutive games, 8 of their last 9.

Smith added 11 rebounds and 7 assists.

Madison, who came off the bench to score 8 points in the first period, gave Utah its biggest lead of the half, 29-9, at the 8:56 mark.

Utah led, 39-22, at halftime. Smith scored 2 quick baskets to start off the second half and the Utes, building their lead to as many as 22 points, put the game away early.

USD had a season-high 45 rebounds. The Toreros meet Western Kentucky at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Bowling Green.