Gonzaga Walks a Fine Line to Defeat USD in Overtime

The University of San Diego men’s basketball team shot 60% from the free-throw line in 12 nonconference games.

In 13 games, Gonzaga was making 77%--seventh best in the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. and best in the West Coast Athletic Conference.

In the teams’ WCAC opener Friday night, the game was won at the free-throw line.

Gonzaga, which made 28 of 34 (82%) defeated USD, 71-66, in overtime before 1,750 fans in the USD Sports Center.

With 6 minutes remaining, USD led, 51-46. The Toreros, who had made 11 of 13 free throws in the first half, were successful on their first two in the second.

But in the last 5 minutes of regulation, USD players missed the front end of 1-and-1 situations four times. Gonzaga players remained hot, making 10 of 12 in the last 6 minutes to rally and send the game into overtime

With 5:57 left, Mike Winger made a free throw that started a 10-0 scoring barrage by Gonzaga that eventually gave them their first lead and stretched it to 56-51.

The two sides exchanged baskets, and then Danny Means’ layup with 57 seconds left cut USD’s deficit to 3. After a Gonzaga turnover, Gylan Dottin hit a 3-pointer from the left wing off the inbound pass from Wayman Strickland.

The Toreros’ Keith Colvin committed his fifth foul, on Brian Frederickson, with 7 seconds left. Frederickson made both ends of the 1-and-1 to put Gonzaga ahead, 62-60.

Strickland received the ball in bounds and dribbled up to midcourt before passing to Dottin on the left wing. Dottin faked a move to the inside and drove the baseline. He threw up a two-handed layup with 1 second remaining that bounced around the rim before falling through to send the game into overtime.

In the extra 5 minutes, USD took the lead on Dottin’s two free throws, but Gonzaga came back to score the next four. Strickland’s 15-foot jumper tied it at 66-66.

The Bulldogs’ Doug Spradley made a 3-pointer with 1:07 left and two free throws with 8 seconds left to give Gonzaga its third victory in a row over USD.

Gonzaga became the first team to win on the road in the WCAC this season after home teams won the first six games. The Bulldogs are 10-4, 1-0. USD, losing for the third time in a row, is 5-8, 0-1.

“We had a good chance to win this one,” USD Coach Hank Egan said. “No doubt about it. They are a pretty veteran group.”

Dan Fitzgerald, the Gonzaga coach, said, “It was a very good league game. It wasn’t a pretty game as much as an alley fight. I’m not in it for the artistic value.”

USD didn’t trail in the first half, scoring the first 6 points and leading, 30-28, at halftime.

Both teams played conservatively early, passing the ball around the perimeter while looking for the perfect shot.

It didn’t come often. USD made just 7 field goals, Gonzaga only 6 in the first half. USD attempted just two layups (making one), Gonzaga only one.

Means led the Toreros with 21 points, while Dottin and Craig Cottrell had 17 and 12.

Gonzaga was led by Spradley’s 21 points, Winger’s 17 and Jim McPhee’s 16. McPhee had been the hottest but fouled out with 5:24 left in regulation.