Jerome’s Quick Start Leads Way for Toreros

While the University of San Diego and North Texas men’s basketball teams were still figuring each other out, Torero forward John Jerome figured he’d just go to the basket.

Jerome scored the game’s first seven points, USD’s first 11 and 19 of the Toreros’ first 24, and USD went on to a 73-60 nonleague victory Thursday night.

Jerome finished with 28 points and 11 rebounds, both career highs.

“We changed our offense this year for him, to free him up a little,” USD Coach Hank Egan said. “In the second half, they guarded him better, and some of our other people had to step up.”

Jerome had 19 points and nine rebounds by halftime as USD (2-1) took a 40-32 lead. North Texas (0-3) led, 16-15, on a three-pointer by Jerald Temple, but Anthony Thomas hit a 10-foot jumper from the right side to give USD the lead for good.

Thomas scored eight of his 10 points in the second half as USD built its biggest lead, 59-43, with 10:57 remaining. North Texas never got closer than nine.

“We executed pretty well for this early in the year,” Egan said.

The victory avenged an overtime loss to North Texas last year in San Diego. The Toreros will play host to St. John’s, ranked No. 20, in a tournament Saturday.