Free Throws Help USD Beat Gonzaga, Top .500

The University of San Diego made 15 of 16 free throws down the stretch to win its third West Coast Athletic Conference road basketball game in four tries, 73-65, over Gonzaga Thursday night.

The victory put USD (11-10, 6-3) over the .500 mark for the first time since early in the season and gave them sole possession of second in the WCC with idle Pepperdine (11-10, 5-3), which is at St. Mary’s tonight.

USD point guard Wayman Strickland (12 points) was six for seven from the line in the last nine minutes, and Pat Holbert, who scored a career-high 22 points, was four for four.

Torero Coach Hank Egan also came up with his first victory at Gonzaga in six years.

“It was nice to get a win up here,” Egan said. “I’m pleased about two things tonight. The first is that we won, and the second is I hear this is the last McPhee.

Gonzaga senior Jim McPhee scored a game-high 29 points. His brother, Brice, tormented the Toreros before Jim came along.

USD led, 33-25, at the half, but Gonzaga then used a 10-2 run to tie the score at 35. The Toreros scored the next five points, but Gonzaga tied it again at 43.

But the Toreros then went on a 8-2 run to make it 51-45 with 9:14 left and were never threatened after that.

“We started playing well right before we went into conference, and right now we’re getting a consistent performance game in and game out,” Egan said.

USD, which next travels to Portland for a game Saturday night, also received 17 points and 10 rebounds from John Jerome. Holbert finished six for 12 from the field, eight of nine from the line and had eight rebounds.

The Toreros shot 43% (23 for 54) from the field and 74% (25 for 34) from the line. USD was outrebounded, 40-37, but had just 12 turnovers to Gonzaga’s 15.