Colorado Wins Decision From Toreros in OT : College basketball: Three players foul out in game that sees Colorado player throw punch at USD’s Kelvin Woods.

University of San Diego Coach Hank Egan often refers to college basketball games as battles.

The analogy would not have been far from the literal truth after Colorado downed USD, 89-82, in overtime in a physical--bordering on violent--nonconference game in front of 2,113 in the USD Sports Center.

Fifty fouls were called, perhaps as many missed. Three players fouled out, another six had four fouls.

Guest House, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound senior forward for Colorado, threw a punch at USD’s Kelvin Woods, and was physically removed from the game by Colorado Coach Joe Harrington, who came 25 feet onto the court to get House.

Because of that or perhaps because there were so many other bodies flying around and sprawled on the court, House was called for neither a foul nor a technical.

Colorado center Shaun Vandiver, who led the Big Eight Conference in scoring and rebounding last year and recently had a string of 16 double-double games snapped, scored 23 of his career-high 37 points in the final 25 minutes to lead a spirited comeback. He also had 18 rebounds, a season high, in the game. Stevie Wise, who was second in the conference in scoring last year and leading the Buffaloes with a 21.3 per game average, scored eight of his 26 points in the overtime period.

Wise had half of the Buffaloes’ 16 points in the overtime.

After a 73-73 regulation, Colorado (8-3) outscored the Toreros (7-5), 13-5 over the first 3:29 of overtime to take an 86-78 lead.

Dondi Bell, who scored a career-high 21 points but missed five of 12 free throws, dunked to make it 86-80 with 1:03 left. Colorado’s Billy Law made two free throws and James Hunter one to go up 89-80 with 17 seconds left.

Anthony Thomas, who scored 17 points, including six of the Toreros’ first eight and 11 total in the first half, made a layup with seven seconds left to end the scoring.

Pat Holbert, the Toreros’ leading scorer this season, was called for an offensive foul, driving on a fast-break layup, with 3:13 left in overtime and fouled out. He scored eight points.

Wayman Strickland (seven points) made a clutch three-point shot from the left baseline with 13 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime after Wise had made a three-pointer on the other end with 33 seconds left.

Kelvin Woods, who scored all 15 of his points after halftime, was the USD player on the receiving end of House’s punch.

Asked why he thought House didn’t get a foul, Woods said, “I have no clue. I thought he was going to get thrown out. I guess because it wasn’t actually a fist.”

Woods said the incident had been brewing for a few minutes and that the game in general was as physical as the Toreros have been involved in all year.

Said Vandiver, who made 11 of 12 free-throw shots and was harassed all evening, “You never want to get into a game like that, but if you do, it’s great to win a tough struggle.

“I knew it was going to be rough like that. I knew Woods and Bell were going to pound me inside.”

USD led by as much as 66-58 with 5:15 left in regulation, but a couple of turnovers and blocked shot by Vandiver on a driving layup attempt by Holbert with 1:12 left led to the Buffaloes’ comeback.

Randy Robinson, a former star forward at Kearny High, made two steals and subsequent flying dunks near the end.

“It’s always frustrating when you’re there and don’t get it done,” said Egan, who refused to comment on the officiating but was visibly upset by it during the game and afterward.

Thomas and Bell each had 11 points in a tight first half as USD took a 36-34 lead.

After Colorado scored first on two free throws by Billy Law, Bell took a lob pass from Thomas inside, and his slam dunk tied it. Thomas then scored USD’s next six points on an offensive rebound and a pair of eight-foot baseline jumpers. Bell’s two free throws, a goaltending on a Holbert layup and a Bell five-footer made it 14-9 USD with 14:06 left.

Twenty-seven seconds later, Egan substituted for four starters, and Colorado scored the next eight points to go ahead, 17-14.

Re-enter the starters and the Toreros quickly scored the next five; Bell getting three on a 10-foot hook from the baseline and a foul shot and Holbert two free throws.

Neither team took more than a three-point lead from there until Michael Brown made a three-pointer and Thomas got three on a fast break layup and foul shot with 1:05 left to give USD a 36-32 lead. Law ended the first half with a field goal with one second left.