Santa Clara Exposes Flaws in USD’s Plans for WCC Title

If the University of San Diego is going to win the West Coast Conference this season, as they are picked to do, then victories on the road will have to have to become commonplace.

The Toreros’ loss, 68-61, Saturday night at Santa Clara University’s Toso Pavilion did not help. The Toreros’ leading scorer Pat Holbert, who was scoring 15.4 points per game, was shut out for the first time since a 74-83 loss on Dec. 9, 1989 at UCLA. USD is 7-6, 0-1. Santa Clara improved to 10-5, 1-0. This was the WCC opener for both teams.

Holbert, who had played a team-high 322 minutes prior to last night’s game, was limited to 17.

“Pat’s got to be willing to fight the fight,” USD Coach Hank Egan said. “I don’t know what goes on inside people’s minds. I was going with the people who were playing well for us.

“I don’t know if he was frustrated. I just know we were better off without him. I’m not into sitting people to try and teach them a lesson any more. I’m putting out the players who are going to give us our best shot at winning.”

Holbert, who attempted three shots in the game, agreed with Egan.

“I’ve never seen them play that intensely on defense before,” said Holbert. “I’ve been shutout before. It’s not going to affect me. They took me out of my comfort zone. Coach knows what he’s doing. He’s been coaching for a while.”

The Toreros, who trailed 32-29 at halftime, began the second half by firing away from the outside with forward Kelvin Woods, who led USD with 20 points, and guard Wayman Strickland, who had a season-high 15 points, taking charge.

Woods made four points and Strickland connected for eight points during a 9-2 run during which the Toreros took the lead, 43-37, their largest of the game, with 13:43 remaining in the game.

Santa Clara’s Rhea Taylor, who led all scorers with 27 points, made a three-point shot to cut the lead to 43-40. USD’s Anthony Thomas and Woods hit a pair of field goals to give the Toreros a 47-42 lead.

Andy Karich, a Bronco reserve guard, hit a three-point shot and a field goal to tie the game at 47. Taylor hit a 12-foot jump shot to give Santa Clara a 49-47 lead with 7:35 left.

After trading baskets to tie the game at 51, Santa Clara ran off five consecutive points to take a 56-51 lead with 4:11 remaining. Kelvin Woods made two free throws to cut the Santa Clara lead to three points. Jerry Velling then sank the second of two free throws to give the Broncos a 57-53 lead. Woods then hit a soft eight-foot jump shot to bring USD to just two points behind. That would be as close as the Toreros would get, however, as USD was forced to foul Santa Clara.

“That was a tenaciously fought game,” Santa Clara Coach Carroll Williams said. “Last year, this team would have lost this game.”

In the first half, The Broncos went on a 11-0 run during which USD was scoreless for 5:52 early in the first half. Taylor scored 10 of the 11 points during the run, with two three-point shots.

When the dry run finally ended for the Toreros, they found themselves trailing 15-6 halfway through the first half. USD then went on a 8-0 run to cut Santa Clara’s lead to 15-14. “My concentration wasn’t where it should have been” Holbert said. “I got caught up in the battle of trying to get open.”