Woods’ Late Jumper Lifts USD Past USF

The University of San Diego rebounded from a 30% shooting effort at St. Mary’s to beat San Francisco, 70-69, Saturday in a West Coast Conference game.

The Toreros (10-6, 2-1) were led by senior center Kelvin Woods, who scored five of his 11 points in the final 1 1/2 minutes, including the game-winning jumper with 20 seconds left.

“For whatever reason, I was one-on-one at the end,” Woods said. “I felt comfortable I could get my shot off. I just kind of take what they give me.”

The victory was the Toreros’ first in San Francisco since the 1986-87 season.

USF had a chance to win, but forward Tim Owens missed a three-pointer with four seconds left. A jump ball was called when Woods and USF’s Alvin Brown wound up with the rebound. USD had the arrow in its favor and gained possession with one second left.

USD took a 31-30 lead at halftime before stretching to a 50-40 margin on two Gylan Dottin free throws with just over 10 minutes remaining.

But San Francisco made a run, fueled by a three-pointer from Kevin Weeks and two three-pointers from Wilson Stephens, to take the lead, 55-54, with 7:37 remaining.

With USD trailing 59-56 with six minutes left, Woods made two free throws and then seldom-used Neal Meyer hit a three-pointer to give the Toreros a 61-59 lead with 4:36 left.

“I thought Meyer did a good job coming off the bench,” USD Coach Hank Egan said. “We went to him because he could shoot it, especially after last night.”

USD lost 46-36 to St. Mary’s Friday night, its lowest point total since becoming a Division I school in 1979. Meyer did not play in that game.

The lead changed hands three more times before Woods hit his jumper.

“We thought we had to come out and get after it, especially offensively after (Friday night),” Egan said. “I honestly thought we won, then lost, then won it again. It was a pretty gutty effort by our kids. We got (Woods) isolated at the end and he came through like a champ.”

Dottin led all scorers with 18 points and had a team-high nine rebounds. USD guard Michael Brown had nine points, Geoff Probst had eight, Brooks Barnhard added seven and Meyer finished with six.

San Francisco (8-8, 0-3) was led with 17 points by Weeks and 16 points off the bench from Brown and Wilson Stephens.

Darryl Johnson, USF’s starting center, left the game with a possible concussion at the 10-minute mark and did not return.