News Scrapbook 1984

San Diego, CA (San Diego Co.) San Diego Union (Cir. D. 207,415) (Cir. S. 332,920)

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P. C. 8 F.sr. 1888 ·gei:s5'finish it for Toreros, 65-56

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Ivy Leaguers fueled by Mullin's 38 points By Chris Jenkins, Starr Writer PHILADELPHIA - This Ivy was po!Son. The University of San Diego had never encountered a team quite hke Princeton, or a player quite like Kevin Mullin, the Tigers' all-Ivy League forward. But then, nei- ther had the Toreros ever been to the NCAA tournament. It was a brief one for USD, which last night fell 65-56 to Princeton in a preliminary round game at the Palestra and saw the last page closed on its fairy-tale season. And Mullin? He was the one left holding the pumpkin, casually tossing it in the air. Indeed, perhaps not since Bill Bradley has a Princeto- nian produced a game like the one USP endured from Mullin, who had a career-high 38 points against a team that had made it to the NCAAs by playing tremendous defense and not allowing even 30 points to one player this season. The Toreros tried everything short of a whip and chair against the Tiger, and still Mullin sank 12 of 15 field goals and 14 of 16 free throws. As time ran out on the Toreros, the Princeton fans in a crowd of 4,314 began chanting "Salt Lake City," which is where the Tigers are headed for a game against Nevada- Las Vegas tomorrow. USD, the West Coast Athletic Conference champion, returns home with an 18-10 record and the question whether Jim Brovelli has coached his last game at Alcala Park. Brovelli, wooed heavily by the University of San Francisco, said a decision is still on hold. "I'm going to spend some time with this team for a few days," he said. "I'm close to them and they're close to each other. I'm not even going to think about anything else until I've completed the season. Tonight doesn't finish it with me." What finished the Toreros last night was their some- what dismal shooting performance from both the field and the free-throw line. But mostly it was Mullin and Princeton's 3-2 zone. Trying to get anything inside on Princeton's defense was like trying for a tan in stormy Philadelphia. Mullin sup- plied the burn. "He's a clever ballplayer," said forward Mike Whit- marsh, the top USD scorer with 17 points but frustrated nonetheless and hurt further by a swollen ankle that side- lined him for the game's last 1:16. "He drives and drives and does a great job of drawing fouls. And he's got really good body control." Brovelli and Whitmarsh agreed that the Toreros have seen better players than Mullin this season but the USD coach said what makes him especially effective is the way he fits into Princeton's ultradeliberate offensive scheme. "We really didn't play a team like that, that passed the ball around, that went backdoor, that scored so many layups," said Whitmarsh. "They had a lot of layups." See USO on P:ii1e D-2 ~i - -y .,,.<., '!J':> Continued from Page D-1 neath. rinceton knew about as much about USD as the Toreros knew about the Tigers, which was almost nil, but Princeton was determined to keep the Toreros outside. "They really packed in the paint,'' Whitmarsh said. "Once we got it inside, they'd slap it away ... Every time I tried to penetrate or penetrate and dish, they shut it off. It was tough to even get a pass in there." "The frustrating part was that we weren't hitting the outside shots we were taking," said John Prunty, the only other Torero in double figures with 10 points. "Even when we hit, it didn't open up the zone. They were content to let us shoot." Prunty and Al Moscatel, USD's other designated sharpshooter, hit only eight of 23 attempts, mostly from outside. USD first got into trouble, Brovelli said, at the foul line. He estimated that instead of trailing by nine (33-24) at halftime, the Toreros might have been within one if not for three missed first shots on the front ends of one-and- one situations. The best thing USD did the entire first half was to get Princeton playmaker Bill Ryan off the floor - and even that backfired. Also an all-Ivy pick, Ryan departed little more than eight minutes into the game with his third foul, not to return until after intermission. Also, for the same reason, Princeton was without 6-9 center Howard Levy for the last 4:25 of the first half. As it turned out, though, that just placed more responsi- bility on Mulliw.-Indeed, he scored 15 of the Tigers' last 17 points before halftime. Trailing 16-9 when Ryan left, USD made it 16-13 on Moscatel's missile and free throws by Whitmarsh and Anthony Reuss, only to watch helplessly as the whirling Mullin reeled off five straight points. Again the Toreros surged back to 29-22, and ag.ain Mullin produced the three-point play. "Our offense doesn't run as well with Billy out," said Mullin, later adding that he took things into his own hands because "I didn't want this to be the last game of my career." Mullin remained the man when Ryan and Levy re- turned, bumping the Princeton lead to 41-28 on a shot from underneath and another from way outside. Brovelli assigned Reuss to him, then Marc Bostic, to no avail. Playing catch-up is nothing new to USD, either, but it is against a disciplined, patient team like Princeton. The Toreros never came closer than 47-42. Brovelli bade no farewells afterward, just telling his players "to keep their heads up, that we had a great season." Besides, they probably wouldn't have believed it in Seattle anyway.

Photo by Unil~ Pr

, lnternalional

Reaching

nament game. The Toreros were reaching the whole game, though, and lo t by nine. See Page 21.

USO' Anthony Reu~~ tries lo tip the b.ill .tw.ty from Princeton'~ Bill Ry.in during Tu day' · NCAA tour-

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Associated Press USD's Mark Bostic. Torero Chris Carr stands by. Princeton won 65-56.

Princeton's Isaac Carter starts to tall to the floor as he pulls the ball away from

MORNING PRESS MAR 1 4 1984

USD's fairy tale • season ,s over PHILADELPHIA (AP) - It's c ·r. The University of San Diego's

Carril. This was the first season USD coach Jim Brovelli brought the Toreros lo the prestigious post-season tciurne:,-. Mullin, who averaged just five points a game last season and 16 points this season, dropped in 15 of his points in the first half. Princeton led 33-24 at halftime. Princeton held a 41-28 advantage with 16 minutes remaining in the game, but San Diego whittled the margin to 47-42 on a jumper by John Prunt} with 5:14 left. Two free throws bv Mullin made it 49-42 and teammate.Howard Levy got l:\vo more foul shots to put the Tigers back in control by nine. Princeton, known for its patient offense, used only two substitutes, both in the first half.

basketball team lost it\ preliminary round game in the NCAA playoffs last night to end the season that could have been classified as a fair> tale. The Toreros were the surprising champions of the West Coast Athletic Conference and finished the year at 18-10. enior fon"ard Kevin l\lullin scored a career-high 38 points to lead I y League champion Princeton to last night's 65-56 vi ton. Th~ Tigers, 18-9, will meet vada-Las Vegas tomorrow night in the \\ est Regional. This is Princeton's sixth trip to the CAA tournament under coach Pele

Associated Press

It was a frustrating evening for the University of San Diego basketball team. A

left, Princeton's Isaac Carter keeps the ball from Toreros' Mark Bostic Jr. And in

ttie clo 1 ng

econds, USD's Athletic 01rector Father Patrick Cahill embraces a tearful Chris Carr.