News Scrapbook 1986

San Diego, CA (San Diego Co.) Evening Tribune (Cir. 0. 127,454)

JAN2 3 1986

/ Thompson's a 7-footer with high expectations By Bob Slocum J..._ qFj:J Tribune Sportswriter points and 6.7 rebounds, be ":Vas named first-team all-WCAC. A high- er honor.

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Scott Thompson says that once he re ched the distinguished height of 7- feet he realized that as long as be tink'ered with basketballs, there would be serious beat on him to pro- duce in the sport. That was it. Hitting 7-0 nailed him for life. "If you're 7-0," says. USD's s_~~-spo- ken center, "it is jus~ed that you can play and play well. You're supposed to be able to exce~ with all that height. So the pressure IS always there. Actually, as long as I've played. I've always been about the biggest guy. So I can't ever remem- ber not having pressure on me." To the delight of Toreros coach Hank Egan, whose team hosts ~on- zaga University tonight at 7:35 m a WCAC duel, apparently Scott Thompson thrives on pressure and high expectations. Thompson is a junior now, three years removed from an all-planet prep career in Citros Heights where he averaged nearly 30 points, 16 re- bounds and six blocked shots a game. As a Toreros freshman, Scott was the WCAC's frosh of the year. A decent honor. Last season, averaging 11.1

"And once you get all-conference, you tend to develop this extra pride to drive yourself to become even ~t- ter," he says, savoring the idea. After last season, Thompson im- mediately started lifting weights for the first time in his life - as if he needed a bunch of meat on his bones. "It's helped me," he says, flexing new arm moguls. He is proud of the fact that he bas improved all areas of his game over last year. Modest and not especially statistics conscious, Thompson has generated numbers that illustrate the improvement, nonetheless. Gomg into tonight's game, the 260- po er IS averaging 13.9 pomts_and eight rebounds - both team highs. He also leads the team in blocked shots (2.2) and minutes played per game (32.2). Scott was named the WCAC's Player of the Month for De- cember. And he was an all-tourna- ment selection in the Champion Holi- day Classic in Montana last month. Is Thompson a gamer? You might_ say that. Against USIU two weeks ago, someone swiftly kic ed him in Please see USD, D-10

• • • NOTES - The Toreros enter to- night's contest 11-5 overall and 1-1 in conference play. They have won six of their last seven games and are 6-0 at home this season. Gonzaga, out of Spokane, Wash.)s 7-8 on the season and winless in its two WCAC games. The Bulldogs and Toreros have split their two matchups in each of the past three seasons. Gonzaga, coached by Dan Fitzgerald, leads the series 9-4. "They get up for us," says Thompson. "They always seem to play us tough." Gonzaga's top scorer is 6-3 senior guard Jeff Condill (12.71/

3-for-12 from the floor). But I'm not gonna go blaming any leg for it." Despite the injury, Thompson scored a season-high 24 points in the USIU game. And in the Toreros next outing against Santa Clara, he snapped off a career-high 17 re- bounds. "Sometimes the legs hurts," he says. "U it does, then I sit down for maybe a minute." Egan calls Thompson a great kid. Little wonder. Guys like Thompson help keep guys like Egan from losing things like sleep and hair.

the left call, causing a contusion, se- rious pain, and triggering a hobble. Thompson hasn't missed any time for the injury, though. No time for that, apparently. He tapes and wraps his leg mummy-like and carries on, car- rying his share of the USO load and more. "I think maybe the leg injury has affected his shooting a little," says Egan. "I don't," says Thompson, a warhorse who hasn't missed a game since arriving at USD. "My shooting was off in the last game (six points,

Los Angeles, CA (Los Angeles Co) Times (San Diego Ed.) (Cir. D 50,010) (Cir. S 55,573) IA

24 1986

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e;~ 's Tough Defense Really Leaves Gonzaga Speechless, 7 4-50 B) CHRIS ELLO SA DIEGO-Following its 74- 50 los l the Um~csity of San 'J1cgo rhursday mght, the Gonzaga m 1ty basketball team made a quick eXJt from the Sports Center. T fmal buzzer sounded, and With ut ayu g a word. Gonzag boarded a bu and was headed back to ts hot . ou couldn t b amc the Bulldogs fOl" wantmg to put this gamP behind them. the 1,022 fans m attendance saw toe Toreros play one of their finest dcfc-n ve games of the year. "!'d say we played a pretty good IT'an-to-man defense against them " Egan said. The Torcms' defense was so good that, goal was 12:56 -For the game, Gonzaga shot Just 34 % ( 15-of-43) from the floor. The Bulldogs had entered the game shooting 48%. "We weren't stopping every - thing but we were playing very hard," said USD forward Steve Krallman , who came off the bench to grab five rebounds. "It was partly a combination of luck and our hard work that shut them playmg his best game of the season. led the USD streak with a steal, a dunk and a 15-foot bank shot. Bostic had 13 pomts by halftime and finished with a game-high 17 points. He made 8 of 10 shots from the field. for him to get oo

"The coaches have been working with me on my bank shot and I'm starting to get a lot more confi- dence," said Bostic, who returned the CSD starting lineup last Satur- day against San Francisco after commg off the bench the previous 13 games "I'm back in the starting rotation and I'm starting to feel good." The day didn't start as well as 1t ended for Bostic. He pulled a muscle in his back driving his car (''! don't know how, but it hap- pened," he said) and it took a while

For the Toreros, it was the their second consecutive easy win after a 55-53 loss to Santa Clara in their conference opener last Friday. USD opened a 24-pomt second half lead against USF Saturday before cruising to a 67-59 victory. Torero Notes James Knl1ht, the only USD player not to score, suffered a sprained left ankle late m the second half Thursday night. It Is uncertain whether or not he'll be able to play Saturday night against Portland (7:35, in the Sports Center) ... Portland losl to St. Mary's, 66-64. Thursday mght and is 0-3 in conference play.

-Gonzaga went the first 5,37 seconds \\ithout a field goal. and then went on •o score only five field goals r the remamder of the fir t half The Bulldogs shot only 25% from the field before the half and no player had as many as two ba kets -After Roger Brock cored on a Jump shot from the lane with 6,39 remainmg m the first half, Gonzaga did not score from the field again until 13:43 rema•ned m the game. Tlle Bulldogs' streak without a field

c Jwn. It's really a feelmg of satis- faction to control a team like that." While the Torero defense was shutting the Bulldogs down. VSD s offense was having some trouble of its own getting started. But the Toreros put together a 15-4 run over the final five minutes of the first half to take a 34-22 lead. Senior forward Mark Bostic,

Scott Thompson scored on a turnaround jumper, Bostic hit from the top of the key and Paul Leon- ard scored on a layup after a good pass from Bostic to increase USD's lead to 40-22 with 17,38 remaining. Jeff Candill, who led Gonzaga with Just eight points, finally broke the Bui dogs' long scormg drought

All night long, Gonzaga was frustrated by the Toreros· tough man-to-man defrnse. which was t e mam reason U 'D improved its e t Coast Athletic Conference record to 2 1 and overall record to 12-!> .(ccordmg to Coach Hank Egan,

San Diego, CA (San Diego Co.) Evening Tribune (Cir. O. 127,454)

JP.N 25 1986

.Jll/~n's

P c. B I ' _••_'_~_ _l_____________________________ ~ -----------~---------~--------~------, -~~ ~8!3J!n 't per! ect:,m~~~~~!:: ~:,:~~~c~s Tnbuae Sportswriter placency following the Toreros emotional win over USF three straight. also have better quickness." The Toreros didn't play a perfect basketball game on th~ pr~yious w~k? " . , . "~ think that feeling o~ compla~ency and superiority What Portland doesn't have is one of its best players _ Thursday night, but they could have fooled a lot of ~pie N?, he ~1d yesterday. , I d1dn t give an~ sort of agamst ~trug~ling teams IS somet~g that a_ co~ch has to forward Tony Havier {l2 points per game) _ who was at the USO Spor~enter during a 74-50 shellacking of emotional spiel. I really do~ t do that sort of thing. All I bat_tle with h~ team all year long, Egan said. All I ~an KO'd for the season recently with a torn-up knee. "That Gonzaga. ,, . told them before the game IS that we were about as well do IS hope we II be mentally prepared. We have to be. hurt them a lot" said Egan. "Havier is a very good "I think we can play even better, even harder, said prepared technically and ~und~mentally as w~ c~uld _be. Portland could either come into town tonight incensed player; he was a key to their team." coach Hank Egan, whose team returns to action tonig~t But that would mean nothing if each player d1dn t brmg or down on its luck. The Pilots lost a heartbreaker by a {7:35) when it hosts Portland. "But I guess a coach 1s something of himself into the game - and I'm talking his basket to St. Mary's on Thursday night in Moraga, Calif. never satisfied." heart and soul. Those are the two things that win games." They've lost five in a row over three years to USD, but all Against Gonzaga, an effort that improved the T?reros The Toreros obviously listened and responded. five of the games have been close. Last year, the Toreros to 2-1 in the WCAC (12-5 overall), USO played tenaciously Tonight, they are faced with another potential letdown. won the two games by a total of six points. if not as though possessed. Did Egan preach some sort of Portland (9-8 overall) has lost all three of its WCAC "The games last year against Portland were both real fire and brimstone message to his warriors before the games. The Pilots have finished last in the conference the tough," said Egan. "And they are a good team this year. The Pilots, of 16-year coach Jack Avina, have just one {healthy) scorer averaging more than 10 points, and that's senior guard Fred Harris (12.1). Still, Portland is coping and pushing people - as St. Mary's will attest. Scott Thompson, the Toreros' ·1-0 center, continues to lead the club in scoring (13.4) and rebounding (7.7).

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