News Scrapbook 1986

san Diego, CA (San Diego co.) San Diego Union (Cir. D. 217,089) (Cir. S 341,840)

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'ro~elli returns to scene of is triumphs y But its under different circumstances as Toreros host his Dons By T.J. Simers, Staff Wriler

tour of the Sports Center late last night. And as expected, it brought back fond memories. , I knew when I coached at USO we had a chanc~ to_ beat anyone when they came to our place, said Brovelli. "I still remember our great win_ ~ver Washington State when we were still D1v1s10~ II. H's a tremendous advantage." Earher this season the Toreros needed no s h advan~ge to whip the Dons. They traveled to Francisco, took a 24-point lead with six minutes to play and coasted to a 67-59 win their first e over the Dons after six straight l~sses ver . "~e ~at them when they were still flounder- ing, sa_1d USO coach Hank Egan who succeeded veil ' . The Dons had opened the season - their first since 1981-1982 - like the NCAA champions they ontcbe wkere, but then they were dealt a serious se ac . "We began the season 4-0, but then (in their sixth game) one of our critical players - the glue and !,eader of this. team - got hurt," Brovelli said Rodney Tenhon (who played for Egan at Ai~ ~orce as a freshman) shattered his elbow intt> 42 pieces. And then another starter, Steve Hill, was troubled by a knee operation. We can get one game from him and then the pain is so bad the ne~t game he can't_ help us as much." he Dons lost nme games in a row after their

. The grow!ng pa ins he once felt remain dear to ~m, but tonight the very program he helped build h the same players he recruited may crush im. ''I feel I h~ve two homes," said Jim Brovelli the former University of San Diego coach ~fie checking his University of San Francisco basket~ ,ba~l team into a local hotel yesterday. San Diego feels like home with all my great friends, a.nd after growing up with the University of San !)ieg?, I will always feel a part of USO" Brovelh said "Thursday (tonight), however '1 might not feel the same way " ' Tonight at 7:30, Brovelli r~turns to coach at th ~SD~orts Center for the first time since leading t e oreros to the NCAA Tournament and the West Coast Athletic Conference title during the ~983-84 season. After 11 seasons at USO, which includ~~ the successful transition from Division II to D1v1s1on I, Brovelli returned to his alma mater to.~esui:rect the USF program. It will be str ange going to the other side of the court, ~ut you ~an _Yell at the referees from an . where, Brovelh said with a laugh. "I always kC:p a~ eye on the USO box scores because of the good kids here (seven of USD's players including three starters, were recruited by Broveili)." Brovelh took his new recruits, the Dons, on a

fast _start They are 7-16 now, three of their losses commg ~1th two seconds or less left on the clock and are in last place in the WCAC with a 2-7 mark' Ther come to the Sports Center having lost Ii° straight games on the road· USO is 10-1 t h "It' . , a ome. . s a credit to these kids that they have ke t their he~ds up," said Brovelli. "It's one thing f~r an e~per1enced team, hut to face this adversity th!s is the first time these kids have made ro~·ci trips and the first time they have played Division I basketball." It's a better season for the Toreros who need wins m their final five games to finish ~ith a 20~! mark. They are 5-4 in the WCAC. Jim did a super ob of bmldmg thrs program· ~e startecl from wmning one c nfe ence game and m five years took them to the top' sa·d E T , 1 gan. h~ Do_ns, who have played with 12 different starting lmeups, will not have a starter tonight who aver.ages in double figures. But high school A)l-Amencan Mark McCathrion (Oakland's Bishop 0 Dowd) averages 10.7 points and 5.1 rebounds off the bench for USF. In con~rast, the Torero have four starters who ~erage in double figures, including 7-foot center ott Thompson, who leads USO with 13 9 points and 7.5 rebounds a game. Senior Mark Bostic who has not s~rted the last two games, probably will start against USF, Egan said.

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

FEB 21 1986

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Vrack ofDons r,esults in a resounding 72-39 loss to Toreros

half. They were 5-of-20 (25 percent) there. USO rebounded from a dismal first half (8-of-24 for 33 percent) to finish a respectable 27-of-56. The Toreros also controlled the inside game, outrebounding USF 24-14. The win was USD's second over USF this year, breaking an O-for-7 drought in the series, and it ran the Toreros' home record to 11-1. USO, now 16-8 and 6-4 in the WCAC, plays its last home game to- morrow against Santa Clara, and if you think USF has troubles visiting people, wait till you see Santa Clara. The Broncos' 76-74 defeat of St. Mary's last night broke a nine-game slide on the road.

great JOb of controlling everything in the first 16 minutes. They controlled things so much we just couldn't get anything started. We just didn"t get any type of rhythm. "Then. we got a spread. If we don't get the spread and don't get the cushion, they got us antsy. But, in the second half, we hit everything and they missed everything." No kidding. The Dons' first seven trips down the court in the second half featured six missed shots and three turnovers. The Toreros, mean- while, scored on each of their seven possessions. USF shot 29 percent (9-for-31) in the second half, which, bad as it was, was still an improvement on the first Added freshman Johnny Scruggs: "It didn't even look like he was trying to get it. It came to him so naturally. He's an inspiration to all of us." And finally there was Darryl Gaines who r~placed Watson with 4:15 to'play: "I watched him ~hrough the years, so it meant sometbmg spe- cial to be the first one to congratu- late him on the floor." Ever the analyst - the pure gamer - Watson said he was happi- est that he finally put together two sensational 20-minute halves of bas- ketball. "I had so many 20-point or 27-point first halves," Watson said. "I said, 'I gotta have two great halves before I leave here.' "And right now, I gotta go call my mom. She's probably asleep, but I gotta go call her and tell her I broke the school record." As Freitas said so well: a class act, this Anthony WatsQn.

That means that in 15 minutes USF scored one bucket, a short jumper by McCathrion shortly before the end of the first half, while USD scored - get this - 27. Covering the end of the first half and the begiMing of the second, the Toreros peeled off 20 straight points. "USO just beat us in every aspect of the game," said Brovelli. "It's a mental thing with us. Winning is a habit, but unfortunately so is losing. We wait for things to happen to us. I think when things started going wrong in the second half, mentally, it was a 'here we go again' type of thing. But USO played well and they beat us.'' Said Egan: "I thought they did a

"We knew it was oing to take some time," said Brovelli, who heads the rebuilding of one of college bas- ketball's most prestigious programs. "It's going to take a couple of years. ''The injuries have really set us back. We only had nine scholarship guys to start with. So, now we've got two walk-ons and tonight we went with four freshmen. If we didn't have those inJuries, we might be competi- tive." Believe ii or not. the Dons were compelihve for most of the first half last night. In fact, with five minutes left, they led 12-11. Not until Thomp- son sank a hook with 4:56 remaining did the Toreros go ahead to stay After then, of course, it got ugly.

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'We knew it was going to take some time. It's going to take a couple of years'

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- Jim Brovelli

How ugly? When USF scored its next point, USD had gone ahead by 22. With 9:15 left in the first half, the Dons led 12-9; with 14:08 left in the second, they trailed 36-14.

No one from us1t· scored more than eight points. It never was like this when Bill Russell and K.C. Jones and Bill Cart- wnght and Quintin Dailey wore the USF silks. But then there are no Rus- sells or Joneses or Cartwrights or Daileys in USF uniforms these days. 'I'here are guys like Mark cCathrion (the Dons' leading scorer 1th eight) and Ken Ramirez, who were a combined 3-for-22. and there ren't people like Rodney Tention. Tention, the Dons' junior point guard, fractured his left elbow in the sixth game and the team has been 3-15 mce. Another starter, Steve Hill, has been bobbled by a bum knee. Hill layed sparingly last night and bred two points. *Watson-- cntmued From E-2 and a half. He's been playmg both nds of the floor, rebounding and ishing off assists. He's playing like the player I always knew he'd be." Said Freitas: "I swear, I felt better for Anthony tonight than I did when they won the WAC Tournament last ear."

The feeling was shared by many on what was senior night for seniors Creon Dorsey (13 points, six assists. five rebounds), John Martens (six points, five rebounds), Steffond John- 'It was a dream come true' -Anthony Watson son (25 points, 12 rebounds) and Wat- son. "I felt great just being a part of it," said Dorsey, who dealt Watson both assists that led to the tying and record-breaking baskets. Even the young Aztecs freshmen were caught up in the moment. This is a team that hadn't had a lot to cheer about all season, but on this night, palms were sore from high fivin'. Said freshman guard Tracy Dildy: "It means a lot to me. Wat's the kind of guy who brings his lunch pail to work every day. He makes every- body so much better."

You don't want to say you 'feel ry' for someone, but I've been on t t ide and I m going to be there gam," said Torcro. coach Hank gan, who won hi 16th game, tying I t year's high. "If you stay there long enough, you'll go through 1l. But you never want a guy to go through m bing like that " La t night. Jrm Brovelli did. Yes, the same Jim Brovelh who only two years ago led USD to a WCAC title and who, a head coach of F, last n ght returned to the cene of hi · greatest triumph. Brovelli recruited ome of the U D players who proved to him that even if you can go home again, maybe you houldn't. Guys like cen- ter Scott Thom on, ho scored a game-hlgh 18 points, and mor for- ward lark Bostic, who had eight poin and four a I ts and led the Tor ros' 51-25 cond half punish- m nt.

San Diego, CA (San Diego Co.) San Diego Union (Cir. D. 217,089) (Ci r. S. 341,840)

FEB 21 1986

..Allen'• P. c. B , ,. 18RX '/_ TOREROS BEAT CRUSADERS - Sean Baron and David Rollf homered and Jim Westlund picked up his first victory as USO defeated host Point Loma Naz~ 8-3. The Toreros got two RBI each from Rollf. Baron and Mark Wykolf ~J- '1 '5 <; _/

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