One year after getting embarrassed by Gonzaga to the tune of a 58-point loss, the University of San Diego men’s basketball team had the 6th-ranked Bulldogs on upset alert Thursday night.
In front of a sold out crowd at Jenny Craig Pavilion, USD led for nearly half the contest.
A 13-3 run late in the first half even helped the Toreros take a 37-34 lead into the halftime locker room.
Isaiah Pineiro was a force in the first twenty minutes of action.
Pineiro He finished with 14 points and carried USD’s offense out the gate.
But an 8-0 run early in the second half by the visitors helped propel Gonzaga back into the lead.
A trey by Killian Tillie gave the Zags a 52-51 lead midway thru the second half.
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After the teams traded a couple baskets, Gonzaga looked to Rui Hachimura and Johnathan Williams who helped the Bulldogs build a seven-point lead.
Toreros captain Olin Carter III poured in 21 points including a couple of key treys down the stretch to keep USD within striking distance but the Bulldogs were able to escape with a 77-72 win.
San Diego celebrated the career of senior Cameron Neubauer during the contest. Neubauer started and scored four points in his last home game as a Torero.
Former USD football star Jamal Agnew was also in attendance. The special teams ace for the Detroit Lions was recognized by the fans while sitting courtside in the second half.
Next up for the Toreros is a road trip up to San Francisco to battle the Dons Saturday at 7 p.m.
Toreros head coach Lamont Smith said it is an important game that could well decide seeding in the upcoming WCC tournament which begins next weekend.
