COLLEGE BASKETBALL: USD women finally win first-round game

By TOM SHANAHAN - For The North County Times | Thursday, March 6, 2008 10:55 PM PST ∞

SAN DIEGO ---- University of San Diego point guard Amanda Rego, the only senior playing for the Toreros, was staring at the fourth straight first-round exit from the West Coast Conference tournament in her otherwise illustrious career.

Portland had just rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit to take a one-point lead with 1 minute, 16 seconds left in the game.

This time, Rego didn't let the Toreros collapse. The Mission Bay High alumnus and two teammates combined to make 7-of-8 free throws in the final 1:11 as the Toreros won 61-57 Thursday night in the WCC women's quarterfinals at Jenny Craig Pavilion.

"That's why I barely made it to the locker room before I completely lost it," said Rego, a first-team All-WCC pick for the second straight year. "This is the first time we made it past the first round. We're excited to play Santa Clara and go on to the next game."

No. 3-seeded USD (17-12) will take a day off today before facing No. 2 Santa Clara (20-10) at noon on Saturday in the opener of the women's semifinals doubleheader at Jenny Craig Pavilion. The finals are Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at USD.

Santa Clara, which split its regular-season series with the Toreros, defeated San Francisco 89-84 in their quarterfinal game on Thursday.

Rego was only 1-of-8 from the field and finished with just seven points, but she contributed nine assists and three steals and made 5-of-6 free throws.

Amber Sprague, a 6-foot-5 junior center who is another repeat first-team All-WCC selection, made only 3-of-13 shots from the field to finish with 10 points. But she managed a double-double by pulling down 13 rebounds, as well as blocking three shots.

Sam Child, a true freshman from Portland, Ore., beat her hometown school by leading the Toreros with 14 points.

Child hit both ends of a one-and-one to give USD a 56-55 lead with 1:11 remaining in the game. After a Portland miss, Rego hit the first free throw for a two-point lead; she missed the second, but Moran Henderson pulled down the rebound, and the Pilots were forced to foul at that point.

Henderson and Rego combined to make 4-of-4 from the line to clinch the game.

Men's tournament

The WCC men's tournament opens today at USD with two play-in games. San Francisco faces Loyola Marymount at 6 p.m., followed by Portland vs. Pepperdine at about 8 p.m.

USD (18-13), which has a first-round bye, opens the tournament Saturday with a quarterfinal game at approximately 8:30 p.m. against the Portland-Pepperdine winner. The Toreros swept both teams in the regular season.

"We've played well in spurts and not so well," USD coach Bill Grier said. "But the tournament is about win and you move. That's what we have to understand. The great (part) is we host the tournament and get to take advantage of being on our home court."

The top two seeds, Gonzaga (24-6) and Saint Mary's (25-5), don't open play until the semifinals. If USD wins Saturday, it would play Saint Mary's on Sunday. The championship game is Monday night.

No. 22-ranked Gonzaga, the regular-season champion, is seeking a fifth straight WCC tournament title. The last time the Bulldogs didn't claim the WCC's automatic berth was 2003, when they lost to the Toreros at USD.