WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL: USD women one step away from NCAA tournament berth

By Staff and Wire Reports | Saturday, March 8, 2008 6:57 PM PST ∞

The University of San Diego's Amanda Rego will play for a bid to the NCAA tournament on her home floor.

How sweet is that?

"Words can't even describe it," said Rego, a 5-foot-10 point guard from Mission Bay High.

The Toreros upset Santa Clara 72-66 in the semifinals of the West Coast Conference women's basketball tournament semifinals at the Jenny Craig Pavilion on Saturday afternoon.

USD (18-12), the No. 3 seed, will face Gonzaga (24-7), the No. 1 seed, at 1:30 p.m. today at the Jenny Craig Pavilion with the winner getting an automatic NCAA berth. Gonzaga, which swept the Toreros in the regular season, beat St. Mary's in the other semifinal.

This marks USD's first WCC final since 2000, when the Toreros beat Pepperdine to earn an NCAA bid behind another hometown star, Susie Erpelding (Our Lady of Peace), now a commentator for USD webcasts.

"This was an opportunity we wanted all season," said Rego, a two-time All-WCC pick who finished with 10 points and eight assists. "We knew coming into this season it would be on our home court. That motivated us all year."

Santa Clara (20-11), the No. 2 seed, rallied from a 58-49 deficit to take a 61-59 lead with 4:29 to play as senior guard Tracy Walker (25 points) hit two 3-pointers.

"We made some adjustments to get on her a little quicker on the catch," USD coach Cindy Fisher said. "More than anything, though, we got some stops, did the little things right and hit the right shots."

USD's Amber Sprague, a 6-foot-5 junior and Rego's high school teammate, posted up for two crucial baskets for a 61-61 tie and a 67-66 lead that the Toreros never relinquished.

USD had four players in double figures, led by junior forward Kiva Herman. The 6-footer from Vancouver, Wash., led the Toreros with 23 points and nine rebounds, even though Fisher wasn't sure her most athletic player would be able to play.

After the Saturday's game, Herman looked like a boxer with a swollen nose and darkened eyes from two plays in Thursday's quarterfinal win over Portland. She was undercut and took a head butt to the nose.

"This was our chance to get to a final," Herman said. "I just tried not to focus on the injuries and what I was feeling."

---- Tom Shanahan

San Diego St. 64, Air Force 34

At San Diego: The Aztecs (16-12, 7-9 Mountain West Conference) limited Air Force (10-18, 4-12) to just nine first-half points in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Top 25

Rashanda McCants had 23 points and 10 rebounds despite spraining her ankle in the first half to help No. 2 North Carolina (29-2) to an 80-65 win over No. 25 Virginia in the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. ... Wanisha Smith matched a career-high with 22 points to lead No. 12 Duke (23-8) to a 74-63 upset of fifth-ranked Maryland (30-3) in the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. ... Sylvia Fowles had 20 points and 13 rebounds to help No. 7 LSU (27-4) to a 66-49 win over Kentucky (15-15) in the Southeastern Conference semifinals. ... Natasha Vital had 14 points, nine assists and seven rebounds to lead No. 10 California (25-5) to a 67-60 win over Oregon (14-17) in the second round of the Pac-10 tournament. ... Jessica Adair scored 12 points to lead No. 13 George Washington (25-5) to a 70-43 win over Rhode Island (13-18) in a quarterfinal round game of the Atlantic 10 tournament. ... Leilani Mitchell had 14 points and 13 assists to lead No. 15 Utah (27-3, 16-0 Mountain West Conference) to an 82-46 win over visiting UNLV (8-21, 4-12). ... Natasha Lacy scored a game-high 25 to lead No. 18 UTEP to an 86-69 win over Southern Mississippi in the Conference USA tournament semifinals. ... Rachele Fitz had 18 points and 12 rebounds to lead No. 24 Marist (30-2) to a 78-67 win over St. Peter's (19-12) in the semifinals of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament.