Bouncing back with USD men’s basketball

On the block against the no. 2 in the nation, Zags

JAREK MORGAN / ASST. SPORTS EDITOR / THE USD VISTA

There is no better feeling than coming back to campus and packing out the Jenny Craig Pavilion (JCP) for a much anticipated matchup against the no. 2 team in the country: the Gonzaga University Bulldogs.  After winter break, friends and family can come back to support their student athletes. But while everyone was enjoying the time away, the basketball team was still participating in the season, taking the time to keep getting better everyday. 

This part of the season is where champions are made. Long school days become twice-a-day practices, study sessions with friends become film sessions with teammates, and late night cramming for a test becomes a 6 a.m. lift at the gym. Fast forward to the new year, Feb. 3, 2022, and students finally had the chance to see the hard work paying off with the men’s basketball team live in action and everyone in attendance.

After a long offseason, the men’s basketball team was ready to get back on the court at the JCP. No one is more excited than graduate forward Joshua Parrish. 

“It’s amazing to have our fans and family back in the arena. We have really missed the cheering support from everyone,’’ Parrish said. “It’s definitely something we use as a motivator every night we go out there on the court.” 

The Toreros were originally scheduled to play the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Dec. 30, but due to the COVID-19 restrictions, the game was indefinitely postponed. However, the revised schedule moved the game to Feb. 3, which allowed fans to be in attendance safely and cheer on their fellow Toreros. 

USD took every measure to ensure all fans’ safety given that a large crowd was expected to be in attendance. For this particular game, there were extensive measures put in place to guarantee that USD was upholding the current California laws relating to COVID-19 safety. 

USD Vice President for Operations, Ky Snyder, explained how the athletic department and the school  safely handled the large attendance. 

“For someone who is not vaccinated, we are requiring a COVID negative test within the past 72 hours,” Snyder said. “For all vaccinated individuals, we are simply requesting that you provide your vaccination status card.” 

With a David and Goliath matchup, the Toreros gave the Bulldogs absolutely everything they had. San Diego (13-10, 6-4), entering the game in third place in the West Coast Conference standings, fought hard from the opening tip and managed to stay with the Zags for the first ten minutes of the half. The Toreros looked sharp early and tied the game 12-all on a three-pointer by senior guard, Jase Townsend, at the 13:29 minute mark. But the Zags outscored the Toreros 26-12 in the rest of the first half to take a 38-24 lead into the break. 

In the first ten minutes of the second half, the Toreros couldn’t chip away at the deficit against the bigger and stronger Bulldogs. After back-to-back three-point shots by senior guard, Joey Calcaterra, and first-year guard, Wayne McKinney, the Bulldogs’ highly touted first-year and potential number one pick in the 2022 draft, Chet Holmgren, went on a personal 11-1 run to put the nail in the coffin for the Toreros. 

In the end, the Gonzaga Bulldogs proved to be too much for the Toreros. USD fell to Gonzaga 92-62, but they left it all on the court.  Townsend led the Toreros overall with 13 points coming off the bench. 

After the game, head coach Sam Scholl spoke about how difficult it is to play a team like the Zags. 

“I’ve always said how impressed I am with how together they are, and how they always just seem to find the right guy that is open,” Scholl said.

Facing a transcendent player like Holmgren, Scholl acknowledged the incredible talent displayed by the Zags first-year.

“Chet Holmgren is a generational player who broke the game wide open,” Scholl said. “He hit three straight threes and one of them was off the dribble, and he is just very, very skilled.” 

USD took the court again this past Saturday against Santa Clara, a team they lost to in overtime 74-78 last month on Jan. 24 in the Bay Area. 

After a late game surge that cut the deficit to ten points with 10:22 left in regulation, the Broncos held onto their lead. Another late game rally, with a big time jumper from fourth-year Marcellus Earlington with 3:41 left, cut the lead to 75-64, before the Broncos closed the door for good. The Toreros ended the game with a final score of 66-79. 

Senior Marcellus Earlington led all scorers with 23 points (10-14 FG) and also led the team with eight rebounds. McKinney added 14 points, including a season-high four steals.Townsend registered seven points and three assists, while graduates Terrell Brown-Soares and Josh Parrish eached scored six points.

The team will look to get back on track Feb. 10 when they travel to Saint Mary’s to battle with another conference matchup. The Torero basketball team will be back at the JCP on Feb. 12 against the Pacific University Tigers. To keep up with USD basketball, follow along with The USD Vista.