Toreros bested by UCSB in loss

Ryan Plourde / The USD Vista

At a university where school spirit is not exactly popular and attending sporting events seems to be a hassle, basketball has given students something to cheer about. And while the men were on the court playing Gonzaga for a WCC championship some may have failed to realize that the women had already done so.

The game against the Division II Tritons offered the Toreros little trouble as they defeated UCSD 66-51.
Senior Amber Sprague led the charge with 21 points and seven rebounds. Sprague, the most experienced member of the Torero squad, only saw 21 minutes in the game but was named player of the game when it was all over.

Senior Kiva Herman and junior Morgan Henderson also helped lead an inexperienced squad. Herman provided 10 points and seven rebounds of her own in 28 minutes of play. Henderson accounted for seven points and three rebounds in only 17 minutes of play. Herman and Henderson sparked some hustle out of the team with a series of blocks and charges early in the second half.

Freshman Dominique Conners saw significant time in her first game with the team. Conners, a point guard from Oceanside, Calif., looked to fill the shoes of graduated star Amanda Rego and she didn’t disappoint. Conners handled the ball well and ran the offense with confidence. Sophomore Sara VanderHorst, who red-shirted her first year with the team, also saw significant minutes as she inputed six points and three assists. VanderHorst went 3-for-6 on shooting.

The Toreros finished the game 27-61 from the field and 11-19 from the free-throw line.

The team also had their first road game of the season Sunday against UC Santa Barbara. The Toreros lost the sea-saw battle 75-66. Sprague again led the team with 31 points and five rebounds. Herman and sophomore Sam Child helped in the effort with seven points apiece. Child also had a team high six rebounds.

The Gauchos opened the game with a 17-7 run that led to a 35-25 halftime lead. The Toreros responded in the second half with a 10-2 run of their own. The Toreros pulled within two with 10 minutes remaining but the Gauchos never surrendered the lead.

The Toreros are 1-1 and look to add one more to the win column Saturday against Cal Poly in the Jenny Craig Pavilion.