TOREROS SEASON COMES TO AN END
Taking a positive spin on USD’s season-ending 67-51 loss to USF on Thursday night in the first round of the West Coast Conference Tournament, at least the game wasn’t televised.
To those who didn’t log onto the internet and catch the game from Las Vegas’ Orleans Arena, here’s what you missed.
The Toreros shot more air balls (four) than made 3pointers (two). Against a USF team that came in on a six-game losing streak, a team the Toreros took to the final minute before losing in the WCC regular-season opener, the Toreros trailed by 18 late in the first half.
The margin swelled to 27 with 8:45 to play and only a late run when the game was long decided put some makeup on an ugly loss.
In a season marred by four stoppages because of positive COVID tests within the program, the ending was fitting in the most trying season in USD’s 66-year basketball history. USD finished 311.
Asked minutes after the game how it felt for the season to be over coach Sam Scholl said, “I’m still trying to process those thoughts. Obviously, I don’t like how we finished the year.”
USD’s biggest problem all season (for the past two seasons) has been its inability to score.
The Toreros came in ranked 267th in the nation in scoring (67.4 points), 262nd in fieldgoal percentage (42.2) and 307th in freethrow shooting.
Against the Dons (11-13), USD was worse in all three categories. The 51 points were a season low by two points. The Toreros shot 32.8 percent from the field, 11.8 on 3s (2 of 17) and 56.3 percent from the line (9 of 16).
“We just struggled getting the ball through the basket,” said Scholl. “We couldn’t make shots.”
The two treys were not an all-time low.
Four times the Toreros have failed to make a 3, most recently going 0-for-20 against BYU in 2016
Joey Calcaterra, USD’s leading scorer and an honorable mention All-WCC selection, missed 9 of 12 shots and finished with eight points. Finn Sullivan came back after twisting his ankle early to score a team-high 12 points, with four assists and one turnover.
As for finishing the season with such a bad loss, Scholl said, “It’s motivating to want to get better in the offseason, to develop better and be a much better basketball team when we get our next opportunity to play in November.”