Athletics Roundup: Another Split Week for Men's Basketball; Baseball, Softball, Tennis, Golf

The University of San Diego men's basketball team earned a split of its final home games, notching a 63-52 win over Portland on Feb 21, but then suffering a 66-46 loss to Saint Mary's on Feb. 23, which was also USD Senior Night.

The split leaves USD with a 17-12 overall record and 6-8 in West Coast Conference play with two road games to close out regular-season play this week. San Diego is currently in a sixth-place tie with Loyola Marymount in the WCC. The Toreros could finish as high as a tie for fifth place depending on what Santa Clara and LMU do this week (they play each other this Thursday). USD swept LMU in their two meetings this season. USD lost its only game against Santa Clara.

Nevertheless, the key at this time of year is to focus on your own game and that's what USD did well against Portland. The Toreros took care of business right after facing Gonzaga on Feb. 16. Isaiah Pineiro scored 22 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead the Toreros. Olin Carter III made four of six 3-pointers to finish with 16 points. Finn Sullivan scored 11 and both he and Yauhen Massalski had six rebounds.

The downside was Saturday's game against Saint Mary's. USD's offense was cold throughout the night, even though Pineiro did record another double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds. Carter had 12 points, all 3-pointers, and Isaiah Wright chipped in 10 points. Massalski had seven points and Alex Floresca had the other four to complete USD's entire scoring.

The loss spoiled a senior night celebration for Pineiro, Carter, Wright, Tyler Williams, Mitch Schafer and Devin Moss.

Next Games: USD at San Francisco, Thursday, 7 p.m.; USD at BYU Saturday, 6 p.m., Provo, Utah.

Women's Basketball

Patricia Brossmann scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, but the USD women's basketball team dropped an 80-68 decision on the road against BYU in Provo, Utah.

The double-double was Brossmann's ninth of the season and the 24 points was a career-high game total for her. She made three of five 3-point field goal attempts and made all seven of her free throws.

Brossmann was joined in double-figures scoring by Leticia Soares (19 points), Madison Pollock and Kiera Oakry (10 points apiece). USD's record fell to 8-19 overall, 1-15 in the WCC.

This Saturday's game against San Francisco is Senior Day. Sydney Shepard is the team's lone senior on the roster.

Next Games: USD hosts Santa Clara, Thursday, 6 p.m., Jenny Craig Pavilion; USD hosts San Francisco (Senior Day), 2 p.m., JCP. 

Baseball

A series of ups and downs hit the USD baseball team as it capped a five-game week by going 1-2 in the Tony Gwynn Legacy Tournament after playing a pair of road games earlier in the week and splitting those, too.

The scores were a 4-0 victory over Long Beach State on Feb. 19, followed by a 12-2 loss at Arizona State on Feb. 20. Returning to Fowler Park for the Gwynn Legacy event, the Toreros lost 6-1 to Oklahoma on Feb. 22, then crushed Missouri State, 14-4, on Feb. 23 and then, with a chance to finish the weekend with another win, coughed up a 5-2 lead that became a 6-5 loss to Utah on Feb. 24.

Highlights from each game: Against Long Beach State, starting pitcher Jake Miller went seven innings, allowing three hits and striking out four for the win. Cody Jefferis had two RBI and he and Shane McGuire each had two hits; In the loss to Arizona State, it was 12-0 before USD got its runs on a sacrifice fly and a muffed throw. Max Jung-Goldberg and Tora Otsuka each had two hits; Oklahoma's Tyler Hardman hit a grand slam and a two-run triple to account for all six of the Sooners' runs in their win. The homer was hit off USD starter Chris Murphy, who otherwise went 6 1/3 innings, allowed three hits and struck out 12; In the blowout win over Missouri State, USD's offense was led by Caleb Ricketts who drove in six runs on a sacrifice fly, a three-run triple and a two-run double. Helping him out with the bat were Jeff Houghtby and Connor Doyle, each of whom had two hits. Josh Hendrickson pitched five innings allowing four hits, one run and striking out six; In the loss to Utah, McGuire (two RBI), Ricketts, Adam Lopez and Ripken Reyes each had two hits, but Utah scored three runs in the seventh inning due to an error and back-to-back walks to load the bases enroute to tying the game at 5. A single up the middle in the eighth inning drove in the go-ahead run for Utah. USD threatened, but couldn't get any more runs.

Next Games: USD at San Diego State, Tuesday, 6 p.m., Tony Gwynn Stadium; USD hosts St. John's for three games: Friday, 6 p.m., Saturday, 4:30 p.m., Sunday, 1 p.m., all at Fowler Park.

Softball

The USD softball team swept a three-game weekend series at home against Southern Utah, taking a doubleheader on Saturday with a 12-1 win in five innings and then a 4-2 triumph along with a 7-2 victory Sunday. USD’s record improved to 5-9 on the season.

In the opener Saturday, Delaney Heller gave up a home run in the top of the first, but from there it was all Toreros. The big inning was a six-run second. Lauren Kane, Kelli Kufta and Sophia Bjerk each drove in two runs and Lindsay Clare was the only player to get two hits among USD's 10. Heller struck out eight and allowed three hits.

The second game was odd in that USD trailed 2-0, but then scored all four of its runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Kufta had three hits while Taylor Spence, Sara Silveyra and Clare each had two hits. Silveyra, Clare, Bjerk and Bella Vick each had an RBI. Madison Earnshaw went 6 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and striking out seven.

Sunday's finale was much like the first game of this series. Southern Utah led 2-0 early, but USD came back with four first-inning runs and never looked back. The four runs were the result of Kane's bases-loaded walk, a two-run RBI single by Kufta and an RBI single by Bjerk. A three-run fifth inning on Shelbi Evans's RBI single and a two-run RBI double by Bjerk finished the series. USD's Halle Kyler started and went two innings in the circle before Heller went the final five innings and allowed five hits, no runs and five strikeouts.

Next Games: USD and San Diego State cohost that San Diego Classic Tournament (March 1-3). All USD games at the USD Softball Complex: Friday: USD vs. Weber State, 4:30 p.m., USD vs. Florida Gulf Coast, 7 p.m.; Saturday: USD vs. UC Davis, 7 p.m.; Sunday: USD vs. UIC, 9 a.m. and USD vs. San Jose State, 11:30 a.m.

Women's Tennis

It was a successful 2-0 week for the USD women's tennis team with nonconference wins over Hawaii, 4-3, at home on Feb. 19 and then a 5-2 triumph against San Diego State on Feb. 23.

The wins improve USD’s early-season record to 4-2.

Against Hawaii, USD won the doubles point on the strength of wins by the team of Gemma Garcia and Kati Kukaras and also Daniela Morales and Maria Tyrina. Sophia Chow got USD off to a winning start in singles play at the No. 6 position, but Hawaii rallied with three wins over USD's top three positions, Solymar Colling, Morales and Kukaras. It was Garcia and Maria -Paula Torres, both of whom played three-set matches, who clinched the victory for USD.

Then, in a cross-town rivalry match, USD again won the doubles point on wins by Garcia-Kukaras and Tyrina-Morales. In singles, Garcia won her match, followed by a Morales loss for a 2-1 USD lead. Torres and Chow then won their respective matches to give USD the victory. Colling won her match for a fifth point.

Next Matches: USD hosts Middle Tennessee, March 6, 11 a.m., Skip and Cindy Hogan Tennis Center; USD in Las Vegas: USD at UNLV, March 9, 11 a.m.; USD vs. Michigan State, March 10, 1:30 p.m.

Men's Tennis

It was a split of two matches this past weekend for the USD men's tennis team. The win came at home on Feb. 22, a 5-2 triumph over University of North Carolina-Wilmington, and the loss came Feb. 24 on the road in a 4-3 setback against Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz.

The win on Friday against UNC-Wilmington was USD's fourth in a row as it began by winning the doubles point on the strength of Guus Koevermans and David Norfeldt's win and the clincher by Gui Osorio-Nico Borter. USD then took three singles matches by Norfeldt, Borter and Osorio quickly to secure the team win. UNCW won two singles matches, but August Holmgren finished with a win for the final margin.

Two days later, though, USD's win streak fell by the wayside against the Sun Devils in a four-hour match.

Arizona State secured the doubles point with a big win over the team of Osorio and Borter and also Holmgren and Joel Gamerov. Then in singles, Holmgren and Norfeldt won their matches for a 2-1 USD lead and Gamerov's win was good for a 3-2 USD lead. Arizona State, however, won when it outlasted both Osorio and Borter at No. 2 and No. 3 positions. Osorio, Borter and Gamerov's singles matches each went to a third set.

The loss dropped USD’s record to 6-3 overall. USD is 2-0 in West Coast Conference play and its next WCC match is this Sunday.

Next Matches: USD hosts Oklahoma State, Wednesday, noon, USD's Skip and Cindy Hogan Tennis Center; USD hosts Saint Mary's, Sunday, noon, Hogan Tennis Center.

Golf

The USD golf team finished in a 17th-place tie with a 913 (49-over-par) total at the Wyoming Desert Classic played at the Classic Club in Palm Desert Feb. 22-24.

Individually, two USD golfers finished among the Top 20 as Yash Majmudar had rounds of 76, 72 and 71 to finish at 3-over-par 219 good for 17th place. George Gardner was one shot back of Majmudar at 220 with rounds of 72, 74 and 74.

Next Tournament: USD at Lamkin San Diego Classic, March 11-12, San Diego Country Club. 

More USD Athletics Information

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