Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Way to go Toreros!!

So I don't keep up with college basketball much, but it is hard not to hear the story of the Torero's if you watch any sports news (or check the websites).

By the way, USD is where I started out in San Diego. I had a summer internship in their Camps & Conferences Department as an Area Manager.

Toreros burst bubbles with WCC title win

It began, softly at first, in the University of San Diego student section. Then it began to build. And build. And build. The sound welled up and began to spill into every corner of the Jenny Craig Pavilion as the game clock tick … tick … ticked away. Then it burst.

Ole, Ole, Ole! Ole! Ole!

By the time the chant was over, West Coast Conference powerhouse Gonzaga was left sprawled in the dust. As the last seconds wound down on USD's stunning 69-62 upset of Gonzaga on Monday night -- less than 24 hours after the Toreros slew another WCC giant, Saint Mary's, in double overtime -- you could almost hear another sound.

Pop.

It was the sound of USD freshman guard Trumaine Johnson's two-handed chin-up dunk with seven seconds remaining that sealed the Toreros' invite to the Big Dance.

USD first-year head coach Bill Grier told his team before the WCC tournament began in San Diego that the hometown Toreros were only 120 minutes away from heading to the NCAA tournament.

He lied. It was 130.

And now, with San Diego earning the automatic bid and No. 22 Gonzaga and Saint Mary's hoping for at-large bids, the WCC could have three teams dancing for the first time. No small feat for a conference that hasn't had two teams in the NCAA tournament since 2005.


Check out the rest of the article here.

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