Holbert Keeps Getting Better, Leads USD Past Santa Clara

SANTA CLARA — Pat Holbert ignited a second-half rally that gave the University of San Diego men’s basketball team a 64-46 West Coast Conference victory over Santa Clara at Toso Pavilion Saturday.

Holbert, who started his third game in a row after spending most of the season as a reserve guard, had his third consecutive career high with 21 points. Fifteen were in the second half as USD stretched a 23-20 halftime lead.

With the victory--the second in three road games after just two WCC road victories the past two years--the Toreros improved to 8-10 and 3-3. Santa Clara, having its worst season under 20-year Coach Carroll Williams, fell to 5-13 and 2-4.

John Jerome led USD with 23 points, and Dondi Bell had 10 rebounds and four blocked shots. Jeffty Connelly was the lone bright spot for Santa Clara, scoring 20 points. The Broncos shot a dismal 29.8%, making just 17 of 57 shots.

USD shot 48% from the field and made a season-high 92.3% (12 of 13) from the free throw line, including Holbert’s nine of nine and Jerome’s three of three.

USD led, 28-26, early in the second half, then scored the next seven points on a Holbert three-pointer, a four-foot jumper by Kelvin Woods and a layup by Wayman Strickland. The Toreros led by as many as 21 points three times.

“We hit some big baskets, and they just couldn’t get the ball to fall,” USD Coach Hank Egan said. “We adjusted to their traps and presses in the second half.”

USD, having defeated Santa Clara, 96-71, Jan. 6 in San Diego, swept the season series for the first time since 1986-87.

Gylan Dottin, USD’s second-leading scorer (9.7-point average), did not make the trip after breaking his nose in practice Thursday. He is expected to be back when the Toreros play Portland Thursday at the USD Sports Center at 7:30 p.m.