LAS VEGAS – Underdogs, undermanned and under the kind of heat that more than 13,000 red-clad UNLV Rebels fans can generate in Thomas & Mack Center, USD's men's basketball team almost got over it all yesterday in its season opener.
Sans three starters, two to suspension and one to injury, USD missed its first six shots in falling behind 7-0 and trailed by 10 in the first 6½ minutes.
But entering the final 2:30, the Toreros had a one-point lead and had the Rebels, picked to win the Mountain West Conference and with a talented lineup led by preseason MWC Player of the Year Wink Adams, concerned about a rare home and season-opening loss.
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TODAY'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
SDSU women at Long Beach State
Site/time: The Pyramid/2 p.m.
Records: SDSU 1-0; LBSU 0-0
Outlook: Former Aztecs assistant Nicole Anderson is one of the local connections to the 49ers.
USD women at UC Santa Barbara
Site/time: The Thunderdome/ 2 p.m.
Records: USD 1-0; UCSB 0-0
Outlook: The Toreros visit the Gauchos and Jordan Franey (Santana), The Union-Tribune Basketball Player of the Year in 2006.
– NICOLE VARGAS
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It didn't happen. UNLV's press forced a turnover and USD sophomore forward Rob Jones (19 points, 10 rebounds) fouled out while preventing a layup with the Toreros down 61-58 with 50.3 seconds to play. The Rebels then rode the foul shooting of Adams (19 points, 3 assists) from there to a 65-60 victory.
USD got 14 points and five assists in a full 40-minute floor effort from Brandon Johnson. USD's guard depth, depleted by the loss of Trumaine Johnson (suspension) and De'Jon Jackson (knee injury), didn't give coach Bill Grier the luxury of resting Johnson at any time.
And the Toreros couldn't get the ball in the hands of either one of their two best players, Johnson and Jones, on the deciding play.
“It wouldn't have been any different if (the missing players) were injured (rather than suspended),” Johnson said. “We went out and played hard and did what we could.
“They got the turnover late in the game and won it down the stretch. Our lack of players didn't have anything to do with that. We just made a mistake and they made a play.”
After missing its first seven shots, USD cashed in nine of its next 14, sparked by three three-pointers from senior reserve guard Danny Brown to get back in it before the game got out of hand.
With two incoming freshmen, and three returnees at guard, Brown's prospects for getting much playing time didn't look promising when preseason practice started October 15.
“As a player, you can't think that you're not going to play,” Brown said. “You never know what's going to happen. You always have to be ready when you're called upon. I just went in thinking to settle things down, just got open and Rob Jones made some great plays to get me the ball.”
The Toreros took their first lead, 43-42, with 12 minutes remaining and their last at 58-57 with 2:36 to play.
USD topped UNLV in points in the paint (26-16), points off turnovers (13-11), second-chance points (15-6) and points by the bench (14-10). But UNLV made twice as many three-pointers (8), although it required 29 tries to do it in extending its record for Thomas & Mack home openers to 17-1 and advancing to 37-2 for its past 39 home games.
“You have to give a lot of credit to USD and Bill Grier,” UNLV coach Lon Kruger said. “They had a lot to do with the pace of the game and the flow. There wasn't a lot of flow.
“They did a great job. Brandon Johnson is a terrific player. And you know this isn't the San Diego team that will be playing a few weeks from now, or in March.”
The Toreros were 11-point underdogs. But Grier wasn't interested in playing the “what if” game regarding the missing players from his roster.
“Woulda, coulda, shoulda – it is what it is,” Grier said. “I'm so proud of this group on the floor today. They never used it as an excuse. They came in here believing they could win and they darn near pulled it off.”
The Toreros used isolation or plays designed for Johnson and Jones more than usual, the latter responding with his third career double-double.
“We tried to be as positive as possible (in light of the circumstances) and I considered it an opportunity for me to do some things I had been working on over the offseason,” Jones said. “I felt those (UNLV) guys couldn't keep up with me.
“There's no excuses. It's a loss. We have to get better and get ready for next Tuesday's game.”
USD's home opener is Tuesday against Nevada. Senior forward/center Gyno Pomare, who sat out on a one-game suspension yesterday, is due to make his return.
Hank Wesch: (619) 293-1853; hank.wesch@uniontrib.com
