The San Diego Toreros pulled off one of the bigger upsets in NCAA basketball this year as they had little trouble in the second half defeating the St. Mary’s Gaels 74-66. USD used a strong team effort in stunning WCC first place and No. 23 ranked Saint Mary’s. The Toreros received 17 points apiece from Matt Dorr and Chris Manresa, along with 15 points from Darian Norris and 10 from Chris Gabriel. All four scored above their season averages.
St. Mary’s held an eight point lead at the half, but USD used a strong, consistent second half to manhandle the Gaels. St. Mary’s entered the game as the No. 30 team in the computer rankings while San Diego was ranked 316 out of 345 Division I basketball schools. The Toreros entered this game as 16.5 points underdogs. If you ever wondered how tough conference play can be, this is one perfect answer. USD was 1-10 in conference and 5-21 overall, and they managed to spring the monster upset.