U. San Diego Staggers to 69-66 Win Over Pepperdine

SAN DIEGO — It wasn’t a night at the big top, or a three-ring circus, but there were some interesting performances nonetheless in the University of San Diego’s 69-66 victory over Pepperdine Saturday night in the USD Sports Center.

As a standing-room-only crowd of 2,500-plus looked on, the usually reliable USD ball-handlers performed more like a wobbly high-wire act in the final minute. Somehow, though, they made it.

Pepperdine, which had trailed by as many as 12 points in the second half, had a chance to tie in the final second, but Ed Allen’s off-balance three-pointer rolled in, then back out.

USD (7-1 in the West Coast Athletic Conference, 16-4 overall) is still in first place by half a game over Gonzaga. Pepperdine, the defending conference champion fell to 2-5 and 7-13.

But, back to the big top.

Playing a lead role was USD guard Paul Leonard, who thrilled the crowd with his ball-handling throughout the game and kept everyone on the edge of their seats by shanking four of his first five free-throw attempts.

However, with 49 seconds remaining and USD clinging to a one-point lead, Leonard stepped to the line and hit two straight to give the Toreros a 69-66 cushion that stood up until the buzzer.

“I’ll tell ya, that kid Leonard steadies them,” Pepperdine Coach Jim Harrick said. “They had a couple-too-many guns for us.”