USD Gets Late Run for Victory : Basketball: Toreros win game against obscure Southern Utah, 86-81, with a six-point spree at the finish.

SAN DIEGO —  After 14 lead changes and seven ties in the second half, the University of San Diego men’s basketball team reeled off the final six points against Southern Utah to win, 86-81, Wednesday night at the USD Sports Center.

Never mind that this was a nonconference game against a relatively obscure independent team, it was a terrific finish to a terrific game. At least USD Coach Hank Egan thought as much, and most of the 1,422 in attendance would have agreed.

Trailing, 81-80, USD center Dondi Bell, who had just 35 assists in his four-year career, got his second of the game, a pass to Michael Brown, who put in a reverse layup at 1:15.

After Wayman Strickland and Brown forced Southern Utah into a turnover, Strickland made a pair of free throws with 26 seconds left. Kelvin Woods ended the scoring with an uncontested layup off after Southern Utah’s Peter Johnson had missed a three-point attempt on the other end.

Bell had one of his best games, scoring 19 points, getting a game-high 10 rebounds, blocking two shots, stealing two passes and, of course, making two assists.

And what about those assists, especially the game winner?

“That wasn’t planned,” Bell said, “They don’t have a play like that for me in the offense.”

“(Bell) played super,” Egan said. “And so did (Southern Utah). That was a hell of a ballgame. They’re a damn good team.”

Egan went on to praise the Thunderbirds (12-10), but he really could have been talking about his team, which improved to 15-7 with its eighth victory in nine games.

“They’ve got a lot of people that score the basketball,” Egan said. “They’ve got a little bit of everything. They’ve got some inside players that are pretty clever. They’ve got enough big guys that they bother you inside. And they’ve got a point guard that’s hard to handle and a couple of guys who can shoot it outside.”

Both teams are similar, but USD has never lost to Southern Utah in seven games, including one earlier that USD won, 102-91. In that one, USD fought back from an early deficit to win in Cedar City, Utah.

“This one looked like an instant replay,” Egan said.

USD held a slim lead for most of the first half, but Southern Utah rallied to go up, 47-45.

To begin the second half, Bell scored USD’s first six points on an inside basket, a two-hand power slam and two free throws. Bell had seven more points in the half and several key rebounds.

Bell’s double-double for points and rebounds was the first of the season for a USD player, and the Toreros won for the first time while shooting less than 50% (48.2%) from the field.

Woods finished with 16 points, after scoring 12 in the first half. Strickland and Anthony Thomas added 14 and Brown 11.

Southern Utah was led by Dana Achtzehn, who was a teammate of Brown and Reed Watson at Mesa (Ariz.) Community College last season, with 20 points. DaVor Marcelic, a junior from Yugoslavia had 18, Johnson 16 and Rod Dixon 12.

Torero Notes

USD returns to West Coast Conference action Saturday night, playing host to Santa Clara and 7-1 center Ron Reis, the only WCC player averaging in double-figure scoring and rebounding. Santa Clara is the only WCC team USD has yet to beat this season . . . When USD defeated Southern Utah, 102-91, on Nov. 29, the school was known as Southern Utah State College. The name was changed Jan. 1. . . . USD point guard Geoff Probst continues to have trouble at the free-throw line--or was he hot?. Making one of three, Probst improved to 21% (four for 19) on the season. Maybe he should shoot the foul shots from further back. From three-point range, Probst is 42% (11 for 26).