Alaska News

San Diego upsets Oklahoma

It's easy to see why San Diego is excited to have Brandon Johnson back in the lineup.

Granted a fifth year of eligibility after a tear of his achilles tendon tear ended his season early last year, the 6-0 senior guard was dazzling on Wednesday.

Johnson dominated the first half and let his teammates take over in the second half of a surprisingly easy 76-64 win over No. 25 Oklahoma in the Great Alaska Shootout.

As defenders struggled to stay with him, Johnson drained 18 first-half points. He finished the half with a 3-point dagger as time expired that gave the Toreros the momentum and a 33-27 lead heading into the break.

"He's a terrific player, capable of having a huge night," Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel said. "That was a tremendous first half by Johnson. San Diego was terrific. They came out ready to play, with a lot of energy and took the game right to us."

In the first half Johnson never left the floor and was the focal point of every offensive series. Johnson added just four points in the second half as his teammates began to heat up, allowing the senior to rest a weary hamstring much of the final 10 minutes.

"I just tried to go out there, stay aggressive and hit some shots," Johnson said. "I feel like if I'm aggressive and come out swinging, the team will follow me."

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After Johnson got the Toreros going the rest of the squad joined in during an explosive second half. Senior forward Robert Mafra finished with 13 points, freshman guard Patrick McCollum scored 12 points - all in the last 12 minutes of play - and senior forward Chris Lewis chipped in with 11 as San Diego steadily pulled away. The Toreros led by as many as 23 points, 72-49, before Oklahoma closed the gap at the end.

"This was a tremendous win for our program," said San Diego coach Bill Grier, whose 3-1 Toreros began the season with a 77-64 win over Stanford. "At our level when you have the opportunity to play a BCS school and one as good as Oklahoma on a neutral court, that's an opportunity you need to take advantage of."

Oklahoma kept running out huge front-line guys that looked like they could be the starting offensive line for the Sooners football squad. Senior forward Ryan Wright, who clocks in at 6-9 at 241 pounds, was joined by freshman forward Tiny Gallon (6-9, 296) in the front court to start the game. Junior center Orlando Allen (6-10, 290) and freshman forward Andrew Fitzgerald (6-8, 258) also played significant minutes, but despite the incredible bulk, the leaner San Diego frontcourt held a 42-31 advantage on the boards in the contest.

"They are so good on the glass," Grier said. "To have a chance to beat them I thought we needed to get a push on the glass. I had no idea we could outrebound them like we did."

The job of battling the massive Oklahoma front court came down mainly to Mafra (6-9, 235) and Lewis (6-7, 215), who matched the Sooners in height, but often gave up close to 100 pounds in girth. Still the San Diego duo combined for 16 rebounds, including 11 offensive boards.

Oklahoma sophomore all-everything guard Willie Warren finished with a game-high 30 points, but many came after San Diego had opened up a 20-point advantage in the second half. Warren was the Big 12 freshman of the Year last year and the Sporting News Preseason Player of the Year entering the season.

OKLAHOMA (64)

Wright 1-3 0-0 2, Gallon 4-6 0-0 8, Crocker 1-7 0-0 3, Mason-Griffin 1-8 0-0 2, Warren 7-20 12-12 30, Pledger 2-2 0-0 5, Fitzgerald 1-5 2-3 4, Davis 1-4 2-2 5, Allen 1-3 3-4 5. Totals 19-58 19-21 64.

SAN DIEGO (76)

Lewis 4-8 1-2 10, Mafra 6-13 1-1 13, Johnson 7-13 4-4 22, Ginty 0-4 2-2 2, Jackson 3-7 2-2 9, McCollum 3-5 4-7 12, Crescencio 0-1 0-0 0, Houston 0-2 2-2 2, Manressa 2-4 2-2 6. Totals 25-57 18-22 76.

Halftime score -- San Diego 33, Oklahoma 27.

Three-point goals -- Oklahoma 7-25 (Wright 0-1, Gallon 0-1, Crocker 1-5, Mason-Griffin 0-3, Warren 4-10, Pledger 1-1, Davis 1-4), San Diego 8-23 (Lewis 1-1, Johnson 4-9, Ginty 0-4, Jackson 1-4, McCollum 2-4, Manressa 0-1). Total fouls -- Oklahoma 21, San Diego 16. Rebounds -- Oklahoma 31 (Allen 7, Gallon 6), San Diego 42 (Lewis 10). Assists -- Oklahoma 10 (Mason-Griffin 5), San Diego 9 (Jackson 5). Turnovers -- Oklahoma 13 (Warren 4), San Diego 13 (Jackson 4). Steals -- Oklahoma 7 (Warren 3), San Diego 8 (Jackson 4). Blocked shots -- Oklahoma 4, San Diego 5 (Mafra 2). Fouled out -- Mafra. Officials -- Byrne Haskins, Greg Haskins, Gabby Lujon.

San Diego 33 43 -- 76

Oklahoma 27 37 -- 64

Anchorage Daily News

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