Red-Hot Pacific versus Struggling San Diego Preview
By Josh Horton
Feb 13, 2014; Stockton, CA, USA; Pacific Tigers forward Tony Gill (33) blocks a shot by Brigham Young Cougars guard Skyler Halford (23) during the second half at Alex G. Spanos Center. The Pacific Tigers defeated the Brigham Young Cougars 89-82. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
San Diego Toreros (13-14, 4-10) at Pacific Tigers (14-10, 5-8)
Date: Saturday, February 15, 2014
Location: Spanos Center, Stockton, Calif.
Time: 7:00 PM PST
TV: CSN California
Video: thew.tv
LiveStats: ESPN.com/CBSSports.com etc.
Last Matchup: Pacific went on the road and defeated San Diego 84-67.
PROJECTED STARTERS
Pacific
San Diego
The Pacific Tigers, who are fresh off their biggest WCC win since rejoining the conference this season, will host the San Diego Toreros with hopes of extending their winning streak to three.
The Toreros on the other hand are coming into Stockton, Calif. on a sour note after losing to Saint Mary’s on Thursday night by a score of 69-57. Despite leading for a good amount of time in the second half, San Diego was not able to ward off the surging Gaels, who ended up taking the game by double-digits.
Keys to the Game
Pacific
Keep the hot shooting going:
In the Tigers recent wins at LMU and vs. BYU, they have been shooting red-hot. In its winning streak Pacific is shooting 50.9 percent from the field and 44.7 percent from beyond the arc. If the Tigers keep this up, chances are they will record their third straight victory.
San Diego
Dennis Kramer and the frontcourt
Kramer had one of his best games of the season at Saint Mary’s Saturday, with 25 points and 9 rebounds. While that was not quite enough to take down the Gaels, there is a good chance a performance such as that can knock off the Tigers.
Kramer, along with his frontcourt mates, can take a lot of pressure off the backcourt with another productive game.
Prediction
After back-to-back wins against Portland and Saint Mary’s in late January, it looked like the Toreros were starting to find their stride on the season. However, it appears that was only a flash in the pan with San Diego losing its last four games. On top of that, the Toreros are faced with defeating a Pacific team that is fresh off a victory against BYU. I will take the Tigers and the momentum in this one. Pacific 76, San Diego 65.