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San Diego faces No. 20 Saint Mary's in key WCC contest

Jan 28, 2008 - 5:42 PM No. 20 Saint Mary's Ca (17-2) at San Diego (10-11) 10:00 pm EST

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) - If San Diego is to make a run at the West Coast Conference title, a victory over No. 20 Saint Mary's would go a long way in achieving that.

The Toreros (10-11, 3-1 WCC) trail the Gaels (17-2, 4-0) and Gonzaga by one game in the standings.

San Diego, under the guidance of first-year coach Bill Grier, moved into sole possession of third place following Saturday's 53-51 victory over Santa Clara.

The Toreros have won three of their last four games, all by five points or less. The only blemish in the recent run was a 10-point loss at Gonzaga, where Grier spent the previous 16 seasons.

Junior guard Brandon Johnson, whose two free throws with 13.4 seconds left gave San Diego a one-point win against the Broncos, leads the Toreros with 17.2 points per game. Junior center Gyno Pomare averages 14.3 points and 7.6 rebounds.

Saint Mary's has won five consecutive games since losing at Texas, including a 79-57 rout of San Francisco on Saturday to again deny Eddie Sutton his 800th career coaching victory.

The Gaels, who have only two seniors on the roster, are led in scoring by freshman guard Patrick Mills at 15.3 points per game.

San Diego leads the all-time series, 32-30. The teams split a pair of games last season, each winning on the road.