On mascot night in front of 3,411 fans at the Chiles Center, the University of Portland men’s basketball lost the battle in the paint to the visiting San Diego Toreros. Portland fell, 68-52, marking their eighth straight loss and fifth straight by at least 16 points.
Sophomore guard Jazz Johnson led the home team with 19 points in the loss.
First-year head coach Terry Porter decided not to play any of his centers— Philipp Hartwich, Joseph Smoyer or Ray Barreno— to match-up with the Toreros’ stretch bigs. The plan backfired, as the home team was outworked on the glass 37-14.
“I told the guys, we had too many possessions where we needed to have multiple efforts and we didn’t have it,” Porter said. “We can’t give teams extra possessions like that, we just can’t.”
Portland opened the game on a 6-0 run and maintained a lead through the first 10 minutes. But the Toreros crept back behind the offensive punch from Olin Carter. The Pilots struggled defending Carter behind the arc because he was able to land 3-pointers from deep. He scored 13 points in the opening 20 minutes.San Diego went into the break with an eight point advantage, 38-30. Both teams shot at least 50 percent from the field.
But San Diego would take control early in the second half by pounding the glass. They pushed their lead to double digits less than four minutes in. And as Portland grew frustrated with calls— and lack thereof— the Toreros continued to bully their way in the paint, claiming seven offensive boards. The visitors were up as many as 18 points and led the final 26 minutes of the game.
Sophomore Rashad Jackson added 12 points, all in the first half, to join Johnson as the only double-digit scorers for the home team. Both played all 40 minutes.
Johnson has been Portland’s most consistent offensive force, scoring in double figures in all 22 games thus far this season.
San Diego’s Carter led all scorers with 24 points.
The Pilots will have one more game at the Chiles Center before heading on a three-game road trip. They host the Santa Clara Broncos on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m.
