Torero Time! USD Women's Basketball is Off to a History-Making Start!

By Mark Kramer, Exclusive to ClairemontCentral

Amy Kame

Is this the best USD women’s basketball team in program history? It’s quite the label to live up to, but you could make that argument after the amazing start the Toreros are off to this season. The Toreros exploded onto the scene with a 15-0 start, the best start in program history.

The amazing start was highlighted by wins over marquee teams like Arizona State and San Diego State which has garnered national attention for the Toreros. The team has been receiving votes in the national rankings and became the first nationally ranked basketball team in school history when they reached #24 in the country earlier this season. They currently sit at 16-2 and boast a 16 game home winning streak.

Malina Hood

The hallmark of the women’s basketball team this year has been balance and depth. The number of impact players on the roster is staggering with enough quality players to fill up multiple starting lineups. Some of the best players on the team must come off the bench due to the depth, and nearly the entire roster sees time on the court in every game. Opponents cannot keep up with the Toreros and their ability to bring in impact player after impact player. Three active Toreros are averaging over 10 points per game while another three players average over 5 points per game. Senior guard and Preseason All-WCC selection Amy Kame leads the way averaging over 15 points per game as she plays through the final season of her storied career. She was named the NCAA National Player of the Week earlier this month after helping extend the Toreros undefeated start into West Coast Conference play.  A recent breakout star has been sophomore forward Malina Hood. She is second on the team averaging 12.2 points per game as she has become a three point sharpshooter in recent games.

 Sophia Ederaine

But the ability of the Toreros goes beyond scoring. A large part of their domination has been their rebounding ability on both the defensive and offensive boards. It’s hard to beat a Toreros team that gets so many second chance points off of rebounds. Felicia Wijenberg and Sophia Ederaine often dwarf their
competition and dominate on the glass helping the Toreros rank among the top rebounding teams in the West Coast Conference. Rumors out of practice even hint that Ederaine can dunk, a sight all Torero fans are waiting to see in a game with great anticipation.

The Toreros are currently considered one of the best mid-major teams in the country and will challenge powerhouse Gonzaga for the conference title. With every win the Toreros also build their resume for the postseason. Coming off back-to-back appearances in the NIT Tournament where the Toreros reached the semifinal two years ago, it looks more and more like the team will break through to the NCAA Tournament to play for a national championship this season.

You can catch this action LIVE now through February in the Jenny Craig Pavilion. Don’t miss any of the final home games of the regular season including Gonzaga on February 13th and the home finale on February 15th versus Portland. Tickets are on sale NOW. Learn more by calling the ticket office at 619-260-7550 or visit www.usdtoreros.com. While you’re there check out our new promotions page for the latest news about upcoming in-game promotions and contests. Take advantage of everything from ticket discounts to free giveaways and even bigger contests like the Wells Fargo Shootout where you can win $10,000!
Cheer on your local Toreros as they look to turn heads and make a run at the WCC Championship and the NCAA Tournament.

What time is it? TORERO TIME!