Post Game Comments | Video Highlights

SAN FRANCISCO – Junior forward Matt McCarthy had 10 points and 11 rebounds as the University of San Francisco men's basketball team beat a cold shooting Radford 52-41 on Tuesday evening at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
                     
McCarthy records the Dons' (7-4) first double-double of the year, and his first since he tallied a double-double against LMU last Feb. 4.  USF played lights out defense in the comeback win over the visiting Highlanders holding Radford to just 19 second half points.  Joining McCarthy in double figures was Souley Boum who also had 10 points, all 10 coming in the second half – and uncharacteristically, none coming from the free throw line.
 
USF opened the contest in a deep freeze.  The Dons were held scoreless for the first seven minutes of the contest before McCarthy hit a jumper in the paint to end an 0-for-7 streak from the field.  The Dons did not let their slow offensive start head to the other end of the court however, as USF limited to Highlanders to just 22 first half points.
 
Out of the break, the Dons got hot early and rode the momentum to a big second half surge.  USF shot 48.1 percent from the field in the second half going 13-for-27 from the field.  McCarthy was a big reason for that, going 4-for-7 from inside the paint as he bullied his way to eight second half points.  Boum also went off in the second period going 4-for-10 from the field.
 
Chase Foster scored six of his nine points after the intermission, finding the bottom of the net on a pair of big 3-point baskets early.  Taavi Jurkatamm had his most complete evening, scoring four points, while grabbing two rebounds and recording a season-high four blocked shots.
 
The Highlanders were led by Carlik Jones' game-high 19 points, he was the only Radford player in double figures.  Radford shot just 32.1 percent in the first half and 18.8 percent in the second.  They finished the night going 15-for-60 from the floor.
 
GAME NOTES

• USF entered 0-4 when trailing at halftime, that streak was snapped tonight, as USF rode a 24-8 second half run to earn their first win of the season when trailing at the break.
• USF scored a season-low 18 points in the first half, but responded with 34 in the second.  In the Dons six wins, they are are +81 on the season over their opponents in the first half, but found themselves behind by four this evening.
• USF improves its record to 4-1 on early week games, and are now 2-1 on Tuesdays.  USF has defeated Saint Francis, Sonoma State, Central Arkansas and now the Highlanders on games played on a Monday or a Tuesday, the lone loss came against UC Santa Barbara on Tuesday, Nov. 28.
• The Dons used their fifth lineup in 11 games tonight when Frankie Ferrari joined Remu Raitanen, Matt McCarthy, Jordan Ratinho and Chase Foster in the starting lineup.  This is the first start of the season for Ferrari.
• Speaking of Ferrari, he already owned an impressive 2.4 assist to turnover ratio entering tonight, but his game-high four assists without a turnover will improve that standing.  Ferrari now has 30 assists on the season.

 
NEXT UP
The Dons are now 2-0 in the Continental Tires Las Vegas Classic after defeating UC Davis and Radford.  Now USF travels to Las Vegas to play Duquesne and Nevada at the Orleans Arena on Friday and Saturday.  Friday's contest against the Dukes is at 5:30 p.m.