Box Score
(San Francisco) - In a game of streaks, it was the University of San Francisco (3-1) that had the final run and outlasted San Jose State (1-2) 83-81 in overtime at home at War Memorial Gym Wednesday night.
Three Dons scored in double-figures in the barn-burner. Angelo Caloiaro led USF with both 19 points and 13 rebounds. Perris Blackwell had 18 points in the paint and Rashad Green chipped in with 11 points and eight rebounds.
Head coach Rex Walters goes to 10-1 in overtime games since taking the helm at USF, but early on it certainly didn't look like it would ever get to OT. USF jumped out to a 22-8 lead on the strength of a 16-2 run, but the Spartans answered in kind, putting up a 16-4 run of their own, mostly with Wil Carter on the bench with two fouls.
After catching up with the Dons and trading baskets for a spell, San Jose State closed out the half well and went into the break with a 39-35 lead. Michael Williams led the Dons in scoring at half with nine points, all coming on 3-of-6 from behind the arc.
San Jose State's Keith Shamburger led all scorers with 23 points, 19 of which came in the second half and overtime. Both teams traded blows throughout the second half, with USF enjoying runs of 9-0 and 10-2.
Things looked grim for USF when Shamburger nailed a 3-pointer with just under 4-minutes remaining to push the Spartans out to a 78-73 lead and all the momentum was going their way. Caloiaro took over down the stretch though, scoring seven points and two assists in the final five minutes to keep the Dons alive before Green hit two free throws with 27-seconds left to send it into overtime at 71-71.
USF came out of the gate red hot in overtime, jumping out to a 78-71 lead that they never surrendered. San Jose State wouldn't go quietly and the teams rattled off four changes of possession in the final 13 seconds of overtime before San Jose State's James Kinney's half court heave banged off the rim at the buzzer and the Dons escaped with the 83-81 win.
The Dons now head to the Pacific Northwest, playing at Seattle University on Saturday, November 19. They'll play in the Great Alaska Shootout and then at Montana after Thanksgiving, before returning to San Francisco to face Pacific Union on December 4.
