Box Score
SAN FRANCISCO -- If it wasn't USF's most complete game of the year - and a strong case can be made that it was - the Dons' 75-61 win over Loyola Marymount Thursday night inside Memorial Gymnasium might have been its most satisfying.
Just three days after shooting 25 percent in a 28-point defeat at Gonzaga, USF downed a LMU team that came into Memorial Gymnasium riding high after opening conference play with wins over BYU and San Diego. However, the Dons built a quick 10-point lead 4:15 into the game and maintained a double-figure advantage throughout the game to hand the Lions their first conference loss of the season.
With the victory, USF improves to 9-6 overall and 2-1 in the WCC while LMU falls to 10-5 and 2-1 in conferenec play.
Cole Dickerson led all scorers with 20 points,
Avry Holmes added 16 and
Matt Glover recorded his first career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Kruize Pinkins made his first career start and responded with nine points while
Chris Adams added nine off the bench.
Anthony Ireland scored a team-high 18 points for the Lions, while Nick Sover added 15.
The Dons shot 48.1 percent from the field, including 51.5 percent in the first half in racing to a 40-23 lead at intermission. USF limited LMU to 37.5 shooting from the floor, including 3-of-13 from beyond the arc.
USF scored the first six points of the game and quickly built a 10-point lead at 13-3 just 4:15 into the game. The Dons led by as many as 19 points in the first half at 37-18 with 3:52 remaining.
The closest the Lions to come to the Dons in the second half was 12 points at 47-35 with 14:54 left. USF answered with an 9-2 run to build the lead back to 19 at 56-37 with 11:17 left. USF led by as many as 20 points with 7:27 remaining before winning by the eventual count of 75-61.
The Dons will return to action on Saturday afternoon, when they host the Pepperdine Waves (10-5, 3-0 WCC) beginning at 1:00 p.m. in Memorial Gymnasium.
Rex Walters' Post-Game Comments
"You have to give a lot of credit to our scout team who really helped us prepare for this game. We even had some coaches who had to step in to try to emulate how good Anthony Ireland is."
"Our guys really stepped up. You can look at the box score and maybe think
Mark Tollefsen didn't have a great game, but he was really good in guarding the basketball."
"I thought our bigs were good all night - Kruize (Pinkins) early and Cole all night.
Avry Holmes continues to grow up before our eyes.
Matt Glover was terrific defensively guarding Ireland."
"We think ulitmately Mark (Tollefsen) can be a 3 for us. He hasn't gotten a lot of reps there, but with him, Pinkins, Cole and Jumbo (Glover) you have your best four rebounders, defensive players and shot blockers on the floor at the same time. I like the lineup. It also gives us some great energy off the bench because
Tim Derksen is going to bring it every night."
"Jumbo is as competitive as any player as I've ever coached. He is physically and mentally tought and at times can impose his will, especially on the defensive end of the floor."
