Game #6
San Francisco Dons (3-2, 0-0 WCC) vs. Montana Grizzlies (2-2, 0-0 Big Sky)
Sunday, Nov. 30, 2014 • 3:00 p.m. 
Memorial Gymnasium • San Francisco, Calif.
Series Record: USF leads 6-0
Last Meeting: Nov.  22, 2013 (USF 75-74)
Audio/Video Streaming: TheW.tv (Pat Olson, Play-by-Play; Jim Brovelli, Analyst)

Complete USF Game Notes (PDF)

The Dandy Dons

• Bring a 3-2 overall record into Sunday's home game against Montana...dropped two of three games at the Gulf Coast Classic earlier in the week.
• Have lost its last two games against Florida Gulf Coast and Evansville...have not dropped three straight games since suffering a five-game losing streak in 2012-13.
• Are 6-0 all-time against Montana, including a one-point victory in Missoula last season, 75-74...this marks the third consecutive season the Dons have faced the Grizzlies in a non-conference affair.
• Shot just 38.8 percent in three games at the Gulf Coast Showcase, dropping the season field goal percentage from 55.2 to its present mark of 45.4 percent.
• Shooting 39.4 percent from three-point range...were 17-of-51 (33.3) from long distance in three games in Florida.
• Shooting just 51.2 percent (63-for-123) from the line after five games...USF shot just 64.8 percent (523-for-807) from the line last season, which ranked last in the WCC.
• Have held the first five opponents to 37.9 percent shooting from the floor and own a 46.4-34.0 advantage on the boards.
• Senior Kruize Pinkins leads the team in scoring (15.2) and rebounding (7.2)...he is also shooting 51 percent from the field.
• Junior Mark Tollefsen scored a career high 23 points in Wednesday's loss to Evansville...he averaged 16.7 ppg in three games in the Gulf Coast Classic, booting his season average to its present 14.8 ppg mark.
• Senior Matt Glover also tallied a career high against the Purple Aces, finishing with 20 points to go along with 12 rebounds.
• Employed a smaller starting lineup vs. Evansville with senior Chris Adams making his first start of the season...have used three different lineups in five games thus far this season...used three starting combos all of last season.
• The win over Hawaii was Rex Walters' 101st coaching victory at USF...six other Don coaches have reached the 100-win milestone.
• Coming off a 21-12 record and an NIT appearance last season...21 wins were the highest total since the 1981-82 season...also tied for second in the WCC with a 13-5 record, posting its highest conference win total since 1976-77.
• Signed Dont'e Reynolds of Kinston, NC (Odessa College) to a national letter of intent on Monday...he joins Cedric Wright (Fort Lauderdale, FL / Dillard HS) in this year's recruiting class.
• Face a stiff road test Wednesday night against the Colorado Buffaloes in Boulder...the game can be seen along the Pac-12 Networks.

Notables
Opening Tip
USF (3-2, 0-0 WCC) returns home to Memorial Gymnasium to face the Montana Grizzlies (2-2, 0-0 Big Sky) Sunday afternoon. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. The Dons are coming off a 79-72 loss to Evansville in the consolation game of the Gulf Coast Showcase while the Grizzlies downed Carroll College, 75-52, their last time out..

Series History with Montana
USF leads the all-time series with Montana, 6-0. The two schools have met each of the last three seasons, with USF claiming a 78-68 victory in 2012-13 in San Francisco and a 75-74 decision last year in Missoula. The Dons also posted a 65-62 decision in Missoula in the 2011-12 season. USF also owns victories over the Grizzlies in 2010-11 (50-48), 2004-05 (79-56) and 2003-04 (72-71).

Last Year's Meeting With Montana
USF snapped a two-game losing streak with a 75-74 victory over Montana on Nov. 22 Missoula. Kruize Pinkins scored 22 points off the bench to lead four Dons in double-figures. USF rallied from a 56-48 deficit with 9:02 left in the game and survived a missed 3-pointer at the buzzer by Kareem Jamar.  The Dons outrebounded the Grizzlies, 35-25 and scored 46 of their 75 points in the paint. USF also shot 54.5 percent for the game.

Last Time Out
USF received career highs from Mark Tollefsen (23) and Matt Glover (20) but dropped a 79-72 decision to Evansville in the consolation game of the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla. The Dons led just twice in the game, at 7-6 and 24-23 in the first half. After trailing 39-34 at the half, the Aces led by as many as 13 points on two occasions in the second half, last at 69-56 with 4:13 remaining. The Dons cut the lead down to five at 73-68 with 1:10 remaining but could get no closer in suffering their second straight loss Tim Derksen (12) and Kruize Pinkins (10) also reached double figures for USF while D.J. Balentine paced the Purple Aces with 23.

From the Field
USF shot just 38.3 percent (73-for-188) from the field in three games at the Gulf Coast Showcase, including a season-low 25.4 percent in a loss to Florida Gulf Coast. The Dons field goal percentage has dropped from 52.7 percent to its present mark of  45.4 percent, which ranks fifth in the WCC.

From the Line
USF is shooting just 51.2 percent (63-for-123) from the line at the five game mark of the season. USF shot just 64.8 percent (523-for-807) from the line last season, which ranked last in the WCC. The Dons free throw percentage was its lowest mark since the 1985-86 team shot 62.4 percent (328-for-526) from the line.

Beyond the Arc
The Dons rank third in the WCC in three-point field goal percentage, shooting at a 39.4 percent clip from long distance. Senior Matt Glover has hit 7-of-9 of his long distance attempts and is tied for first in the WCC with a .778 field goal percentage.

The Defensive Numbers
The Dons rank third in the WCC in opponent scoring average, allowing a stingy 62.4 points per game through the first five contests.  Only two teams - Hawaii (73) and Evansville (72) - have managed to score more than 70 points vs. the Dons. USF also ranks third in field goal defense (37.7) and seventh in three-point field goal defense (39.4).

Board Work
USF is pulling down 46.4 rebounds per game, which ranks second in the WCC. USF also ranks third among WCC teams in rebound margin, outboarding its first five oponents on margin of 12.4 per game (46.4-34.0). The Dons are also tied for first in the conference in offensive rebounds with a 16.0 per game mark. Kruize Pinkins ranked eighth in the WCC with a 7.2 per game mark while Mark Tollefsen ranks second in the conference in offensive rebounds per game (3.6).

The Lineups
Head coach Rex Walters has emploed three different starting lineups in the first five games. Derrell Roberston and Matt Christiansen alternaed starts in the middle in the first two games of the season, while senior Chris Adams drew his first starting assignment of the year against Evansville. The Dons utilized three starting lineups all of last season.

The Home Record
USF is 2-0 at home this season with wins over South Carolina State and Notre Dame de Namur and are 15-5 on the Memorial Gymnasium hardwood over the last two seasons.

Up Next
USF will play its first true road game of the season Wednesday night when the Dons meet the Colorado Buffaloes in Boulder. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. inside the Coors Events Center. The game marks USF's first trip to Boulder since suffering a 78-54 loss on Dec. 1, 2009 in the middle game of a three-game road trip which also took the Dons to Colorado State and BYU. USF avenged the loss to the Buffaloes the following season, posting a 83-81 victory in Memorial Gymnasium.

Fan Guide
Ticket Information
Individual game tickets for all USF home games this season are available on line at USFDons.com or by calling (415) 422-2USF. General admission tickets are available for as low as $10.
 
Parking Information
Parking is available free of charge two hours prior to tip-off until one hour after the conclusion of the game in any campus lot, with the exception of designated green parking spots and the top of Hayes-Healy garage on Golden Gate Avenue adjacent to the gymnasium.
 
The Hilltop Club Level
USF Athletics is pleased to announce the opening of The Hilltop, a new club level where fans 21 and older can enjoy beverages and catered food options before and during designated games during the 2014-15 season. Located in the upper mezzanine level on the south side of Memorial Gymnasium, The Hilltop will open one hour before tipoff and will remain accessible throughout the game. Beer, wine, soft drinks and catered food options will be available to all fans 21 years of age and older. Admission to the The Hilltop is priced at $25 per game. Season passes for all games with the exception of designated premium games may also be purchased for $250. Food and drink options are extra. The cost does not include a game ticket.