Game #21
San Francisco Dons (9-11, 3-5 WCC) vs. Loyola Marymount Lions (5-15, 1-7 WCC)
Saturday,  Jan. 24, 2015 • 7:00 p.m.
Memorial Gymnasium • San Francisco, Calif.
Series Record: USF 109-39
Last Meeting: USF 65-61 (March 1, 2014)
Audio/Video Streaming: TheW.tv (Pat Olson, Play-by-Play; Jim Brovelli, Analyst)
Television: None

Complete USF Game Notes (PDF)

The Dandy Dons

• Improved to 9-11 overall and 3-5 in the WCC with Thursday night's 71-59 win over Pepperdine...are tied with Portland for sixth place in the WCC heading into Saturday's action.
• Were 12-8 at the 20-game mark last season...won the next two to improve to 14-8...ultimately finished at 21-12 and 13-5 WCC (t-2nd).
• Looking for its first back-to-back wins since opening the season with three straight victories.
• Swept the season series vs, LMU last year...claimed a 75-51 decision on the Hilltop and closed the regular season with a 65-61 victory in Los Angeles.
• Shot 53.2 percent from the field Thursday vs. Pepperdine, marking the first time USF has shot 50 percent or better since the Houston Baptist game on Dec. 7 (13 games)...now shooting 46.2 percent on the season - fourth best in the WCC.
• Held Pepperdine to just 37.7 percent shooting from the floor - the lowest percentage by an opponent since Portland State shot 20.0 percent on Dec. 18.
• Were outrebounded by Pepperdine, 33-28...have been outrebounded in six of its first eight conference games after outboarding 10 of its first 12 opponents...were +9.7 on the boards vs. non-conference foes and are -3.3 vs. the first eight conference opponents...rank fifth in the WCC in rebound average (36.0) and are sixth in rebound margin (+3.5).
• Three players - Kruize Pinkins (5.6), Mark Tollefsen (5.5) and Matt Glover - are averaging at least 5.0 rebounds per game while Tim Derksen is averagaing 4.8.
• Made 5-of-11 three-point attempts vs. Pepperdine after a 4-for-22 showing at Santa Clara...rank fourth in the WCC in three-point percentage at 37.4 percent...junior Tim Derksen ranks fifth in the WCC in 3-point field goal percentage at .443 (27-for-61).
• Have allowed eight opponents to make at least nine three-pointers in a game...have given up 45 three-pointers over the last five games, including a season high 15 to BYU.
• Shooting 60.5 percent from the line, which ranks 10th in the WCC...are slightly better in conference play at 68.7 percent, which includes a 28-for-32 effort at Portland.
• Freshman Devin Watson scored a team-high 16 points at Pepperdine and is averaging 12.5 ppg in conference action...he has started each of the last six games and is averaging 13.0 ppg (78 total) in his starting assignments.
• Senior Kruize Pinkins leads the team in scoring with a 15.3 ppg mark...Pinkins has scored 20+ points in five games this season.

Notables

Opening Tip
USF (9-11, 3-5 WCC) will look for its second consecutive victory on Saturday when the Dons play host to the Loyola Marymount Lions (5-15, 1-7 WCC) in a 7:00 p.m. start in Memorial Gymnasium. The Dons are coming off a 71-59 victory over Pepperdine on Thursday while the Lions fell at Santa Clara, 65-62.

Series History with Loyola Marymount
USF leads the all-time series with Loyola Marymount, 109-39. The Dons swept the season series last year, claiming a 75-51 victory in Memorial Gymnasium on Jan. 2 and prevailing 65-61 in Los Angeles on March 1. USF has won 14 of the last 20 meetings with LMU and is 40-13 vs. the Lions dating back to the 1990-91 season.  The two schools have met seven times in WCC Tournament action, with the Dons holding a 5-2 edge.

Last Year's Games vs. Loyola Marymount
USF bounced back from a 28-point defeat at Gonzaga to down Loyola Marymount, 75-51 on Jan. 2 at Memorial Gymnasium. Cole Dickerson scored a team-high 20 points while Avry Holmes added 16 to pace the Dons to a wire-to-wire victory over the Lions. USF scored the first six points of the game and quickly built a 10-point lead at 13-3 with 15:45 remaining in the first half. The Dons lead was never fewer than 11 points the rest of the way. USF shot 48.1 percent from the field and outrebounded the Lions, 38-27. Matt Glover recorded his first career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

In the return game on March 1 in Los Angeles, Avry Holmes scored a career high 25 points as USF defeated Loyola Marymount 65-61 for its 20th win of the season. Cole Dickerson finished with 14 points while Kruize Pinkins notched his sixth double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Tim Derksen came off the bench to chip in 10. Matt Glover pulled down 11 rebounds. Holmes scored seven of his 25 points over the last 3:16 of the game, including a three-pointer that gave USF a 59-54 lead with 3:16 left in the game. USF led 56-47 with 5:44 remaining but the Lions scored the next seven points to cut the lead to 56-54 with 3:41 left. LMU's C.J. Blackwell's three-pointer cut the lead to 64-61 with :13 left. Following a timeout, the Dons were called for a five second violation when they were unable to in bounds the ball under the Lion basket. Blackwell missed an open three that would have tied the game with :04 left. Derksen was fouled on the rebound and made one of two free throws with :01 left to account for the 65-61 final. The Dons never trailed in the game.
 
Last Time Out
USF turned in one of it's strongest defensive efforts of the season and controlled the tempo throughout the game to defeat Pepperdine, 71-59 Thursday at Memorial Gymnasium. USF was led in scoring by Devin Watson, who tallied 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the floor. Tim Derksen (15), Kruize Pinkins (12) and Mark Tollefsen (11) also reached double figures. The Dons shot 53.3 percent from the floor and limited the Waves to just 37.7. After leading 31-28 at intermission, USF made eight of its first nine field goal attempts to start the second half and used a 19-6 run to open a 50-34 lead with 13 minutes left in the game. The Waves could get no closer than 11 points down the stretch.

The Record
At 9-11 overall, USF is three games off its pace from last season when the Dons were 12-8 at the 20-game mark. USF won games 21-22 to improve to 14-8 overall before ultimately finishing with a 21-12 overall mark and tied for second in the WCC with a 13-5 conference ledger.

The Wins
Of USF's nine wins this season, eight have been by double digit margins and an average of 23.4 points (82.2 to 58.8). The Dons have posted four wins of 30 points or more against South Carolina State (91-52), Notre Dame de Namur (86-46), Houston Baptist (85-54) and Portland State (77-40) and also own double digit victories over Hawaii (88-73), Montana (76-57), Portland (89-77) and Pepperdine (71-59).

The Home Record
USF is 6-4 on its home floor this season and are 19-10 on the Memorial Gymnasium hardwood over the last two seasons. The Dons are averaging 75.7 points and shooting 50 percent from the floor in 10 home games compared to the road, where they are averaging 62.5 points and shooting 41.6 percent from the field. Last season, the Dons were 13-6 on the Memorial Gymnasium hardwood.

Dons Defensively
USF held Pepperdine to 59 points on Thursday, the lowest scoring output by an opponent since San Diego downed the Dons 57-56 on New Year's night. The Waves managed to shoot just 37.7 percent from the floor, the lowest percentage by a Dons opponent since Portland State shot 20.0 percent. USF is being outscored by and average of 6.6 ppg (73.8-67.2) in its eight conference games and now ranks seventh in the WCC in points allowed per game (67.7). After limiting 12 non-conference opponents to 38.9 percent shooting from the floor, the first eightWCC foes have clipped the nets at 48.6 percent. USF ranks fourth overall in field goal defense at 42.5 percent.

Defending the Three
USF's last five opponents have combined to make 45-of-108 (41.6) of its three-point tries. The Dons allowed a combined 27 three-pointers in back-to-back 31-point losses to BYU (15) and Gonzaga (12). After limiting Portland to six three-pointers, Santa Clara nailed 10-of-21 of its long distance attempts in a 70-64 win over the Dons last Saturday. For the season, USF is allowing opponents to shot 37.4 percent from three-point range, which ranks eighth in the WCC. Eight opponents have made at least nine three-pointers against USF this season.

Board Work
After outrebounding 10 of its 12 opponents by 8.3 boards a game, USF has been outrebounded in six of its first eight conference games, 33.6 to 29.9. USF ranks fifth the WCC in rebound average at 36.0 per game and sixth in rebound margin (+3.5). The Dons also rank fifth in the conference in offensive rebounds with a 11.4 per game mark. Three players - Kruize Pinkins (5.6), Mark Tollefsen (5.5) and Matt Glover - are averaging at least 5.0 rebounds per game while Tim Derksen is averagaing 4.8. All four players have pulled down 10 or more rebounds in a game this season.

From the Field
USF shot 53.2 percent from the floor against Pepperdine, marking the first time in 13 games the Dons managed to hit the 50 percent mark. USF is shooting 44.1 percent from the field over its first eight conference games and rank fourth in the conference in season field goal percentage at 46.2. USF has shot 50 percent or better from the floor just five times this season. Mark Tollefsen ranks ninth in the WCC in field goal percentage at 52.6 while Kruize Pinkins ranks 11th (51.2).

From the Line
USF is shooting 60.5 percent from the foul line, which ranks last in the WCC. The Dons are slightly better in conference action at 68.7 percent. USF has made just 113-of-215 (52.6) of their free throws in 11 losses which have come by a total of 137 points.

Beyond the Arc
USF has made 9-of-33 of its three-point attempts aover the last two games and now ranks fourth in the WCC in three-point field goal percentage at .374 (137-for-366). Junior Tim Derksen (44.3 27-for-61) ranks fourth among the WCC's top long distance marksmen.

D-Watz
Freshman Devin Watson has started each of the last six games at the point guard postion and is averaging 13.0 points, 1.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in those six games. He is the Dons third-leading scorer in conference play at 12.5 ppg, trailing only Kruize Pinkins (13.5) and Mark Tollefsen (13.0). Watson now ranks as the Dons fourth-leading scorer on the season at 8.1 points per game.

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.
 
Promotions
USF will celebrate the 60th anniversary of its first of back-to-back NCAA Championships at halftime as many of the players from both the 1955 and '56 teams will be in attendance.
 
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.