Game 7
San Francisco Dons (4-2, 0-0 WCC) vs. Eastern Washington Eagles (3-3, 0-0 Big Sky)
Tuesday,  Dec. 1, 2015 • 7:00 p.m.
War Memorial at The Sobrato Center • San Francisco, Calif.
Series Record: Tied 1-1
Last Meeting: Eastern Washington 81-76 (Dec. 11, 2014)
Audio/Video Streaming: TheW.tv (Pat Olson, Play-by-Play; Jim Brovelli, Analyst)
Television: None
Live Stats: USFDons.com

Complete USF Game Notes (PDF) | Complete Eastern Washington Game Notes (PDF)

USF at a Glance

• Improved to 4-2 on the season with a 67-47 home win over Delaware State on Sunday...Devin Watson scored a game-high 18 points while Tim Derksen added 14....Dons used 61.5 percent shooting in the second half to pull away from the Hornets.
• Play the last of four consecutive home games on Tuesday against Eastern Washington (3-3)...two schools have split their two previous meetings with the Eagles taking last year's game on the Hilltop, 81-76.
• Today's game continues a stretch that will see USF play four games in eight days...following the CS Northridge game on Dec. 7, Dons will take an 11-day break for finals.
• Are 3-1 at home this season and are 24-15 on the Hilltop over the last three seasons...are 73-39 (.651) at home under head coach Rex Walters.
• Of the Dons four wins this season, two have been by a combined total of four points (78-75 at Illinois-Chicago; 58-57 vs. UC Riverside) while two others have been by a combined total of 47 points (80-54 vs. Rice; 67-47 vs. Delaware State)...were 1-4 in games decided by five points or fewer last season.
• Shooting 27.8 percent (29-for-104) in the first half of its last four games but have warmed up to shoot 53.2 percent (57-for-107) in the second half.
• Rank third in the WCC in opponent scoring average (63.2) and opponent field goal percentage (.370).
• Sophomore point guard Devin Watson leads the Dons and is tied with Gonzaga's Kyle Wiltjer for first in WCC scoring average at 18.8 ppg...has been in double-figures in all six games this season including a pair of 20-point games...also ranks fifth in assist average at 5.7.
• Senior guard Tim Derksen is averaging 14.2 ppg and a team-best 7.3 boards a game...he ranks 10th among WCC players in scoring and eighth in rebounding from his two-guard position.
• Both Watson and Derksen have scored in double-figures in each of the first six games of the year and are averaging 33.0 ppg this season (198 total) - nearly half of the Dons scoring average of 69.2.
• After scoring a combined 72 points in the first two games of the season, USF's bench has scored a total of 44 points in the last four games (11.0)..bench is averaging 19.3 points per game this season (116 total).
• After going 22-of-39 from the free throw line in the opener at Illinois-Chicago, USF is 68-for-94 (72.3) over its last five games...shooting 67.7 percent from the line this season - fifth best in the WCC.
• Have outrebounded four of its first six opponents, narrowly losing the battle of the boards to Fresno State (35-38) and UC Santa Barbara (35-34)...are +35 in the rebound column and rank fourth in the WCC in rebound margin (+5.8).
• With 116 wins in seven-plus seasons on the Hilltop, Rex Walters is ranks sixth on USF's all-time career win list among coaches.
• Travel to Missoula, Mt. to meet Montana on Friday night at Dahlberg Arena in the team's final non-conference road game of the season...return home to face Cal State-Northridge Monday night on the Hilltop.

Notables

Opening Tip
USF (4-2, 0-0 WCC) wraps up a stretch of four consecutive home games on Tuesday when the Dons play host to the Eastern Washington Eagles (3-3, 0-0 Big Sky). The Dons are coming off a 67-47 victory over Delaware State on Sunday while the Eagles fell to South Dakota, 77-71 in a neutral court game played in Sacramento.

USF-Eastern Washington Series History
USF and Eastern Washington have met just twice over the years, with each school winning one game. The Dons scored a 66-48 victory on Dec. 1, 1995 here on the Hilltop as part of the Met Life Classic, while the Eagles came out on top, 81-76 in a game played on Dec. 11 in San Francisco.

Last Year's Meeting With Eastern Washington
USF dropped a 81-76 decision to Eastern Washington on Dec. 11 of last season in San Francisco, marking the Dons first home loss of the year after four consecutive wins. The Dons trailed by as many as 12 points in the first half and led only briefly three times in the second frame. Kruize Pinkins finished with career highs in both points (30) and rebounds (14) while Tim Derksen added 14 and Mark Tollefsen finished with 13. The Dons made just 16-of-30 of their free throw attempts in the five-point loss . Onnjen Milkovic scored 20 points while Tyler Harvey added 19 to lead four Eagles who scored in double figures. Eastern Washington made 12-of-25 three-pointers in the game, including four each by Milkovic and Harvey.

Last Time Out
USF combined hot-shooting and stifling defensive play in the second half to defeat Delaware State, 67-47 Sunday afternoon in War Memorial at The Sobrato Center. After trailing 25-23 at intermission, USF shot 61.5 percent from the field in the second half and held the Hornets to just 12 points over the last 13 minutes of the game to improve to 4-2 on the season. Sophomore guard Devin Watson led all scorers with 18 points while senior Tim Derksen added 14 to pace USF's scorers. With the Dons holding a 38-35 lead with 13:00 left, USF scored 16 straight points run over the next five minutes to open a 54-35 advantage with 8:00 left and led by as many as 27 points at 66-39 with 3:11 left before winning by the final count of 67-47.

The Wins and Losses
USF has won four games this season by a margin of 12.7 points. Of the four victories, two have been by a combined total of four points (78-75 at Illinois-Chicago; 58-57 vs. UC Riverside) while two others have been by a combined total of 47 points (80-54; Rice; 67-47 vs. Delaware State). USF was 1-4 in games decided by five points or fewer last season. The Dons never led in losses to Fresno State and UC Santa Barbara and used a last second layup by Tim Derksen to defeat UC Riverside.  Of USF's 14 wins last season, 10 were by double-digit margins.

Dons Defensively
USF held Delaware State to 47 points and 33.3 percent shooting from the floor - both lows for an opponent this season. The Dons are allowing opponents just 62.3 points and 37 percent shooting from the floor. Both figures rank third in the WCC.

From the Floor
The Dons have shot 50 percent in one game this season (Rice; 50.8) and are shooting 42.1 percent from the field at the six-game mark of the season, which ranks fifth in the WCC. USF shot 50 percent or better from the field just eight times all last season and finished fourth in the WCC in field goal percentage at 45.1 percent.

Toeing the Line
After making just 22-of-39 (56.4) of its free throws at Illinois-Chicago, USF has knocked down 68-of-94 (72.3) of its free throws over its last five games and is now shooting 67.7 percent from the line this season -- fifth best in the WCC. Last season, USF ranked last in the WCC with a 62.9 free throw percentage, which was the lowest mark since the 1985-86 season (62.4).

From Distance
USF made a season high nine 3-pointers against Delaware State and is now shooting 32.8 percent (43-for-131) from three-point range after six games this season -- fourth-best in the WCC. Sophomore Chase Foster leads the team in 3-point accuracy at 40.7 (11-for-27) while Devin Watson tops the team in 3's made (14).

Board Work
USF has outrebounded four of its first six opponents and is +35 in the rebound column after six games. USF narrowly lost the battle of the boards to Fresno State (35-38) and UC Santa Barbara (35-34) and are averaging 42.3 boards a game, which ranks third in the WCC. USF also ranks fourth in the conference in rebound margin (+5.8). The Dons outrebounded 10 of its 12 non-conference opponents last year but were outrebounded in 15 of its last 20 games of the year against WCC foes.

Good Hands
The Dons have committed 84 turnovers in six game (14.0) compared to the opponents, which have made 63 on the year. USF ranks ninth in the WCC in turnover margin (3.5) and eighth in assist-turnover ratio (1.0). Of the Dons 141 total field goals, 81 (57.4) have come via an assist. USF is also averaging 4.0 steals a game to rank ninth in the WCC.

The Bench
USF's bench scored a combined 72 points over the first two games of the season vs. Illinois-Chicago (35) and vs. Rice (37), but has been outscored 96-44 in its last four contests at Fresno State (12-24), UC Riverside (0-19), UC Santa Barbara (19-20) and Delaware State (13-33). USF's reserves are averaging 19.3 ppg this season (116 in 6 games), compared to the opponent's at 24.0 (144).

Slow Starts
USF has been plagued by slow starts in each of its last four games. The Dons have scored just 93 first half points over its last four games (23.3) against Fresno State (27), UC Riverside (23), UC Santa Barbara (20) and Delaware State (23) and are shooting just 27.8 percent (29-for-104) over the first 20 minutes in those contests.

High-Scoring Backcourt
USF's starting guard combination of sophomore Devin Watson and Tim Derksen is shaping up to be one of the best guard tandems in the WCC.  The two players have combined to score 33.0 ppg (198 total) and have led the team in scoring in all six games this season. The duo accounts for 47.7 percent (198 of 415) of the Dons point production this season.

Watson Shares WCC Scoring Lead
Six games into the season sophomore point guard Devin Watson is averaging 18.8 points a game and is tied with Gonzaga's Kyle Wiltjer for first in WCC scoring. He has been in double-figures in all six games this season, including a pair of 20-point contests (24 at Fresno State; 27 vs. UC Riverside). He is also averaging 5.7 assists per game (5th WCC).

Derksen's Doubles
Senior guard Tim Derksen recorded his second double-double of the season and third of his career against UC Riverside, finishing with 11 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. He also had a double-double in the season-opener at Illinois-Chicago (17-12). Six games into the season, Derksen ranks in the WCC's top-10 in both scoring (t-10; 14.2) and rebounding (8th; 7.3).

Derksen on USF's 3-Point Charts
Tim Derksen has made 7-for-20 (.350) of his 3-point tries over his first six games and is now shooting 39.0 percent (104-for-266) from long distance for his career, good for eighth on USF's all-time career list. Shawn Sykes (1988-90) is USF's all-time leader in 3-point percentage at 44.4 (98-for-218).

USF's Career Three-Point Percentage Leaders
1.    Shawn Sykes (1988-90)    98-218    .444
2.    Danny Cavic (2005-08)    130-295    .440
3,    Avry Holmes (2012-14)    98-223    .439
4.    Kevin Weeks (1990-92)    60-142    .423
5.    Joel DeBortoli (1987-90)    60-142    .423
6.    Gerald Walker (1992-96)    142-359    .395
7.    Shamell Stallworth (1999    153-389    .393
8.    Tim Derksen (2012    104-266    .390
9.    Darrell Tucker (1999-03)    116-301    .385
10.    Tim Owens (1990-92)    65-170    .382

Scouting Report

About Eastern Washington
Bring a 3-3 record into Tuesday night's game against USF…split a pair of games last weekend at the Sacramento State Invitational…defeated Pacific, 70-63 before falling to South Dakota, 77-71…return five letterwinners and one starter off of last year's 26-win NCAA Tournament team…four Eagles are averaging in double figures, including Austin McBroom (14.3), Bogden Bliznyuk (14.5), Venky Jois (14.0) and Felix Von Hofe (13.8)…Bliznyuk was the Big Sky Freshman of the Year last season after coming off the bench to average 8.7 points and 4.0 rebounds…Jois, a first-team All-Big Sky selection last year, has a school-record 199 career blocked shots, which rank fourth all-time in the Big Sky Conference…team is averaging 80.5 points per game…last year's NCAA Tournament team averaged 80.6 points a game, which ranked third in the nation among Division I teams…picked to finish third in the Big Sky Conference by both the media and coaches behind Weber State and Montana…finished 26-9 a year ago and earned a share of the Big Sky regular season title with a 14-4 record…swept through the Big Sky Tournament to earn the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, where it fell to Georgetown...among the seven letterwinners lost off last year's team was guard Tyler Harvey, who drafted in the second round of the NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic and is currently playing for the Erie Bay Hawks of the NBA D-League…head coach Jim Hayford, last year's Big Sky Coach of the Year, is in his fifth season in Cheney.

Fan Information

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
Fans 21 and older can enjoy beverages and catered food options before and during designated games during the season in the Hilltop Club Level. Located in the upper mezzanine level on the south side of War Memorial at The Sobrato Center, The Hilltop Club Level 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.