Game Highlights and Post-Game Comments

SAN FRANCISCO – Charles Minlend scored 14 points and Matt McCarthy added 11 to lead USF to a 75-50 win over Portland on Thursday night in War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
 
The win, the Dons' second in a row after a four-game losing streak, improves the team's record to 13-7 overall and 3-4 in the West Coast Conference. The Pilots drop to 9-9 and 2-4 in the WCC after absorbing their fourth straight loss.
 
The Dons shot 50 percent from the field while limiting Portland to just 36 percent. The Pilots 50 points were the lowest scoring output by an opponent this season.
 
USF held Portland's high-scoring backcourt of Alec Wintering and Jazz Johnson in check, as the duo combined to score just 20 points on 8-of-22 shooting from the floor. Gabe Taylor scored a team-high 15 points for the Pilots.
 
After being outrebounded in each of the last four games and six of the last seven contests, USF outrebounded Portland, 43-27, with McCarthy pulling down a team-high nine boards. Ronnie Boyce and Remu Raitanen had seven boards each.
 

Chase Foster added nine points to go along with five rebounds while Nate Renfro delighted the crowd with three ESPN-highlight worthy slams, as the sophomore finished with seven points and five rebounds.
 
USF also received 31 points from its bench, marking the 14th consecutive game the Dons' reserves have had the upper hand in the scoring column.
 
Minlend made 5-of-9 shots from the floor, including 2-of-3 from distance, to lead the team in scoring for the seventh time this season. It also marks the third consecutive game in which a Dons' freshman has taken team-high scoring honors.
 
The two teams got off to somewhat of a sluggish start and were tied at 17-17 with 8:36 remaining in the first half. Frankie Ferrari then hit a three-pointer to ignite a 13-0 run which gave the Dons a 30-17 lead with 3:43 left in the first period.
 
After leading 35-24 at intermission, the Dons scored on their first two possessions of the second half to open a 39-24 lead. USF's lead was never fewer than 20 points after Mladen Djordjevic's three-pointer gave the Dons a 54-34 advantage with 11:24 remaining.
 
"I thought we were really good defensively tonight and we rebounded well," said USF head coach Kyle Smith. "Wintering (Alec) and Johnson (Jazz) are really hard to guard but we were able to hold them in check a bit tonight.
 
"Matt McCarthy did a great job on the boards tonight. We challenged our perimeter guys to be more active, as well, and I was very pleased with their effort."
 
The Dons will bring a two-game winning streak into Saturday's contest at San Diego, which also has won two in a row after picking up a 69-62 road win at Loyola Marymount tonight. The Toreros also received a confidence booster with an 88-75 win over BYU last Saturday. The Dons won the first meeting of the year between the two schools on Dec. 29 in San Francisco, 80-74, but were outscored, 46-29 after the break.
 
"San Diego is playing really well right now," said Smith. "Tyler Williams has given them a boost and Carter is really good. They play a little like us in that they share the ball and shoot the three. We will have our hands full."
 
USF's game at San Diego Saturday tips off at 6:00 p.m. at Jenny Craig Pavilion. The game will be video streamed live on TheW.tv and broadcast on 95.7 FM The Game. It will mark the first of three consecutive road games for the Dons, who next return to the Hilltop on Feb. 2 to face the Pepperdine Waves. Tickets are available on-line at USFDons.com/tickets or by calling (415) 422-2USF.

Also make your plans to make reservations for the annual Father Hubert "Hub" Flynn Hall of Fame Dinner on Friday, Feb. 3. Among this year's inductees is former Don great James Hardy,