LAS VEGAS – In a razor thin contest, the University of San Francisco men's basketball team's last second inbound play with 0.02 seconds remaining went wide right of the rim sealing the win for Duquesne on Friday at the Orleans Arena.

USF (7-5) trailed for most of the first and second half, but took a 56-55 lead late in the game thanks to a 9-0 run spearheaded by the monumental play by Nate Renfro and 3-point shooting by Frankie Ferrari and Chase Foster. 

Over the remaining three minutes the two sides traded barbs with the Dukes taking a 66-62 lead with 16.6 seconds left.  Matt McCarthy capped off his brilliant offensive performance, throwing down a monster two-hand dunk while getting fouled, he completed the three-point play to cut the deficit to one.   

Duquesne's Mike Lewis, who scored a game-high 20 points, left the door open for USF after missing his first free throw with 9.8 ticks remaining.  After a timeout, Foster who was red-hot for the Dons, sent up a shot from the far elbow that sailed wide.  The Dons had one last opportunity when the rebound from Foster's attempt went out of bounds and was last touched by the Dukes with .02 remaining, but it wouldn't matter as Taavi Jurkatamm's prayer sailed wide of the rim.

McCarthy led the Dons with 19 points, a new career-high.  He was sensational in the low block, finishing two rebounds shy of his second double-double in as many games.  Souley Boum and Foster were the other two Dons in double figures with Boum scoring 14 and Foster chipping in 13.
 
QUOTES AND NOTES
Head coach Kyle Smith on the game:
"It's a lot of what we expected. They are an old, strong, good defensive, well coached team.  It was a good test for us, their pressure got to us in the first half but we were able to persevere. I'm proud of our guys, we took the lead, had opportunities there.  We had some miscues in key situations that hopefully we will build upon.  As far as execution, the last two plays the guys tried to do what we drew up and it just wasn't successful.  Credit to them, they played hard."
 
On the play of Nate Renfro in the second half:
"Nate was sensational.  In the first half, he tried to pay with the mask and he dropped the ball because he couldn't see with the mask, I've coached enough guys that have played with a broken nose it's just almost better off not playing with the mask.  He went no mask in the second half and he was just electric, made so many big-time blocks and defensive plays and gave us a chance to win, he was really energizing.  That's really nice when you can get that from your junior captain."
 

• With the loss, the Dons fall to 0-3 away from War Memorial at the Sobrato Center. 
• Souley Boum went to the line seven times tonight, making five of them.  He now has 58 made free throws on the season, moving him into ninth place for most free throws in a single season by a freshman, surpassing the mark of 57 made free throws by Cody Doolin in 2010-11.  Next up is Gerald Walker at eighth with 59 set in 1992-93.
• The Dons offense was very officiant on the evening, shooting 46.3 percent from the field (25-54), it is the highest shooting percentage for the Dons in a loss this season. The previous best was 37.3 percent in the season opening loss against Long Beach State on Nov. 10.
• The Dons owned the paint tonight, of their 65 points, 38 came inside the key, a season-high.  Of their 22 points in the first half, 18 came inside the paint, the remaining four came via free throws.

 
NEXT UP
The Dons do not have to wait long for the next chance to get back into the win column.  USF returns to action tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m. when they take on Nevada in the finale of the Continental Tires Las Vegas Classic.  The game will be broadcast live on FS1.