LAS VEGAS – Five players scored in double figures for the University of San Francisco men's basketball team, but no shot was bigger than Jordan Ratinho's 3-point field goal with 6.4 seconds as the Dons defeated Nevada 66-64 in the finale of the Continental Tires Las Vegas Classic at the Orleans Arena on Saturday night.
 
Nevada (11-3) took a 64-61 lead with a minute left, in a contest that featured eight tie scores and 10 lead changes.  Chase Foster scored on an acrobatic layup to pull the Dons within a point with 46 seconds.  USF got a crucial stop, coming up with a loose ball on the far side of the court and raced down the floor with less than 15 seconds when Ratinho drained a three in front of the Dons bench with 6.4 ticks on the clock.
 
The defense still needed one more crucial stop, as UNR's Lindsey Drew missed a potential tying layup at the buzzer.  Nate Renfro, who recorded a monster block in the defensive stand the series before, did just enough to get the miss by Drew.   
 
Foster led the Dons (8-5) with 14 points, he was followed by Frankie Ferrari's 13.  Souley Boum, and Ratinho added 11 apiece, and Nate Renfro scored 10.  Ferrari finished with seven assists and four rebounds in an all-around stellar performance.
 
Nevada was led Caleb Martin's game-high 21 points.  He was joined in double figures by Cody Martin and Kendall Stephens with 14 each.
 
QUOTES AND NOTES
Head Coach Kyle Smith's thoughts on the win:
"Um…fabulous!  Great for our program and great for our guys to be able to beat one of the best teams in the west, they (Nevada) are definitely an NCAA Tournament caliber team, that can win games in the NCAA Tournament.  That really should give us come confidence."
 
On how the Dons distributed the scoring:
"You know I really thought we read their defense well, they were switching a lot of stuff trying to take us out of our offense, but we stayed patient and took advantage of some of the switches and knocked down shots.  We were able to get some penetration and some good looks at three.  I thought Nate great on both ends of the floor, just a great team effort.
 
On tournament MVP Matt McCarthy:
"Matt's really been coming on, he's finally 100 percent healthy, he had two high ankle sprains early in the year.  He's important to us, he moves hard, defensively, rebounding, a good scorer in the low post, I think there's bigger and better things to come." 

• Matt McCarthy was named Tournament MVP, Chase Foster and Nate Renfro joined McCarthy on the All-Tournament Team.
• The Dons had five in double figures for the first time since Mar. 13, 2017 when Ronnie Boyce, Jimbo Lull, Charles Minlend, Ferrari, and Foster all scored in double figures in the opening round of the CBI at Rice last year.
• USF tied a season-high with 11 3-point field goals on the evening, they went  7-for-18 from long range in the first half, and finished the night 11-for-30 (36.7 percent).
• USF went with its seventh different starting lineup this evening, featuring two freshmen, a sophomore and two juniors (Boum, Jurkatamm, Ratinho, McCarthy, Djordjevic). 
• The Dons shot a season-low three free throws all evening.  The last time they attempted less than five free throws in a contest came last season at Saint Mary's when the Dons attempted just one free throw.
• All three free throws were taken by none other than Souley Boum, who went 3-for-3.  He now has 61 made free throws his freshman campaign, which moves him up to eighth all-time for free throws made by a freshman in a single season.  He is two shy of tying Darrel Tucker for seventh with 63.

 
NEXT UP
The Dons will begin West Coast Conference action next Thursday when they travel to San Diego to take on the Toreros at 6:00 p.m.