Dons Open Four Game Homestand Thursday Against Eastern Washington

The University of San Francisco men's basketball team is back in action after being off a week for finals. The Dons will begin a four-game homestand on Thursday when Eastern Washington comes to the Hilltop for the third time in the last four years. Thursday's game will be streamed live on TheW.tv with Pat Olson and Jim Brovelli on the call. Fans can also tune into the official home of USF Basketball on 1550-AM The GAME with Olson and Brovelli.

GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: Dec. 13, 2018 – 7:00 p.m. PST
Opponent: Eastern Washington Eagles (1-6, 0-0 Big Sky Conference)
Site: War Memorial at the Sobrato Center
Streaming: TheW.tv
Talent: Pat Olson (play-by-play) and Jim Brovelli (analyst)
Radio: 1550-AM The GAME
Talent: Pat Olson (play-by-play) and Jim Brovelli (analyst)
Live Stats: USFDons.com
Game Notes: USF vs. EWU

USF AT A GLANCE

The Dons were off the last week for finals week, they return to action Thursday night for the start of a four-game homestand when Eastern Washington comes to town.
USF improved to 8-1 on the season with a 19-point win on the road over Bay Area rival Cal. The win for the Dons was the third largest ever over the Bears and was their first win in Berkeley since 1991.
Redshirt sophomore guard Charles Minlend recorded his first career double-double in the win over the Bears when he scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. It is the fourth double-double of the year by a Don, Matt McCarthy has the other three.
With the 19-point win over Cal, USF's seventh by 18 or more this season, the Dons moved up to 7th in the nation in scoring margin. USF is +22.1 over their opponents this season.
Head coach Kyle Smith achieved another milestone, with the win over the Bears he won his 50th as the head coach at USF. For his career he is 151-113 in nine seasons as a head coach split between Columbia and USF.
In the latest AP Poll, the Dons are receiving five votes. It is the first time since the 1999-00 season that USF has received votes in the poll.
USF's 8-1 start is their best since the 1999-00 season. That year, the Dons lost to Maryland in the season opener but rattled off 12-straight to end non-conference play 12-1.

THE SERIES
Thursday's matchup is the sixth in the series between the Dons and Eagles. EWU holds a 3-2 advantage in the series winning three-straight from 2014-16. The first match up was on Dec. 1, 1995 with USF winning 66-48 - the largest margin of victory for either team in the series. At home, USF is 2-2 against the Eagles.

ABOUT THE EAGLES
Eastern Washington enters Thursday's contest with a 1-6 record after falling to South Dakota State 74-67 on Dec.8. On the road this year, EWU is 0-5. As a team, they are averaging 62.9 points per game, but surrendering 79.1. The Eagles have played an impressive non-conference schedule, playing Syracuse and Oregon as well as road contests against Washington and Seattle. Leading EWU is Jesse Hunt who is averaging 15.9 ppg while shooting 53.2 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from 3-point range.

LAST GAME AGAINST EASTERN WASHINGTON
The last time the Dons faced Eastern Washington was on Dec. 7, 2017 at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center. The Dons ended a three-game skid against the Eagles with an 81-71 win over the visitors. USF was led by Matt McCarthy's 17 points and seven rebounds. He was one of four Dons in double figures.

UP NEXT
The Dons will have a quick turnaround as they play four games in the next 10 days. On Sunday, Dec. 16 USF will host Cal State Fullerton at 1:00 p.m. Tickets for that game can be purchased at Dons Ticket Central.

Players Mentioned

Matt McCarthy

Charles Minlend

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