The University of San Francisco men's basketball team is off to one the best starts in program history.  On Saturday afternoon they will put their four-game winning streak on the line when Stanford comes to the Hilltop for the first time since 1987.  Saturday's game will be televised nationally on Pac-12 Network with Barry Tompkins and Dan Belluomini on the call.  As always, fans can tune their radio dial to 1550-AM The GAME, the official home of USF Dons Basketball, to hear Pat Olson and Jim Brovelli call the action live courtside.

GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: Dec. 22, 2018 – 2:00 p.m. PST
Opponent: Stanford Cardinal (6-4, 0-0 Pac-12)
Site: War Memorial at the Sobrato Center
Television: Pac-12 Network
Talent: Barry Tomkins (play-by-play) and Dan Belluomini (analyst)
Radio:  1550-AM The GAME
Talent: Pat Olson (play-by-play) and Jim Brovelli (analyst)
Live Stats: USFDons.com
Game Notes: USF vs. Stanford
 
USF AT A GLANCE

• USF is riding a four-game winning streak, their second streak of at least four wins or more this season.  USF opened the season with a seven game winning streak.  Last season, the Dons had just one streak of at least four games, that came during their stretch in the CBI.
• The Dons 11-1 start is the 10th time in program history since WWII that USF has started 11-1 or better through the first 12 games.  Eight of the previous nine teams advanced to the post season.
• USF's 11-1 start is the best since the 1999-00 season when that team went on a 12-game winning streak to finish non-conference play at 12-1.
• Saturday's game is the second matchup against a Pac-12 foe for the Dons this year, earlier this season they beat Cal in Berkeley.  Under head coach Kyle Smith the Dons are 2-2 against Pac-12 foes.
• Sophomore guard Charles Minlend celebrated his 21st birthday on Wednesday with a bang - during the win over Northern Arizona he scored his 500th career point.  USF has five current players with 500 or more points.
• The Dons remain strong in the NET rankings. USF is still in the top-25 sitting at 23rd as of Friday morning.  The Dons are one of two WCC teams in the Top-25 with Gonzaga ranked 14th.
• For the second-straight week, USF is receiving votes in the weekly AP Poll.  The Dons notched two votes this week.  Prior to last week, the last time the Dons received votes was the 1999-00 season.
• USF is currently sixth in the nation in scoring margin at +20.9. After defeating Northern Arizona by 16, the Dons have nine wins by 15 or more this season.

 
THE SERIES
The series between USF and Stanford goes all the way back to 1913-14 before basketball was a recognized sport at USF.  Saturday's contest will be the 68th meeting between the two schools with Stanford holding a 46-21 advantage in the series.  In the first meeting between, the Cardinal defeated the "Grey Fog" 22-20 on the Farm in 1913-14.  At home, the Dons are 10-6.  The last time Stanford visited the Hilltop was on Dec. 12, 1987 when Stanford came away with the 68-67 win. The last time the Dons defeated Stanford came on Nov. 2, 1995 when the Dons defeated the 16th ranked Cardinal 59-58 at the Cow Palace. Stanford has won the four-straight over the Dons.
 
ABOUT THE CARDINAL
Stanford enters Saturday's contest with a 6-4 overall record.  The young Cardinal squad boasts a roster that features 11 of 15 players in their first or second year on the roster. Stanford is one of four teams that have started all freshmen or sophomores. The Cardinal were picked to finish ninth in the Pac-12 in the media poll.  On the road this year, Stanford is 1-2 which includes losses at North Carolina and a 90-84 overtime loss at No. 2 Kansas. Leading the team in scoring is sophomore forward KZ Okpala who is averaging 16.8 points per game.
 
LAST GAME AGAINST STANFORD
On Dec. 17, 2017 the Dons and Cardinal reignited an annual rivalry that had only been played four times since 1995, when USF traveled to Maples Pavilion.  The Cardinal came away with the 71-59 victory over the Dons.  USF struggled to get into a shooting rhythm connecting on just 26 percent of its 3-point field goal attempts going 8-for-30.  On the defensive side of the ball, USF had trouble containing First Team All-Pac-12 honoree Reid Travis who led all scorers with 29 points.  Former Dons' Chase Foster and Souley Boum led the USF with 14 points apiece. The Dons went into the locker room trailing 38-21 and actually outscored the Cardinal in the second half. But the Cardinal, with their 36 points in the paint, maintained the lead and came away with the home victory. 
 
UP NEXT
The Dons will be off for a week and when they return to action it will be in Santa Barbara when they take on the Gauchos at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 29.  It will be the final non-conference game of the 2018-19 season. 
 
After that, USF returns home and will open conference play against Saint Mary's on Thursday, January 3 at 6:00 p.m.  Tickets for the Saint Mary's game are expected to be sold out, be sure to reserve your chance to see the Dons and Gaels renew their rivalry now by purchasing your ticket now at Dons Ticket Central.