DENTON, Texas – After a slow start on offense, the University of San Francisco men's basketball team went on a 17-7 run midway through the second half to cut the deficit to one point. Unfortunately for the Dons, their run came up short and host North Texas would hang on to win 88-77 and claim the College Basketball Invitational Championship.
 
USF (22-17) played beautiful basketball in the second half, scoring 50 points after the intermission.  The Dons shot just 31.0 percent in the first half and committed seven turnovers.  Out of the break, USF tightened the turnovers and played ferocious defense. 
 
Three players finished in double figures for USF on the evening.  Frankie Ferrari scored a team-high 19 points going 6-for-19 from the floor and 5-for-11 from beyond the arc.  After halftime he was 5-for-11 from the floor, going 5-for-9 from 3-point range.
 
Junior Nate Renfro recorded his first career double-double.  He scored a career-high 18 points while grabbing 11 rebounds, which tied his career-high.  Renfro was 6-for-12 from the field and 5-for-7 from the free throw line, he also dished out a pair of assists, while recording one block and one assist.
 
Playing in his final game, senior Chase Foster finished with 12 points.  Foster was 3-for-8 from the field and a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line.  He finishes his career with 855 points.  He scored 708 of his points the last two seasons and was the catalyst for the Dons reaching 20 wins in back-to-back years for the first time in 36 seasons.
 
Free throws proved to be the difference in tonight's game.  USF was 19-for-30 from the charity stripe on the evening.  North Texas (20-18) was 32-for-43 from the free throw line.  Leading the Mean Green in scoring was Roosevelt Smart who finished with a game-high 25 points.  He was joined by three other players in double figures.
 
GAME NOTES

• The 22 wins by USF in 2017-18 are the most since the Dons won 25 in 1981-82.
• In head coach Kyle Smith's two seasons the Dons have gone 42-30 for a .583 winning percentage.  It is the third best winning percentage for a coach in his first two seasons on the Hilltop in the history of the program.  He follows only Pete Barry and Dan Belluomini.
• USF wrapped up the month of March 5-3, with four postseason tournament wins.  The five wins in the month of March are the most since USF went 7-0 in march in 1956. 

 
NEXT GAME
Tonight's game wraps up a tremendous 2017-18 season.  Fans can purchase season tickets for the 2018-19 season by clicking here.