LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Competing in their first road contest of the season on Thursday night, the University of San Francisco men's basketball team (7-0, 0-0 WCC) secured a win on Thanksgiving for the second straight season as the Dons defeated Towson (3-3, 0-0 CAA), 71-61 at Orleans Arena.
 
Notably, Thursday's win over Towson pushes USF's winning streak to seven consecutive games to begin the year, marking the third time in the last four seasons and the second time under Todd Golden in which the Dons have started 7-0.
 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

• Trading baskets to open the contest, the Dons jumped in front, 10-9, following a beautiful cross court pass from Jamaree Bouyea to Yauhen Masslaski, who then buried the corner triple to give USF the one-point advantage.
• As the first half played on, each team would continue to exchange blows, but the Dons began to found their groove offensively following the 8:00 media timeout. Following their huddle, USF used the strength of three consecutive three-pointers to extend their lead to double digits, 30-20.
• Keeping close, the Tigers trimmed their deficit to nine points at the halftime break, but USF remained on top, 39-30, heading into the locker room.
• Aiming to battle back, Towson came within five, 43-38, less than four minutes into the second half following a layup from Nicolas Timberlake. However, the Dons responded once again with back-to-back baskets from Josh Kunen and Gabe Stefanini to extend their advantage back to ten, 48-38, at the 14:55 mark.
• Showing their grit, the Tigers continued to fight as they clawed back to within three points, 63-60, down the stretch. Answering right back, USF would ultimately close out the game on an 8-1 run, which included four clutch free throws from Stefanini. Hanging on for the second straight season, the Dons secured their seventh consecutive victory a final score of 71-61 to advance to the championship game of the 2021 Las Vegas Invitational. 

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• Dominating in another all-around effort, Bouyea was named the Player of the Game after logging his third consecutive 20-point performance in the win. Overall, the Seaside native poured in 22 points (8-16 FG, 4-8 3PT) while also grabbing a season-high nine rebounds in a season-high 39 minutes of action. Additionally, Bouyea also added five assists, one block and one steal.
• Becoming a consistent presence down low, Massalski reached double figures for the fourth time this season on Thursday night as the forward finished with 13 points (5-8 FG, 1-1 3PT), five rebounds, one block and one steal.
• As a team, USF shot an impressive 49.0 percent (25-51) from the field and 44.0 percent (11-25) while also leading the Tigers in points in the paint (26-22), second chance points (13-9), fast break points (12-9) and bench points (20-11).

POSTGAME:

• To view the full highlights of tonight's win over Towson, please click here.
• To view the full postgame interview with head coach Todd Golden, please click here.

UP NEXT:
USF will face University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) tomorrow night, Friday, Nov, 26 at 8:30 pm in the championship game of the 2021 Las Vegas Invitational. Friday's contest will air live on FS1 and on KNBR 1050 at 8:30 pm. Eric Rothman and Richie Schueler will have the call on FS1 while Pat Olson and Jim Brovelli will have the call on KNBR. Live streaming, live audio and live statistics are available via the team's schedule page.
 
FOLLOW US:
For updates and more information on the USF men's basketball program, follow the Dons @USFDonsMBB on Twitter, @USFDonsMBB on Instagram and @USFDonsMBB on Facebook.