SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Aiming for revenge following a tough loss on the Hilltop on Jan. 27, the University of San Francisco men's basketball team (21-6, 8-4 WCC) will make the short trip to Moraga on Thursday night for a battle with Saint Mary's (20-6, 8-3 WCC) at University Credit Union Pavilion.
GAME 28 INFORMATION:
Date/Time: Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022- 7:00 pm
Opponent: Saint Mary's (20-6, 8-3 WCC)
Site: University Credit Union Pavilion (Moraga, Calif.)
Watch: NBC Sports Bay Area+ (TV) or
WCC Network (online stream)
Listen: KNBR 1050 (Pat Olson + Jim Brovelli)
Live Stats: SIDEARM Live Stats
DONS AT A GLANCE:
- Recording their second season sweep of the year in their last time on the hardwood, USF took care of Santa Clara on the road, 74-58, on Saturday, Feb. 12 to move to 2-0 on the year over the Broncos as four Dons finished in double figures: Yauhen Massalski (19 points), Jamaree Bouyea (12 points), Khalil Shabazz (11 points) and Gabe Stefanini (11 points).
- Sitting in sole possession of third place in the WCC with an 8-4 conference record heading into Thursday, USF is currently one of three teams in the conference with 20 total wins already (Gonzaga- 22, SMC- 20) as the Dons rank No. 25 in KenPom's College Basketball ratings and No. 32 in the NCAA's Net Rankings.
- Showcasing their elite talent on both sides of the ball, Bouyea currently sits second in the WCC in points per game (17.9 ppg) while Massalski leads the league in rebounds per game (9.7 rpg) and offensive rebounds (97). Defensively, Massalski also ranks third in blocks per game (2.3 bpg) while Shabazz is second in the WCC in steals (1.9 spg). Proving to be a workhouse no matter the circumstance, Bouyea also paces the conference with an average of 35.6 minutes played per game.
SCOUTING THE GAELS:
- Traveling north to take on the nation's top team in their last time out, Saint Mary's jumped ahead early on No. 1 Gonzaga as the Gaels held the lead through the first ten minutes of play, but the Bulldogs quickly responded to gain control as they pushed their home winning streak to 65 straight contests with a 74-58 win over SMC.
- Similar to USF, Saint Mary's ranks No. 20 in KenPom's College Basketball ratings and No. 22 in the NCAA's Net Rankings as the Gaels are the second highest team in the WCC on both of these lists, trailing only No. 1 Gonzaga.
- With defense and controlling the tempo as two of their main focal points, Saint Mary's currently sits atop the WCC in average points allowed per game (59.7 ppg) while also leading the conference in defensive rebounds per game (29.1). Offensively, the Gaels are also efficient as they sit second in free throw percentage (75.6), third in field goal percentage (46.2 percent) and fourth in offensive efficiency (1.067).
SERIES HISTORY:
- Thursday's meeting between the Gaels and Dons will mark the 187th matchup all-time between the two schools as USF currently holds a 101-85 lead over SMC. Notably, Saint Mary's has defeated San Francisco in five straight with the Dons last victory coming on Jan. 3, 2019 in a 76-72 win on the Hilltop.
TRACK THE ACTION:
Thursday's contest will air live on NBC Sports Bay Area+ and on KNBR 1050 at 7:00 pm PT. Krista Blunk and Dan Belluomini will have the call live on NBC Sports Bay Area+ while
Pat Olson and Jim Brovelli will air on KNBR 1050 from Moraga. Live streaming, live audio and live statistics are available above and via the
team's schedule page.
TICKETS AND MERCHANDISE:
Single-game tickets for West Coast Conference basketball games are currently on sale at
www.usfdons.com/tickets.
Want to dress like the Dons? Rep USF today by visiting the all-new USF Dons online store at
www.usfdons.com/shop.
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.
