LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Returning to Orleans Arena for the second time this season, the University of San Francisco men's basketball team (24-8, 10-6 WCC) outlasted BYU (22-10, 9-6 WCC), 75-63 on Saturday night in the quarterfinal round of the 2022 University Credit Union West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- Trading baskets to begin the evening, USF grabbed the early advantage over the Cougars, 7-6, on a pull up three-pointer from Khalil Shabazz at 16:01.
- In the minutes to follow, Julian Rishwain extended the lead to five for the Dons on a driving layup at the 12:50 mark.
- Battling back, the Cougars jumped in front as the midway point of the first half passed, but another pull up triple, this time from Jamaree Bouyea, put the Dons back in control, 20-17.
- Similar to the start of the contest, the two teams exchanged blows as the first half wound down, but Gabe Stefanini kept USF on top, 26-19, with a three of his own at 4:25. Closing out the first twenty minutes on a 5-1 run, BYU trimmed the gap to three points heading into the locker room, but the Dons ultimately held a 27-24 advantage at the break.
- Moving into the second half, another three from Shabazz helped USF remain ahead by nine, 43-34, at 12:44, but it was not until a jumper from Yauhen Massalski at the 10:11 mark that the Dons stretched their lead to double digits, 49-39.
- Keeping pace, BYU came within eight points with less than five minutes left on the game clock, but an 8-2 run from USF shortly thereafter propelled the Dons to a fourteen-point lead, 68-54.
- Leaving no doubt, a breakaway dunk from Bouyea as the clock ticked down sealed USF's second victory of the season over BYU, 75-63, as the Dons won their opening game in the conference tournament for the third consecutive season.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
- Logging his sixth 20+ point performance of the year and his third in the last five games, Shabazz was named Player of the Game after finishing with a game-high 22 points (7-15 FG, 5-9 3PT, 3-4 FT). Additionally, the versatile guard tallied 4 rebounds and 2 assists in 36 minutes played.
- Combining for 40 total points alongside Shabazz, Bouyea poured in 18 points (7-16 FG, 3-3 FT) while also adding 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. Notably, the Seaside native played all 40 minutes for the third straight game and ninth time this season.
- Confusing the Cougar offense all night, USF held BYU to 37.9 percent (22-58) from the floor and 15.0 percent (3-20) from distance as the Dons led in fast break points (18-7) and bench points (15-11).
- Overall, head coach Todd Golden is now 4-2 in West Coast Conference tournament games, which includes wins in USF's first appearance in each tournament he has coached in.
POSTGAME:
UP NEXT:
USF has advanced to the semifinal round of the 2022 University Credit Union West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament as the Dons will battle No. 1/1 Gonzaga on Monday, Mar. 7 at 6:00 pm. This game will be aired live on ESPN at game time as live streaming, radio and live statistics will be 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.
