LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Bouncing back in Southern California, the University of San Francisco men's basketball team (12-7, 1-3 WCC) got back on track on Saturday night with a thrilling 72-70 road win over Loyola Marymount (12-6, 2-2 WCC) at Gersten Pavilion.
 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

• With both teams unable to find much momentum offensively out of the gates, the Dons first got on the board on a floater from Saba Gigiberia at the 14:32 mark.
• As the midway point of the first half approached, USF stayed within striking distance, 16-8, following a fast break layup from Julian Rishwain at 10:44. 
• In the minutes to follow, LMU would stretch their lead to as many as sixteen, 26-10, but the Dons did not lose faith as back-to-back threes from Rishwain and Marcus Williams cut the Lions advantage to seven points, 29-22, at 3:54.
• Continuing their comeback, USF used a 16-2 run as the half wound down to get back into the ballgame, which included a layup from Tyrell Roberts at 1:17 to give the green and gold their first lead of the night, 32-31.
• Answering with five points to close the first twenty minutes of action, LMU jumped back on top to hold a 36-32 advantage at the halftime break.
• Opposite of the first half, the Dons opened the second half of play with a 12-0 run to regain control and go up by eight, 44-36, at the 15:35 mark.
• Answering back on their home floor, LMU stayed on the heels of the green and gold, which included cutting their deficit to just two points, 54-52, after a three-point play from Rick Issanza at 9:39.
• Lighting it up from behind-the-arc, Rishwain and Roberts came through for USF in crunch time as the duo nailed back-to-back triples in the final two minutes of the contest to keep the Dons in the driver's seat.
• After a basket from Cam Shelton brought the Lions back within one possession with 21 seconds remaining on the game clock, Khalil Shabazz delivered when it mattered most by sinking a pair of free throws at the other end to give USF a five-point lead, 72-67, with 14 seconds left in regulation.
• Despite one final three from Keli Leaupepe as time expired, the Dons ultimately hung on to secure their first conference victory of the year, 72-70, on Saturday night in Los Angeles.   

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• Providing a spark off the bench, Rishwain finished with a season-high 18 points and six rebounds as the junior knocked down 4-of-6 from deep while also adding two assists and two steals in 31 minutes played.
• Enjoying another successful performance, Roberts tallied 21 points, two steals and one rebound in 36 total minutes, including a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line.
• As a team, USF shot over 50 percent from the field for the third time this season (50.9/28-55) while also shooting 40 percent from distance (10-25). Overall, the Dons led the Lions in points in the paint (32-22), fast break points (4-0) and bench points (38-14). 

POSTGAME WITH THE DONS:

• To view the full postgame interview with head coach Chris Gerlufsen, please click here. 

UP NEXT:
USF will begin their third week of WCC action with a road trip to Portland next Thursday, Jan. 12 for a 7:00 pm matchup with the Pilots at Chiles Center. Two days later, the Dons will return home to the Hilltop to host longtime Bay Area rival Saint Mary's at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 8:00 pm. Live streaming, radio and live statistics links 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.
 
MERCHANDISE:
Want to dress like the Dons? Rep USF today by visiting the all-new USF Dons online store at www.usfdons.com/shop.
 
SPONSOR THE DONS:
The University of San Francisco Athletics Department would like to acknowledge and thank our primary sponsor - Provident Credit Union - for their continued support of USF Athletics. Interested in sponsoring the Dons? Please contact Frank Allocco, the Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director of External Relations, at fallocco@usfca.edu or at (415) 422-4561.