SPOKANE, Wash. - Playing in front of a capacity crowd, the University of San Francisco men's basketball team (15-12, 4-8 WCC) fell at No. 16/16 Gonzaga (20-5, 9-2 WCC), 99-81, on Thursday night at McCarthey Athletic Center.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- Despite the Bulldogs racing out to a 12-2 advantage, Khalil Shabazz was active early as he grabbed an offensive rebound at 16:15 before knocking down his first triple of the night just two seconds later to cut into Gonzaga's early lead, 12-5.
- Chipping away with each possession, Zane Meeks trimmed USF's deficit to six points, 16-10, after converting a three-point play at the 13:37 mark.
- Although the Dons continued to inch closer, GU continued to answer each basket as a jumper from Malachi Smith at 10:41 kept the Bulldogs in control, 27-17, at the midway point of the first half.
- Experiencing little resistance from USF the rest of the half, Gonzaga's offense found their flow as they remained in front at the halftime break, 60-40.
- Out of the locker room, the Dons netted the first bucket of the second half on a driving layup from Josh Kunen just 22 seconds into play. Finding some rhythm in the minutes to follow, the green and gold would outscore the Bulldogs, 11-5, in the first four plus minutes of the second half as USF trailed by fourteen, 65-51, at 15:28.
- Following a pull up jumper from Shabazz 11:33, the Dons stayed within striking distance, 75-61, but this was as close as the green and gold would get to GU for the rest of the night.
- Seeming to respond to every USF run, Gonzaga went on to secure their ninth conference victory and 20th overall win by a final score of 99-81.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
- Leaving it all on the hardwood once again, Shabazz finished with a game-high 25 points, which also marked the third time in the last four games he has tallied 25 points or more. Overall, the Seattle native finished 7-of-16 from the field and 4-of-10 from distance while also adding seven rebounds, three assists and two steals in 37 minutes.
- In addition to Shabazz, Tyrell Roberts (16 points) and Zane Meeks (14 points) also finished in double figures. Furthermore, Saba Gigiberia flirted with a double-double by registering 8 points and 6 rebounds in 18 minutes.
- As a team, USF knocked down at least eleven three-pointers for the thirteenth time this season.
POSTGAME WITH THE DONS:
UP NEXT:
USF will return home to the Hilltop this Saturday, Feb. 11 to host Pepperdine at 7:00 pm at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center. Notably, this matchup will serve as the lone meeting between the Dons and the Waves this season. Live streaming, radio and live statistics are available via the
team's schedule page. Tickets to Saturday's contest are available via the
team's schedule page and at
usfdons.com/tickets.
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.
