LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Firing on all cylinders in the second half, the University of San Francisco men's basketball team (19-13, 7-9 WCC) took down Pacific (15-18, 7-9 WCC), 80-63, for the third time this season as the Dons defeated the Tigers on Friday night to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2023 University Credit Union West Coast Conference Tournament.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- Opening the contest by making their first three shots, Pacific raced out to an early 7-3 lead through the first two minutes of play, but USF quickly responded with a 7-0 run to take control, 10-7, at the 15:03 mark.
- Trading baskets in the minutes to follow, the Dons and Tigers exchanged the lead a few times, which included Pacific grabbing a two-point advantage, 19-17, following a three-pointer from Jordan Ivy-Curry at 9:48.
- Shortly thereafter, USF jumped back on top, 23-22, as Tyrell Roberts nailed a three of his own at 7:29.
- Although the Tigers took the lead once more, 34-30, after a layup from Keylan Boone with 2:40 left in the first half, USF closed the first twenty minutes on a 10-2 run, five of which came from Isaiah Hawthorne. Heading into the locker room, the Dons held a four-point advantage over the Tigers, 40-36.
- Continuing their momentum out of the break, USF opened the second half on a 15-3 run to widen the gap to sixteen points, 55-39, after a layup in the paint from Josh Kunen at 15:20.
- Blowing the game open as the action continued, the Dons maintained a double-digit lead for most of the second half as Pacific did not come within more than eight points down the stretch.
- Heaving up an attempt to beat the shot clock, Marcus Williams gave the green and gold their largest lead of the night, 80-61, by burying a long-distance triple with 51 seconds remaining in regulation.
- Securing at least one win in their fourth straight WCC Tournament, USF went on to defeat Pacific, 80-63, on Saturday night.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
- Showing out all night, Roberts finished with a game-high 25 points on 8-of-15 from the floor. Additionally, the Sacramento native added four rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes played.
- Getting it done on both ends, Williams tallied a season-high 18 points on 6-of-12 from the field to go along with eight rebounds, five assists and two steals in 28 minutes.
- Alongside Roberts and Williams, Kunen played a season-high 35 minutes as he also scored a season-high 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Getting physical throughout the evening, the forward pulled down eight rebounds, dished out two assists and recorded one steal in the win.
- As a team, USF shot 39.3 percent from beyond-the-arc (13-33) while limiting Pacific to just 19.0 percent (4-21) from deep. Notably, the Dons led the Tigers in points off turnovers (17-12) and second chance points (16-7).
POSTGAME WITH THE DONS:
UP NEXT:
USF will square off against Bay Area rival Santa Clara on Saturday night at Orleans in the quarterfinal round of the 2023 University Credit Union West Coast Conference Tournament. Tipoff from Orleans Arena is scheduled for 9:30 pm PT as the contest will air live on ESPN 2 and KNBR 1050 at game time. Live streaming, radio 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.
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 our department sponsor -
San Francisco Toyota - 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.
