SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Suiting up for one final nonconference game, the University of San Francisco men's basketball team (9-3) will host Montana (7-5) on Saturday afternoon as the Dons and Grizzlies are set to square off in a matinee at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.

Saturday will also mark the inaugural Pride Game for San Francisco men's basketball as the first 415 fans in attendance will receive a special edition Pride button to commemorate this year's game.
 
GAME 13 INFORMATION:
Date: Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024
Time: 3:00 pm PT
Opponent: Montana (7-5)
Location: War Memorial at the Sobrato Center / San Francisco, Calif.
Watch: ESPN+ (Ben Ross, Ben Braun)
Listen: KNBR 1050 (Pat Olson, Jim Brovelli)
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Tickets: Purchase Here
 
DONS AT A GLANCE:

• Last time out, San Francisco came just short of picking up their first true road win of the season as the Dons fell at Bradley, 66-64, on Wednesday, Dec. 18. Despite the loss, Marcus Williams paced the Dons with 18 points and 7 rebounds, which included shooting 4-of-9 from beyond-the-arc.
• Aside from the loss to Bradley, San Francisco's only two other losses this season have come to teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25: No. 21 Memphis (L, 68-64) and No. 25 Clemson (L, 70-55). Notably, the Dons also led at halftime in both contests.
• San Francisco continues to have its way defensively as the Dons currently rank 17^th in Division I in scoring defense (62.3 points per game) and 35^th in field goal percentage defense (39.1) heading into Saturday. Spearheading these efforts, Malik Thomas also ranks 19^th in the country with 27 total steals.
• With a win over Montana on Saturday, San Francisco would complete their second straight season with an undefeated record at home in nonconference play. Overall, the Dons have won 17 straight nonconference games at home on the Hilltop dating back to the 2022-23 season.
• Third-year head coach Chris Gerlufsen is 1-0 against the Big Sky at the helm of the green and gold as San Francisco routed Northern Arizona, 91-51, at home last season on Dec. 20, 2023. 

SCOUTING THE GRIZZLIES:

• In their last time on the hardwood, Montana fell on the road at Northern Iowa, 104-76, on Monday, Dec. 16. Individually, four Grizzlies finished in double figures: Kai Johnson (18 points), Money Williams (15 points), Malik Moore (14 points) and Te'Jon Sawyer (11 points).
• Seeing split results so far, Montana is a perfect 7-0 at home in Missoula this season but 0-5 when on the road. Notably, Moore and Williams average a combined 40.4 points per game on the road this season as no other Grizzly is averaging more than 10 points per game away from home.
• Saturday's contest will mark the sixth game against a top 100 NET opponent this season for Montana. Additionally, it will mark the fifth Quad 1 opportunity for the Grizzlies.
• Under head coach Travis DeCuire, Montana is 9-49 (.155) in nonconference road games. Additionally, DeCuire is 2-5 all-time against West Coast Conference opponents with wins over Pepperdine (12/22/16) and San Francisco (12/4/15).
• Familiar with the West Coast, Montana has nine players from the state of California on its roster, including four from the Bay Area: Sawyer (San Francisco), Williams (Oakland), Tyler Thompson (Fairfield) and Jeremiah Dargan (Concord).

SERIES HISTORY:
Saturday's meeting between San Francisco and Montana will mark the ninth meeting all-time between the two programs as the Dons hold a 7-1 advantage heading into the matchup. Notably, San Francisco owns a perfect 4-0 record at home over Montana. However, the Grizzlies defeated the Dons, 82-50, in their last meeting on Dec. 4, 2015 in Missoula.
 
FOLLOW US:
For updates and more information on the San Francisco men's basketball program, follow the Dons @USFDonsMBB on Twitter, @USFDonsMBB on Instagram and @USFDonsMBB on Facebook.
 
MERCHANDISE:
Want to dress like the Dons? Get your official San Francisco Dons gear from the University of San Francisco bookstore today! Click here to purchase.
 
SPONSOR THE DONS:
The University of San Francisco Athletics Department would like to acknowledge and thank our sponsor - Catholic Charities San Francisco - for their continued support of San Francisco 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.