SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - The University of San Francisco (USF) men's basketball team (5-4) dropped a nailbiter on the Hilltop on Wednesday night, falling closely to North Alabama (5-4), 65-63, at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.

The Dons had two players score in double figures, led by Mookie Cook, who had 12 points, seven rebounds, and five blocks. Legend Smiley added 11 points off the bench while Saba Gigiberia added six points and eight rebounds.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

• After jumping out to a 5-2 advantage, San Francisco went on a 9-0 run with 17:10 left in the first half to increase its lead to 14-2. North Alabama then cut into that lead with a run of their own, but the Dons still entered halftime with a 26-24 advantage. USF capitalized on eight Lion turnovers in the period, turning them into nine points on the other end of the floor.
• North Alabama proceeded to take a 63-57 lead before San Francisco went on a 6-0 run, finished off by Smiley's three, to even the score at 63 all with 37 seconds to go in the contest. The green and gold could not turn their rally into a victory, as the Lions scored the final basket and collected one final stop to secure the 65-63 victory.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• USF's defense held North Alabama to only 20 percent (3-15) shooting from beyond the arc and 38.1 percent from the field.
• Cook and Smiley came off the bench to score 12 and 11 points, respectively.
• The Dons were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, recording 10 blocks as a team. Cook's five blocks set a new career-high for the forward.
• San Francisco got a team-high eight rebounds from Gigiberia.

POSTGAME WITH THE DONS:

• To view the full highlights of tonight's contest, please click here.
• To view the full postgame interview with head coach Chris Gerlufsen, please click here.

UP NEXT:
San Francisco will travel east to Tupelo, Miss., for a neutral site contest against Mississippi State this Sunday, Dec. 7. Tipoff from Cadence Bank Arena is scheduled for 1:00 pm PT/3:00 pm CT, with the game airing live on SEC Network and KNBR 1050. Streaming, radio, and live statistics links are available via the team's schedule page.
 
FOLLOW US:
For updates and more information on the University of 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 US:
The University of San Francisco Athletics Department would like to acknowledge and thank our sponsor - Bauer's Intelligent Transportation - for their continued support of University 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.

*This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive*