SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - The University of San Francisco (USF) men's basketball team (11-6, 3-1 WCC) battled through an inconsistent first half on Sunday afternoon as the Dons turned it around down the stretch to defeat Portland (7-9, 0-4 WCC), 73-68, at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.

The Dons had three players score in double figures, led by Veniamin Abosi, who finished with a career-high 16 points and nine rebounds. David Fuchs added a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds while Ryan Beasley helped out with 14 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

• Portland quickly took control out of the gates and jumped out to a 22-5 lead, but San Francisco responded on a 5-0 run with 10:42 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Beasley, to narrow its deficit to 22-10. The Dons continued to close the gap, cutting the Portland advantage to 34-27 by the end of the first half.
• After the break, the Pilots continued to roll as they widened the gap to 41-29 before San Francisco went on an 8-0 run, finished off by Fuchs' three, to shrink the deficit to 41-37 with 13:42 to go in the contest. The Dons kept the rally going and took the lead for good on Fuchs' driving layup at 12:14. Down the stretch, USF held off a few final storms as the green and gold held on to secure a five-point victory, 73-68, on Sunday afternoon.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• The San Francisco defense caused Portland to commit its share of mistakes, forcing 17 Pilot turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 26 points on the other end of the floor. Beasley's three steals, which tied a season-high, led the way individually for the Dons.
• USF had a 43-26 edge on the boards in the win. The green and gold cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 20 offensive rebounds in the game.
• The San Francisco bench came alive by scoring 33 points to its scoring output, with Abosi and Legend Smiley (8 points) combining for 24 of the 33 points.
• Abosi pulled down nine rebounds for the second straight contest, which also ties his career-high. Additionally, he set a new season-high with 29 minutes played while tying his season-high with three assists.
• Fuchs' double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds in 21 minutes) marked his third double-double of the season so far. It was also his 10th game in double figures.
• Beasley finished in double figures for the fifth straight game and for the 11th time in 17 games this year.

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.
• To view the full postgame interview with Veniamin Abosi and David Fuchs, please click here.

UP NEXT:
San Francisco will hit the road in Southern California this upcoming week as the Dons will suit up next on Thursday, Jan. 8 at LMU. Tipoff from Gersten Pavilion is scheduled for 8:00 pm, with the game airing live on CBS Sports 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 - Provident Credit Union - 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*