University of San Francisco
1-0,0-0WCC
Radford
0-1,0-0Big South
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radford | 30 | 32 | 62 |
| San Francisco | 37 | 39 | 76 |
11/3/2026 12:01:00 AM | Men's Basketball
SAN FRANCISCO – With 14 newcomers on the roster, the San Francisco Dons Men's Basketball team figures to be a work in progress, at least early in the season.
And in the opener against Radford on the Hilltop on Monday night, the Dons showed that they have put in the work to make considerable progress.
USF did not trail, had four starters score in double figures and committed only nine turnovers in a 76-62 victory from War Memorial Gym at Sobrato Center.
"That game had a lot of ebbs and flows to it," San Francisco head coach Chris Gerlufsen said. "I want to face adversity in these kinds of games. I thought that was good for us.
"But to get out of the gates and get a 14-point win at home, I thought that's a really good start for us."
On the game's opening possession, Dylan Bordon, a freshman guard from Argentina, made an excellent feed to Ismaila Diagne, a 7-foot junior center who spent the past two seasons at Gonzaga. Diagne muscled home a layup, got fouled and hit the free-throw try.
Bordon and Diagne would become central figures in the Dons' victory. Bordon poured in a game-high 20 points and dished out a game-high seven assists. Diagne had a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
"The more minutes Izzo plays, the better he's going to be," Gerlufsen said, referring to Diagne by his nickname. "He just needs time on the floor. I have great belief, great confidence in him and we need his presence. He's got a great energy to him."
The Dons' other double-figure scorers were forwards Gustav Knudsen (15) and Ben Oosterbaan (10).
A transfer from St. Thomas, Oosterbaan was part of a key sequence for San Francisco. Four minutes into the second half, the Highlanders trailed only 43-42 and had the ball. Oosterbaan then made a steal that led to a jumper by Bordon.
Oosterbaan then made another steal and dropped home a 3-pointer at the other end. About a minute later, Diagne scored on a tip-in to give the Dons an eight-point edge. Radford got no closer than five points the rest of the way.
USF collected 10 steals among the 19 turnovers committed by Radford. That helped the Dons own a 21-8 advantage in points off turnovers.
Gerlufsen believes the unselfish nature of his players will speed up the process of turning an almost entirely new roster into a cohesive team.
"We have great guys. It's not that complicated," he said. "I think we added really high-level people to our locker room. Guys who cheer for each other. Guys who want to be a part of something bigger than themselves.
"We're still growing our chemistry as a group. I think our play will get better the more time we have together."
Knudsen said he and his teammates "have got to have faith in the coaches and the staff because they know what they're doing. … They have a lot of experience. And definitely (having) so many players from different places, we've got to listen to them so they can get us on the same path."
Newbury returns: Ndewedo "Chips" Newbury did not score and had one rebound and one assist in 11 minutes, but he still put together a memorable performance.
The forward from London played in a game for the first time in nearly two years. He endured an awful leg injury Dec. 15, 2024, and had been sidelined since then.
"It was amazing," Gerlufsen said of Newbury's return to the court. "The mental toll that that has taken on him, the only people who would realize that are the people who have really been in the trenches with him.
"Just to see him put the jersey on, to go out there on the floor and affect the game, that's big for our team."
The Dons play the second game of their five-game season-opening homestand against North Dakota State on Friday night.
