Box Score (San Francisco) – San Francisco overcame a 17-point halftime deficit to force overtime, but fell to Loyola Marymount 77-76, on an Anthony Ireland lay-up with 1.37 left on the clock in West Coast Conference action Friday night at War Memorial Gym. The Dons (9-6, 0-2 WCC) fought tooth and nail in the second half, but dropped their second league game of the season, this time in heartbreaking fashion to the Lions (8-6, 1-0 WCC).
Senior forward Angelo Caloiaro sparked the Dons' furious rally with 21 points after the intermission, finishing with a game-high 26 points. Caloiaro's put-back layup with 34.6 seconds left put the Dons in front by one in overtime, but could not complete the three-point play.
Ireland advanced the ball as time wound down, drove through the lane, and hit the go-ahead layup with just 0:01.37 remaining.
It was truly a tale of two halves for San Francisco. USF trailed 37-20 at the break, but tacked 50 on the Lions in the second. The Dons shot just .280 (7-25) from the floor in the first frame, but hit an impressive .514 (18-35) in the second half. A furious 11-4 USF run to open the second half brought the Dons within 10 points with 15:00 left to play. LMU led the entire opening half, but after recess the lead changed hands six times.
In stark contrast, the Lions came out roaring, shooting a combined .560 (14-25) from the floor including .600 (6-10) from 3-point land in the first half, but shot just .360 (9-25) in the second frame. Forward C.J. Blackwell led the way for the Lions with 10 first-half points, followed closely by senior Drew Viney's eight points.
Junior guard Michael Williams enjoyed a strong night for USF, scoring 17 points to go along with five rebounds and three steals, while junior forward Perris Blackwell added 14 points and a team-high eight rebounds. The Dons dominated in the paint, outscoring the Lions 28-8, but LMU held a 39-38 rebound edge, although USF was 14-9 on the offensive glass.
USF resumes play on Tuesday, January 3 when it hosts Morgan State in non-conference play. Tip-off against the Bears is set for 7:00 PM at War Memorial Gym in a game carried live on USFDons.com via Stretch Internet.
