Complete USF Game Notes (PDF)
Game #6
USF Dons (3-2, 0-0 WCC) vs. No. 17 Oregon Ducks (3-0, 0-0 Pac-12)
Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013 • 5:00 p.m.
Matthew Knight Arena • Eugene, Ore.
Series Record: Oregon leads, 7-2
Last Meeting: Oregon 110-79 (Nov. 24, 2007)
Audio Streaming: USFDons.com (
Pat Olson, Play-by-Play; Jim Brovelli, Analyst)
Television: Pac-12 Networks (Paul Sunderland and Ernie Kent)
The Dandy Dons
-
Now 3-2 on the season after Friday's 75-74 victory at Montana...win snapped a two-game losing streak after the Dons opened the season with two wins over Notre Dame de Namur and Cleveland State.
-
Friday's win at Montana was USF's fifth consecutive road victory dating back to last season.
-
Last three games have been decided by three points or fewer including a 92-90 overtime loss to Nevada...lost seven games last season by six points or fewer and finished at 15-16 overall.
-
Trail the all-time series with Oregon, 7-2...the two schools last met seven years ago today, with Oregon notching a 110-79 victory in Eugene.
-
Averaging 88.2 points five games into the season...scored 90 or more points in each of the first four games of the season before being held to 75 points Friday at Montana...marked the first time in school history the Dons scored 90 or more points in four consecutive games to start the season and irst time since 1993-94 USF has scored 90 or more points in four consecutive games.
-
Made 5-of-10 3's at Montana and now shooting 40.3 percent (50-for-125) from 3-point range...set single-game school records for most three-pointers made (17) and attempted (46) Monday night vs. Idaho State.
-
Shot 54.5 percent from the floor vs. Montana and are now shooting 50.3 percent from the field at the five-game mark of the season.
-
Shooting just 62.8 percent from the line...made just 10-of-22 from the line at Montana.
-
Have outrebounded four of its first five opponents and hold a 36.0-31.8 advantage on the boards five games into the season...were outrebounded by over 2.0 boards a game last year.
-
Junior Kruize Pinkins is 17 for his last 18 from the floor over the last two games vs. Idaho State (7-7) and Montana (10-11).
-
Four players are averaging double-figures after five contests, led by Mark Tollefsen's 15.0 per game mark...no less than five players have scored in double-figures over the first five games.
-
USF's bench is averaging 31.4 points (157 total) a game after chipping in 44 against Notre Dame de Namur, 35 vs. Cleveland State, 19 vs. Nevada, 35 vs. Idaho State and 24 at Montana.
-
Junior Kruize Pinkins has come off the bench to twice to lead the Dons in scoring (19 vs. Notre Dame de Namur; 22 at Montana)...Pinkins is averaging 14.0 ppg for the season.
-
Mark Tollefsen is averaging 15.7 points (157 total) and is shooting 67.0 percent (59-for-88) from the field over his last 10 games dating back to last season - all starts.
-
Senior point guard Cody Doolin missed the Montana game and is not with the team today as he is with his family attending to a personal matter...he had made his 103 consecutive starts before missing Friday night's game...needs 25 more games to tie Angelo Caloiaro's (2008-12) all-time school record for games played at 128.
TIP-OFF: The USF Dons (3-2, 0-0 WCC) wrap up their two-game road trip tonight in Eugene against the 17th-ranked Oregon Ducks (3-0, 0-0 Pac-12) at Maththew Knight Arena. The Dons snapped a two-game losing sreak with a 75-74 victory Friday night at Montana, while the Ducks have posted wins over Georgetown (82-73), Western Carolina (107-83) and Utah Valley (69-54) to open the season.
SERIES HISTORY WITH OREGON: Oregon leads the all-time series with USF, 7-2. The two schools last met on Nov. 24, 2007, with the Ducks scoring a 110-79 victory at Mac Court. Eight of the nine meetings took place between the 1947-48 and 1959-60 seasons. Oregon claimed wins in 1958-59 (64-53) and 1959-60 (67-58) with USF's last victory in the series coming in the 1952-53 season, 61-57. Oregon also claimed victories in 1951-52 (55-49), 1950-51 (59-49), 1948-49 (56-51) and 1947-48 (48-46). USF scored a 62-58 decisio in 1948-49.
LAST TIME OUT: USF snapped a two-game losing streak with a 75-74 victory over Montana Friday night n Missoula.
Kruize Pinkins scored 22 points off the bench to lead four Dons in double-figures. USF rallied from a 56-48 deficit with 9:02 left in the game and survived a missed 3-pointer at the buzzer by Kareem Jamar. The Dons outrebounded the Grizzlies, 35-25 and scored 46 of their 75 points in the paint. USF also shot 54.5 percent for the game.
ON THE ROAD: USF has won its last five road contests dating back to last season when it finished with an 8-7 mark in true road contests.
PLAYING THEM CLOSE: Each of USF's last three games has ben decided by three points or fewer, including a 93-90 overtime loss to Idaho State last Monday. The Dons dropped seven games last season by six points or less and finished with a 15-16 overall record.
HIGH-SCORING DONS: USF has scored 90 or more points in four of its first five games against Notre Dame de Namur (95), Cleveland State (91), Nevada (90) and Idaho State (90). The Dons are now averaging 88.2 points a game in the early going this season. USF scored 90 or more points in four consecutive games to start a season for the first time in school history. The last time USF scored 90+ points in four straight games was in 1993-94 against Colgate (101-70), Miami of Ohio (100-72), Stanislaus State (106-82), Sacramento State (99-84) and McNeese State (98-69) under head coach Jim Brovelli.
BALANCED SCORING: USF has four players averaging in double figures after four games, with sophomore
Mark Tollefsen topping the team's scoring chart with a 15.0 point per game average. The Dons' fourth leading scorer is sophomore
Avry Holmes with a 11.3 per game average. Four different players have taken team-high scoring honors this season, with
Kruize Pinkins (19 vs. Notre Dame de Namur and 22 at Montana) topping the charts on two occasions.
FROM THE FLOOR: The Dons shot 54.5 percent from the floor over Friday at Montana, including 64.3 percent in the second half, and are shooting 50.3 percent from the field after five games. Five players in the nine-man rotation are shooting 50 percent or better from the floor, led by
Mark Tollefsen, who is shooting 60.9 percent from the field.
Kruize Pinkins has made 17 of his last 18 shots from the floor over the last two games after struggling to a 1-for-10 shooting night vs. Nevada.
THE THREE-BALL: USF made 5-of-10 of its three-point attempts at Montana and is now shooting 40.3 percent (50-for-125) from beyond he arc this season. The Dons set single-game school records for most three-pointers made (17) and attempted (46) Monday night against Idaho State. The Dons opened the season by canning 13 three-pointers against Notre Dame de Namur, including six in the first 4:30 of the game. USF led the West Coast Conference and ranked fifth nationally in three-point field goal percentage a year ago, connecting on 40.1 percent (249-for-621) of its long distance attempts. The Dons have set single-season school records for three-pointers made each of the last three seasons.
ON THE LINE: The Dons are shooting just 62.8 percent (71-for-113) from the line this season. After making 75 percent (33-for-44) or its charity tries in the first two games of the season, the Dons were just 23-for-35 from the line in a 92-90 loss to Nevada and went 5-for-12 in a 93-90 overtime loss to Idaho State. The Dons survived at Montana despite going 10-for-22 from the line, including 1-for-7 over the last :33.3 of the game.
BOARD WORK: USF has outrebounded its first five opponents by an average of 36.0-31.8, quite an improvement from last year when the Dons finished eighth in the conference in rebounding (32.5) and ninth in rebound margin (-2.5), despite having the top rebounder in the WCC in
Cole Dickerson (9.8).
THE BENCH: USF's bench is averaging 31.4 points (157 total) a game thus far this season after scoring 44 in the opener against Notre Dame de Namur, 35 vs. Cleveland State, 19 vs. Nevada, 35 vs. Idaho State and 24 vs. Montana. In three of the Dons' five games this season, a non-starter has taken game high scoring honors (
Kruize Pinkins 19 vs. Notre Dame de Namur; 22 vs. Montana;
Chris Adams 21 vs. Idaho State). Pinkins is averaging 14.0 points off the bench this season and ranks as the team's second leading scorer.
TOLLEFSEN'S TALLY: Sophomore
Mark Tollefsen is averaging 15.7 points (157 total) and while shooting 62.5 percent (59-for-88) from the field over his last 10 games dating back to last season. The Danville, Calif. native started the last five games of the 2012-13 campaign and averaged 17.6 points while shooting 73.8 percent (31-for-42) from the field during that stretch. In five games this season, he is averaging a team-high 15.0 points and is shooting 60.9 percent from the floor.
THREE'S BETTER THAN TWO: Junior
Chris Adams scored a career-high 21 points Monday night against Idaho State, nailing 7-of-12 of his three-point attempts. In five games this season, Adams is shooting 47.6 percent (10-for-21) from long distance. All but seven (57-of-64) of his career field goals have come from beyond the arc.
DICKERSON'S DOUBLES: Senior forward
Cole Dickerson posted his second double-double of the season and 16th of his career against Montana, finishing with 17 points to go along with 12 rebouds. Dickerson finished with conference-high 13 double-doubles (points-rebounds) last season, a figure that ranked 24th nationally among Division I players. He was also a point or rebound away from a double-double in five other games. Dickerson pulled down 10 or more rebounds in 14 games, including a career-high 20 boards against Montana on Nov. 30.
DOOLIN MISSES FIRST GAME OF HIS CAREER: Senior Cody Doolin missed the Montana game while attending to a personal matter with his family. Prior to Friday night, Doolin had started every game (103) at the point guard position since arriving on the Hilltop in 2010-11. He needs 25 more games to tie Angelo Caloiaro's (2008-12) all-time school record for games played at 128.
GOOD HANDS: Over the first four games of the season, point guard Cody Doolin has dished out 28 assists, committed just six turnovers and has seven steals
