University of San Francisco Athletics

Complete USF Game Notes (PDF)


The Dandy Dons

• Now 3-3 on the season after a 100-82 loss to Oregon Sunday in Eugene...began the trip with a 75-74 win at Montana on Friday.
• Have dropped three of four after opening the season with wins over Notre Dame de Namur and Cleveland State.
• Return home to host the Golden Gate Challenge featuring Sonoma State, Vermont and Illinois State...games are at 6 and 8:15 p.m. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday...are 2-2 at home this season and are just 10-9 on the home floor over the last two seasons.
• Are 7-0 all-time vs. Sonoma State, 1-0 vs. Vermont and 0-1 vs. Illinois State.
• Three of the last four 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.
• Oregon was the first team to score 100 points vs. the Dons since Arizona State posted a 104-65 decision in Tempe on Nov. 20, 2009...Dons are allowing 83.0 ppg - most in the WCC.
• Have scored 90+ points four times this season and are the WCC's third-highest scoring team averaging 87.2 ppg.
• Made just 8-of-28 three-pointers at Oregon, dropping the season percentage from 40.3 percent to 37.9 (58-153), which ranks fifth in the WCC.
• Shot a season-low 36.8 percent (25-for-68) vs. Oregon, dropping the season percentage from 50.3 to 47.9, which ranks fifth in the WCC.
• Have made 34-of-56 (60.7) free throws over last two games and are shooting just 64.6 percent from the line for the season, which ranks last in the WCC.
• Have outrebounded four of its first six opponents and hold a 36.3-33.0 advantage on the boards five games into the season...were outrebounded by over 2.0 boards a game last year.
• Junior Kruize Pinkins is averaging 18.7 ppg and is shooting 77.8 percent (21-for-27) over the last three games vs. Idaho State, Montana and Oregon.
• USF's top six scorers are averaging between 15.0 and 10.0 ppg, led by Kruize Pinkin's 15.0 per game mark.
• USF's bench is averaging 32.0 points (192 total) a game...the Dons have been led in scoring by a non-starter in four of six games this season.
• Mark Tollefsen is averaging 15.7 points (167 total) and is shooting 63.6 percent (63-for-99) from the field over his last 11 games dating back to last season - all starts.
• Senior point guard Cody Doolin has announced he will forego the remainder of his senior season due to personal reasons... Doolin played in a total of 103 games (all starts) since arriving on the Hilltop in 2010-11.
• Will have a two-week break after the Golden Gate Challenge until the Nicholls State game on Dec. 14.

TIP-OFF: The USF Dons (3-3, 0-0 WCC) return home this week to serve as host for the Golden Gate Challenge featuring Illinois State, Vermont and Sonoma State. The Dons will open the tournament Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. against Sonoma State, followed by Vermont and Illinois State at 8:15. The Golden Gate Challenge will resume on Friday with USF taking on Vermont at 6:00 p.m. and Illinois State meeting Sonoma State at 8:15. The tournament concludes on Saturday with Vermont meeting Sonoma State at 6:00 p.m. followed by the USF-Illinois State game at 8:15.

Golden Gate Challenge Schedule
Nov.  27 USF vs. Sonoma State 6:00 p.m.
Illinois State vs. Vermont 8:15 p.m.
Nov. 29 USF vs. Vermont 6:00 p.m.
Sonoma State vs. Illinois State 8:15 p.m.
Nov. 30 Vermont vs. Sonoma State 6:00 p.m.
USF vs. Illinois State 8:15 p.m.

SERIES HISTORY: USF leads the all-time series vs. Sonoma State, 7-0. The two schools last met in the 2006-07 season, with the Dons scoring a 87-73 decision on the Hilltop. The Dons won their only meeting with Vermont, claiming a 77-73 victory in the 1990 Met Life Classic held in Memorial Gymnasium. USF and Illinois State have played just once, with the Redbirds capturing a 68-52 victory at the Cowboy Shootout in Casper, Wyo. on Dec. 27, 1985.

LAST TIME OUT: USF dropped a 100-82 decision at 17th-ranked Oregon on Sunday, a game in which the Dons shot just 36.8 percent from the floor, including 8-for-28 (28.6) from three-point range. Despite its cold shooting, USF trailed by only nine points at 70-61 with 8:08 left in the game before the Ducks went on a 9-1 run to increased their lead to 79-62 with 6:13 remaining. Kruize Pinkins led the team in scoring for the third straight game, finishing with 20 points and 11 rebounds for his first career double-double.

HOME AND ROAD: USF is 2-2 at home this season and is 10-9 on its homecourt dating back to last season. The Dons were 41-18 (.694) on the Memorial Gym hardwood between the 2008-09 and 2011-12 seasons. USF is 5-1 in its last six road contests dating back to last season.

PLAYING THEM CLOSE: Three of the last four USF games have been decided by three points or fewer, including a 93-90 overtime loss to Idaho State. 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 six games and are now averaging 87.2 points a game, which ranks third in the WCC. The Dons opened the season by scoring 90+ points in four consecutive games, marking the first time in school history USF had scored 90+ in straight games to start a season.

BALANCED SCORING: USF has five players on its current roster averaging in double figures after six games, with junior Kruize Pinkins topping the team's scoring chart with a 15.0 point per game average. Five current players are averaging between 15.0 and 10.0 ppg. Four different players have taken team-high scoring honors this season, with Kruize Pinkins (19 vs. Notre Dame de Namur; 22 at Montana; 20 at Oregon) topping the charts on three occasions.

FROM THE FLOOR: The Dons shot a season-low 36.8 percent (25-for-68) from the field in Sunday's loss at Oregon, dropping the team's season percentage from 54.5 percent to its present 47.9 mark, which ranks fifth in the WCC. Kruize Pinkins (57.4) and Mark Tollefsen (56.1) rank 1-2 on the team in field goal percentage, while Matt Glover checks in at 52.3.

THE THREE-BALL: USF made 8-of-28 (28.6) of its three-point attempts at Oregon, which lowered the season percentahe from 40.3 to 37.9, which ranks fifth in the WCC. The Dons set single-game school records for most three-pointers made (17) and attempted (46) against Idaho State and 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 64.6 percent (95-for-147) from the line this season, which ranks last in the WCC. After making 75 percent (33-for-44) of its charity tries in the first two games of the season, the Dons have made just 62-of-103 (60.3) of its free throws over the last four games. 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 six opponents by an average of 36.3 to 33.0, 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). Dickerson currently leads the team in rebounding with a 8.5 average, with Kruize Pinkins (5.8), Mark Tollefsen (4.8) and Matt Glover (4.5) all averaging more than 4.0 boards a game. Dickerson (2), Tollefsen (1) and Pinkins (1) have all recorded double-doubles this season.

THE BENCH: USF's bench is averaging 32.0 points (192 total) a game thus far this season. In four of the Dons' six games this season, a non-starter has taken game high scoring honors (Kruize Pinkins 19 vs. Notre Dame de Namur; 22 vs. Montana; 20 vs. Oregon; Chris Adams 21 vs. Idaho State). Pinkins is averaging a team-high 15.0 points off the bench this season.

KRUIZIN': Over the last three games against Idaho State, Montana and Oregon, junior Kruize Pinkins is averaging 18.7 points and 8.0 rebounds while shooting 77.8 (21-for-27) from the field. Pinkins recorded his first career double-double Sunday at Oregon, finishing with 20 points and 11 rebounds. He now leads the team in scoring with a 15.0 per game average.

TOLLEFSEN'S TALLY: Sophomore Mark Tollefsen is averaging 15.1 points (167 total) and while shooting 63.6 percent (63-for-99) from the field over his last 11 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 six games this season, he is averaging a 14.2 points and is shooting 56.1 percent from the floor.

THREE'S BETTER THAN TWO: In six games this season, junior Chris Adams is shooting 44.8 percent (13-for-29) from long distance. All but seven (60-of-67) 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.