Game #9
San Francisco Dons (5-3, 0-0 WCC) vs. Eastern Washington (7-1, 0-0 Big Sky)
Thursday,  Dec. 11, 2014 • 7:00 p.m. 
Memorial Gymnasium • San Francisco, Calif.
Series Record: USF leads 1-0
Last Meeting: USF 66-48 (Dec. 1, 1995)
Audio/Video Streaming: TheW.tv (Pat Olson, Play-by-Play; Jim Brovelli, Analyst)
Television: None

Complete USF Game Notes (PDF)

The Dandy Dons

• Now stand 5-3 on the season after Sunday's 85-54 home victory over Houston Baptist...four Dons scored in double figures, led by freshman Devin Watson's 14 points.
• Are 4-0 at home this season and 17-5 on the Memorial Gym hardwood over the last two seasons...averaging 84.5 ppg and outscoring opponents 84.5 to 52.2 in four home games this season.
• Face Eastern Washington for only the second time in program history on Thursday night...Eagles have won four straight and are off to a 7-1 start which includes an 88-86 road win at Indiana on Nov. 24.
• Averaging 75.0 ppg which ranks fourth in the WCC...have scored 80+ points in three of four home games this season (76 vs. Montana).
• Have not been outrebounded in a game this season...have won the battle of the boards in seven contests and were even against Florida Gulf Coast...rank second in the WCC in rebound average (41.8) and third (15th nationally) in rebound margin (+13.1)...four of five starters averaging between 6.3 and 5.0 boards per game, led by Kruize Pinkins at 6.3.
• Allowing just 61.9 ppg which is the third lowest opponent mark among WCC teams...have allowed just 56.4 (282 total) ppg in their five wins and 71.0 ppg in three losses.
• Shooting 48.2 percent from the floor, third-best in the WCC...have shot 50 percent or better in four games this season, including a season-high 66.7 percent effort vs. Montana.
• Have made 15-of-34 (.441) three-pointers over last two games and are now shooting 36.9 percent (55-139) from long distance this season - second best in the WCC.
• Shooting just 57.5 percent (115-for-200) from the line after eight games, last in the WCC...USF shot just 64.8 percent (523-for-807) from the line last season.
• Senior Kruize Pinkins leads the team in scoring (15.3) and ebounding (6.3)...he has scored a season-high 26 points in two games this season (NDDM and Montana).
• Junior Mark Tollefsen has scored in double figures in all eight games this season, including a career high 23 points vs. Evansville...he now ranks second behind Pinkins in scoring average at 14.1 ppg.
• Senior Matt Glover has made 9-of-15 three-point attempts to start the season and leads the WCC in three-point field goal percentage at .600.
• Have used three different lineups in six games thus far this season...used three starting combos all of last season.
• The win over Houston Baptist was Rex Walters' 103rd coaching victory at USF...six other Don coaches have reached the 100-win milestone.
• Return to action Monday night to face Cal Poly (7:00 p.m.)...will also play host to Portland State on Dec. 18 before traveling to Cleveland State for its last non-conference game of the season on Dec. 21.

Notables
Opening Tip
USF (5-3, 0-0 WCC) plays the second of four consecutive home games Thursday night when the Dons play host to the Eastern Washington Eagles (7-1, 0-0 Big Sky). USF is coming off a 85-54 win over Houston Baptist on Sunday while the Eagles downed Seattle 87-75 on Saturday to extend their winning streak to four straight, which includes a 88-86 road win at Indiana.

Series History with Eastern Washington
USF and Eastern Washington have met just one time previously, with the Dons scoring a 66-48 victory on Dec. 1, 1995 here on the Hilltop as part of the Met Life Classic.

Last Time Out
USF shot 55.6 percent from the field, including a blistering 65 percent in the second half, to defeat Houston Baptist, 85-54 Sunday afternoon in Memorial Gymnasium. Freshman Devin Watson came off the bench to score a game-high 14 points in a 12-minute second half playing stint, while Mark Tollefsen and Tim Derksen finished with 12 each. Kruize Pinkins also reached double figures with 11. USF closed the first half on a 14-3 run and opened the second period with a 14-2 spurt to seize control of the game.

The Home Record
USF is 4-0 at home this season with wins over South Carolina State, Notre Dame de Namur, Montana and Houston Baptist and are 17-5 on the Memorial Gymnasium hardwood over the last two seasons. In four home games this season, USF has outscored its opponent 84.5 to 52.2 (+32.3) while shooting 57 percent from the field, including 45.6 percent from three-point range.

The Defensive Numbers
The Dons are tied for third in the WCC in opponent scoring average, allowing a stingy 61.9 points per game through the first eight contests.  The Dons have allowed 71.0 ppg (213 total) in its three losses and just 56.4 ppg (282) in their five wins. USF also ranks second in field goal defense (37.9) and seventh in three-point field goal defense (34.2).

Board Work
USF has not been outrebounded in a game this season. The Dons have won the battle of the boards seven times and were even in the rebounding column vs. Florida Gulf Coast. USF is pulling down 41.8 rebounds per game, which ranks second in the WCC. USF also ranks third among WCC teams in rebound margin, outboarding its first eight oponents on margin of 10.2 per game (43.0-31.3). The Dons also rank second in the conference in offensive rebounds with a 13.4 per game mark. Four of the five starters - Kruize Pinkins (6.3), Matt Glover (6.0), Mark Tollefsen (5.4) and Tim Derksen (5.0) - are averaging between 6.3 and 5.0 boards per game. Pinkins, Glover and Derksen have have pulled down 10+ rebounds in a game this season while Tollefsen grabbed nine boards vs. Evansville.

From the Field
The Dons shot 55.6 percent from the field Sunday vs. Houston Baptist, marking the fourth time this season USF has shot 50 percent or better from the floor. The Dons are shooting 48.2 percent from the floor on the season, which ranks third in the WCC. USF is shooting 57 percent from the floor in four home games, including a season-high 66.7 effort against Montana.

From the Line
USF is shooting just 57.5 percent (115-200) from the line at the eight game mark of the season, which ranks last in the WCC. USF shot just 64.8 percent (523-for-807) from the line last season, which was the lowest percentage in the WCC. Last year's free throw percentage was the lowest mark since the 1985-86 team shot 62.4 percent (328-for-526) from the line.

Beyond the Arc
The Dons have made 15-of-34 (.441) of their three-point attempts over the last two games, including a 8-for-14 effort on Sunday vs. Houston Baptist. USF ranks second in the WCC in three-point field goal percentage at 36.9 percent (55-139). Senior Matt Glover has hit 9-of-15 of his long distance attempts and ranks first in the WCC with a .600 field goal percentage.

The Lineups
Head coach Rex Walters has employed three different starting lineups in the first seven games. Derrell Roberston and Matt Christiansen have both started games in the middle, while senior Chris Adams drew his first starting assignment of the year against Evansville. The Dons utilized three starting lineups all of last season.

Kruize-in
Senior forward Kruize Pinkins ranks among the top-10 in five WCC statistical categories, including scoring (7th; 15.3), rebounding (10th; 6.3), field goal percentage (8th; 54.5), offensive rebounds (8th; 2.5) and three-point field goal percentate (t-3; 53.3). He has matched his career high twice this season by scoring 26 points vs. NDDM and Montana.

Tollefsen Terrific
Junior forward Mark Tollefsen has scored in double-figures in all eight games this season, including a season-high 23 point effort in a loss to Evansville at the Gulf Coast Showcase. He now ranks as the team's second leading scorer at 14.1 ppg