Game #22
San Francisco Dons (9-12, 3-6 WCC) vs. BYU Cougars (15-7, 5-4 WCC)
Thursday,  Jan. 30, 2015 • 8:00 p.m. PT
Marriott Center • Provo, Utah
Series Record: BYU 12-6
Last Meeting: BYU 99-68 (Jan. 3, 2015)
Audio/Video Streaming: TheW.tv (Pat Olson, Play-by-Play; Jim Brovelli, Analyst)
Television: ESPN2 (Roxy Bernstein, Play-by-Play; Corey Williams, Analyst)

Complete USF Game Notes (PDF)

The Dandy Dons

• Now 9-12 overall and 3-6 in the West Coast Conference after splitting a pair of home games last week with Pepperdine (W, 71-59) and Loyola Marymount (L, 70-69)...tied for sixth in the WCC with San Diego and Portland.
• Were 13-8 at the 21-game mark last season...won game 22 to improve to 14-8...ultimately finished at 21-12 and 13-5 WCC (t-2nd).
• Looking to rebound from a 31-point, 99-68 defeat at the hands of BYU earlier this season...BYU has won four straight in the series and are 7-1 vs. the Dons since joining the WCC in 2011-12.
• Are 3-7 away from Memorial Gymnasium this season (2-5 road; 1-2 neutral)...two of the team's three conference wins have come on the road (Pacific and Portland).
• Combined to shoot 50.4 from the floor last week vs. Pepperdine (25-47) and LMU (26-54)...shooting 46.3 pecent from the field this season, which ranks third in the WCC (BYU 2nd at 47.3).
• Were outrebounded by Pepperdine (33-28) and LMU (38-37) last week...have been outrebounded in seven of its first nine conference games after outboarding 10 of its first 12 opponents...were +9.7 on the boards vs. non-conference foes and are -3.4 vs. the first nine conference opponents...rank fifth in the WCC in rebound average (36.0) and are sixth in rebound margin (+3.2).
• Three players - Kruize Pinkins (5.7), Matt Glover (5.4) and Mark Tollefsen (5.3) - are averaging at least 5.0 rebounds per game while Tim Derksen is averagaing 4.8.
• Have made just 11-of-46 (23.9) three-point attempts over the last three games, dipping the season percentage to 36.7, which ranks fifth in the WCC...shooting just 31.1 percent from beyond the arc in conference play.
• Have allowed eight opponents to make at least nine three-pointers in a game...have given up 53 three-pointers over the last six games, including a season high 15 to BYU...opponents shooting 36.0 percent from long distance on the season, including 39.2 in WCC play.
• Made 15-of-26 free throws in a one-point loss to LMU on Saturday...shooting 60.3 percent from the line, which ranks 10th in the WCC...are slightly better in conference play at 67.2 percent, which includes a 28-for-32 effort at Portland.
• Freshman Devin Watson scored a team-high 16 points at Pepperdine and is averaging 11.7 ppg in conference action...he has started each of the last seven games and is averaging 11.8 ppg (83 total) in his starting assignments.
• Senior Kruize Pinkins has scored in double-figures in six straight games and leads the team in scoring with a 15.5 ppg mark...Pinkins has scored 20+ points in five games this season.

Notables

Opening Tip
USF (9-12, 3-6 WCC) plays the first of two road games this week Thursday night in Provo, Ut. against the BYU Cougars (15-7, 5-4 WCC). The game will be nationally televised on ESPN2 beginning at 8:00 p.m. PT. USF split a pair of games last week, defeating Pepperdine, 71-59 before suffering a 70-69 setback at the buzzer against LMU. BYU has lost two straight after Saturday's 77-74 loss at San Diego. The Dons will wrap up the week Saturday at San Diego.

Series History with BYU
BYU leads the all-time series with USF, 12-6. The Cougars have won four straight in the series, including a 99-68 decision earlier this season on the Hilltop. BYU won all three games against the Dons last season, sweeping the regular season series with an 83-76 victory in San Francisco and a 68-63 win in Provo. BYU also downed the Dons, 79-77 in overtime in the semifinals of the WCC Championships. USF is 1-7 vs. BYU since the Cougars joined the WCC for the 2011-12 season. The Dons lone victory came on Feb. 9 in Provo, when USF nailed 14 three-pointers in a 99-87 victory. The teams have met once in NCAA Tournament play, with the Dons scoring a 86-63 victory in a second round game played in Tucson, Ariz. in 1979.

First Meeting With BYU
USF was victimed by 15 three-pointers by BYU and dropped a 99-68 decision to the Cougars on Jan. 3 in Memorial Gymnasium. The 31-point loss equaled USF's largest margin of defeat on its home floor. BYU made 12 of its 15 three-pointers and shot 74.1 percent from the field in the first half to open a 57-29 lead at the break. The Cougars led by as many as 35 points in the second half at 68-33 before winning by the final 31-point margin. Chase Fischer, who finished with 20 points, accounted for six of the Cougars 15 three-pointers. Tyler Haws (22), Jake Toolson (11) and Anson Winder (17) made three treys each. Kyle Collinsworth recorded a triple-double with 12 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Kruize Pinkins scored 15 points to pace the Dons, while Devin Watson (13), Mark Tollefsen (12) and Tim Derksen (11) were also in double-figures.
 
Last Time Out
USF failed to hold a 17-point second half lead and fell to Loyola Marymount, 70-69 on a putback basket at the buzzer by Evan Payne. The Dons built a 13-point lead at the half and still led by 14 at 56-42 with 11:31 remaining. From there, the Lions went on a 21-7 run to tie the game at 63 on a 3-pointer by David Humphries with 4:13 left. Kruize Pinkins made 1-of-2 free throws with :20 left to give the Dons a 69-68 lead, but Payne's catch-and-shoot putback at the buzzer off an Godwin Okonji miss gave the Lions a one-point victory. LMU had 15 offensive rebounds and ouboarded USF, 38-37. USF shot 48.1 percent from the field, but were just 2-of-13 from three-point range and 15-of-26 from the line. Pinkins and Mark Tollefsen paced all USF scorers with 19 points while Tim Derksen added 15. Ayodeji Egbeyemi had 19 for the Lions while Payne and Humphries chipped in with 13 each.

The Record
At 9-12 overall, USF is four games off its pace from last season when the Dons were 13-8 at the 21-game mark. USF won game No. 22 to improve to 14-8 overall before ultimately finishing with a 21-12 overall mark and tied for second in the WCC with a 13-5 conference ledger. After a 3-0 start, USF is 6-12 over its last 18 games.

The Wins
Of USF's nine wins this season, eight have been by double digit margins and an average of 23.4 points (82.2 to 58.8). The Dons have posted four wins of 30 points or more against South Carolina State (91-52), Notre Dame de Namur (86-46), Houston Baptist (85-54) and Portland State (77-40) and also own double digit victories over Hawaii (88-73), Montana (76-57), Portland (89-77) and Pepperdine (71-59).

The Road Record
USF is 3-7 away from Memorial Gymnasium this season (2-5 road; 1-2 neutral). Two of the Dons' three conference wins have come at Pacific (77-71) and at Portland (89-77). USF is 12-6 in its last 18 conference road games dating back to the 2012-13 season.

Dons Defensively
USF is being outscored by 5.9 points a game over the first nine WCC games (73.3-67.4). The Dons rank seventh overall in the WCC in points allowed per game (67.8). After limiting 12 non-conference opponents to 38.9 percent shooting from the floor, the first nine WCC foes have clipped the nets at 48.0 percent. USF ranks fourth overall in field goal defense at 42.7 percent.

Defending the Three
For the season, USF is allowing opponents to shoot 37.1 percent from three-point range, which ranks ninth in the WCC.  The first nine WCC opponents have clipped the nets at 39.2 percent from long distance. Eight opponents have made at least nine three-pointers against USF this season.

Board Work
After outrebounding 10 of its 12 opponents by 8.3 boards a game, USF has been outrebounded in seven of its first nine conference games, 34.1 to 30.7. USF ranks fifth the WCC in rebound average at 36.0 per game and sixth in rebound margin (+3.2). However, USF is being outboarded by 3.4 per game in conference action.  In nine wins this season, USF has held a decisive advantage on the boards (38.4-30.4). Three players - Kruize Pinkins (5.7), Matt Glover (5.4) and Mark Tollefsen (5.3) - are averaging at least 5.0 rebounds per game while Tim Derksen is averagaing 4.8. All four players have pulled down 10 or more rebounds in a game this season.

From the Field
USF combined to shoot 50.4 from the floor last week vs. Pepperdine (25-47) and LMU (26-54). The Dons shot 53.2 percent from the floor against Pepperdine, marking the first time in 13 games the Dons managed to hit the 50 percent mark. USF is shooting 44.5 percent from the field over its first nine conference games and rank third in the conference in season field goal percentage at 46.3. USF has shot 50 percent or better from the floor just five times this season. Mark Tollefsen ranks seventh in the WCC in field goal percentage at 53.7 while Kruize Pinkins ranks 11th (51.6).

From the Line
USF is shooting 60.3 percent from the foul line, which ranks last in the WCC and is the fifth-lowest percentate among 345 Division I teams. The Dons are slightly better in conference action at 67.2 percent. USF has made just 128-of-241 (53.1) of their free throws in 12 losses which have come by a total of 138 points. USF's 479 free throw attempts is the 28th highest total in the country among Division I teams.

Beyond the Arc
USF has made just 11-of-46 (23.9) of its three-point attempts over the last three games and now ranks fifth in the WCC in three-point field goal percentage at .367 (139-for-379). The Dons are shooting 43.6 percent (71-for-163) from long distance in nine wins this season and are shooting just 31.4 percent (68-for-216) from beyond the arc in 12 losses.

Bench Scoring
USF's reserves have been outscored in seven of the last eight games by an average of 21.5 to 12.5 points per game (172-100).

D-Watz
Freshman Devin Watson has started each of the last seven games at the point guard postion and is averaging 11.9 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists in those seven games. He is the Dons third-leading scorer in conference play at 11.7 ppg, trailing only Kruize Pinkins (14.1) and Mark Tollefsen (13.7). Watson now ranks as the Dons fourth-leading scorer on the season at 8.0 points per game. He scored a career high 21 points in USF's 89-77 win at Portland on Jan. 10.