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SAN FRANCISCO -- It was just the way they drew it up.
 
Trailing 57-56 with seven seconds remaining in the game, Devin Watson found a streaking Tim Derksen who converted the game-winning layup with two seconds remaining to lift USF to a come-from-behind, 58-57 victory over visiting UC Riverside Saturday night in the Sobrato Center.
 
Derksen's game-winner capped a furious USF comeback which saw the Dons rally from a nine-point, 44-35 deficit with 7:54 remaining to win for the third time in four games to start the season. The Highlanders fall to 2-1. 
Watson led all scorers with a career-high 27 points while Derksen finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds to notch his second double-double of the season. Sophomore Chase Foster hit 3-of-6 three-pointers and finished with 13 points.
 
Watson scored 14 of his 27 points in the game's final 7:17 to spark the Dons rally.
 
Malik Thames' 15 points led three Highlanders in double-figures.
 
The Dons won the game despite shooting just 32.1 percent from the field and survived 11 three-pointers by UC Riverside, which entered the game shooting 45.5 percent from beyond the arc. USF outrebounded the Highlanders, 45-34 and made 18-of-21 free throws in a one-point victory.
 
USF never led in the second half until Derksen's game-winner and trailed by nine points at 44-35 with 7:54 left after an Alex Larsson basket. However, Watson scored the next eight points, six coming on back-to-back three-pointers, to bring the Dons to within one at 44-43 with 5:55 remaining.
 
However, the Highlanders answered the Dons runs and pushed their lead back to five at 57-52 after a three-pointer by Thames with :58 left.
 
With :43 remaining, Watson was fouled by Thames on a three-point attempt and made his two of his three free throws to cut the lead 57-54. When the Highlanders failed to gather the missed free throw, Watson was fouled again by Thames and calmly sank both free throws to bring the Dons to within one at 57-56 with :38 seconds remaining.
 
On the Highlanders next possession, USF's Nate Renfro drew an offensive foul from Secean Johnson, giving the Dons one last breath.
 
Renfro inbounded the ball and found Watson coming off a screen set by Dont'e Reynolds. Watson jetted to near midcourt and found Derksen streaking down the right side for the game-winner.
 
"That was a diagrammed play and we had the ball in the hands of the two players we wanted at the end," said USF head coach Rex Walters. "That play doesn't happen if Nate (Renfro) doesn't take that charge. Nate inbounded the ball and found Devin on the run and Timmy made a great read and cut for the layup. We won the game on a night we didn't play our best."
 
It took the Dons 32 minutes before finding any semblance of an offensive rhythm. The Dons shot just 25.9 percent in the first half and trailed at intermission, 24-23. USF had just 35 points on the board with just under eight minutes remaining only to score 23 points over the final 7:54 of the game to pull out the win.
 
"They did some good things defensively that really got us out of sorts," said Walters. "We're a young team and aren't always able to make adjustments when we need to. We tried some things but nothing was really clicking but really started playing for each other over the last eight minutes of the game."
 
For a second straight game, Watson bettered his career high. After scoring 24 points in a loss Monday at Fresno State, the sophomore from Oceanside poured in 27 against the Highlanders, 16 of which came after the break.
 
"He has a talent, confidence, a swagger and belief along with a work ethic," said Walters. "It took him awhile to figure it out but that was all about his maturation process."
 
USF will return to action on Wednesday when the Dons play host to UC Santa Barbara beginning at 7:30 p.m. in War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.