Game Information
San Francisco Dons (6-4, 0-0 WCC) vs. Saint Mary's Gaels (8-1, 0-0 WCC)
Monday,  Dec. 21, 2015 • 8:00 p.m. 
McKeon Pavilion • Moraga, Calif.
Series Record: USF leads 99-75
Last Meeting: Feb. 26, 2015 (SMC 84-53)
Audio Stream: TheW.tv (Pat Olson, Play-by-Play; Jim Brovelli, Analyst)
Television: CSNCA (Barry Tompkins, Play-by-Play; Dan Belluomini, Analyst)

Complete USF Game Notes (PDF)

VIDEO | Inside USF Basketball: WCC Preview

USF at a Glance

• Now 6-4 on the year after Friday's 96-93 overtime victory over Coppin State...three Dons - Devin Watson (31), Tim Derksen (23) and Uche Ofoegbu (17) - scored career highs in the win.
• Open the 64th season of West Coast Conference play on Monday against longtime rival Saint Mary's...the Dons are just 1-19 vs. the Gaels dating back to the 2005-06 season and have dropped 12 straight in Moraga.
• USF and Saint Mary's are two of four charter members of the WCC along with Santa Clara and Pacific, which rejoined the conference in 2013-14.
• Of the Dons six wins this season, four have been by a combined total of 11 points (78-75 at Illinois-Chicago; 58-57 vs. UC Riverside; 65-61 vs. CSUN; 96-93 vs. Coppin State) while two others have been by a combined total of 47 points (80-54 vs. Rice; 67-47 vs. Delaware State)...were 1-4 in games decided by five points or fewer last season.
• Have not led in three of its four losses and led for only a combined :32 seconds in a loss to Eastern Washington.
• Are 1-2 on the road this season, with the lone win coming in the season-opener at Illinois-Chicago...however, are 14-8 in its last 22 WCC road games dating back to the 2012-13 season.
• Have trailed at halftime in seven of its 10 games this season and are 3-4 in those contests...averaging 28.9 points (289 total) and shooting 35.8 percent (99-for-276) in the first half this season compared to 41.4 (414) and 51.4 percent (142-for-276) after intermission.
• Shot 55 percent from the floor against Coppin State, marking the third time USF has shot at least 50 percent from the field this season...now shooting 43.7 from the floor -- fifth best in the WCC.
• Sophomore point guard Devin Watson scored a career-high 31 points vs. Coppin State and is now averaging 19.8 this season, which ranks second in the WCC...he has been in double-figures in all 10 games this season including four 20-point games.
• Senior guard Tim Derksen is averaging 15.5 ppg and 5.9 boards a game...ranks in the WCC's top-10 in both scoring (6th) and rebounding (10th) from his two-guard position.
• The duo of Watson and Derksen is averaging 35.4 ppg to rank as form WCC's highest-scoring backcourt...they account for more than half of USF's season point total (354 of 703).
• USF's bench is averaging 18.5 points per game this season (185 total).
• Employed its third different staring lineup of the season last Friday vs. Coppin State, with Uche Ofoegbu replacing Chase Foster at the three-spot...Ofoegbu responded with a career high 17 points.
• With 118 wins in seven-plus seasons on the Hilltop, Rex Walters is ranks sixth on USF's all-time career win list among coaches.
• Return to War Memorial at The Sobrato Center Wednesday night to host the Pacific Tigers...tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m...game marks the first of three straight at home (Portland 12/31; Gonzaga 1/2).

The Series
In a series that dates back to the 1930-31 season, USF leads the all-time series with Saint Mary's, 99-75. However, the Gaels have won 19 of the last 20 and 24 of the last 27 games in the series dating back to the 2002-03 season. Prior to the Gaels recent run of success, USF won seven straight games in the series from 1998-99 to 2001-02. USF has also dropped 12 straight in McKeon Pavilion dating back to its last victory on Feb. 8, 2003, 68-67. Saint Mary's swept the season series last year, winning 69-56 in Moraga and 84-53 on the Hilltop. USF snapped a 17-game losing streak to the Gaels with a 73-62 victory in San Francisco on Feb. 20, 2014. The two schools have also met five times in WCC Tournament play, with the Gaels holding a 4-1 advantage.

Last Year's Meetings With Saint Mary's
USF dropped both games to Saint Mary's last season, losing 69-56 on Dec. 29 in Moraga and 84-53 on Feb. 26 on the Hilltop. In the first game, USF's two leading scorers Kruize Pinkins and Mark  Tollefsen were held to four and nine points respectively on a combined 5-of-18 shooting from the floor. Brad Waldow led all scorers with 21 points. USF trailed by five points at the half at 29-24 but were outscored 13-4 to start the second half as the Gaels built a 42-28 lead with 13:57 remaining. The Dons could get no closer than nine points down the stretch. Saint Mary's shot 60 percent in the second half and took advantage of 14 USF turnovers which led to 21 points.

In the return game in Memorial Gymnasium, USF saw its three-game winning streak come end with an 84-53 loss to the Gaels. USF never led in the game and trailed 49-29 at the half after the Gaels connected on 11-of-17 first half three-pointers. Saint Mary's outscored USF 11-2 at the onset of the second period to extend its lead to 60-32. The Gaels shot 58.9 percent from the floor, including 51.9 percent (14-of-27) from long distance and held a 41-24 advantage on the boards. Garrett Jackson led all scorers with 26 points while Brad Waldow and Kerry Carter finished with 18 points each. Tim Derksen was the only USF player to score in double figures with 12 points.

Dons' Notebook

Opening Tip
USF (6-4, 0-0 WCC) opens the 64th season of West Coast Conference basketball on Monday against fellow WCC-charter member Saint Mary's (8-1, 0-0 WCC). Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. in Moraga and the game will be televised locally on CSNCA. The Dons have won two straight after Friday night's 96-93 overtime victory over Coppin State while the Gaels improved to 8-1 on the season with a 92-36 win over Southern Utah last Wednesday,

Last Time Out 
USF received career-high scoring efforts from Devin Watson, Tim Derksen and Uche Ofoegbu and was able to outlast Coppin State, 96-93 in overtime last Friday night in War Memorial at the Sobrato Center. Watson scored a game-high 31 points, Derksen added 23 and Ofoegbu, making his first career start, added 17. Watson also had eight rebounds and five assists. Derksen canned 8-of-11 shots from the floor while Ofoegbu was just as efficient, making 7-of-10. There were 27 lead changes and 19 ties in the game. The Dons shot 55 percent from the floor for the game, including 60 percent after intermission. USF also held a 39-29 advantage on the boards. Coppin State took advantage of 11-of-21 shooting from beyond the arc and 26 (of 30) free throws but dropped its seventh straight game.The Dons took a 94-93 lead when Derksen tipped in Watson's missed layup with :10 remaining. After the timeout, Coppin State's Josh Treadwell was forced into a turnover by Ofoegbu and Derksen was fouled gathering the loose ball. He made both free throws with :01 left to give the Dons a 96-93 victory.

Charter Members of the WCC
USF is one of four charter schools in the West Coast Conference, along with Santa Clara, Saint Mary's and Pacific, which rejoined the league in 2013-14 after previously holding membership from 1952-71. USF has won/shared 15 regular season WCC titles, second most in league history behind Gonzaga's 18. The Dons 15 regular season crowns were won during a 27-year period from  1954-81. USF's only WCC Tournament title came in 1997-98.

WCC's Highest-Scoring Backcourt
USF's starting guard combination of sophomore Devin Watson and senior Tim Derksen has combined to average 35.4 ppg (354 total) points a game this season to rank as the WCC's highest-scoring backcourt., nearly 7.0 ppg better than BYU's duo of Nick Emery-Kyle Collinsworth (28.5; 285 total). Either Watson or Derksen have led the team in scoring in all 10 games this season and duo accounts for 50.3 percent (354 of 703) of the Dons point production this season.

Watson Ranks Second in WCC Scoring
After scoring a career high 31 points against Coppin State, sophomore point guard Devin Watson is averaging 19.8 points a game, which ranks second in the WCC behind Gonzaga's Kyle Wiltjer's 20.6 ppg average. Watson has been in double-figures in all 10 games this season, including four 20-point contests (24 at Fresno State; 27 vs. UC Riverside; 25 vs. Eastern Washington; 31 vs. Coppin State). He is also averaging 5.1 assists per game to rank sixth in the WCC.

The Road Record
USF is 1-2 on the road this season, earning a 78-75 victory at Illinois-Chicago and dropping games at Fresno State (71-78) and Montana (50-82). The Dons were 4-7 in true road games last season but are 14-8 in its last 22 WCC road games dating back to the 2012-13 season.

Lineups
USF employed its third starting lineup of the season vs. Coppin State, as Uche Ofoegbu replaced Chase Foster at the three position. Ofoegbu responded with a career-high 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor. Devin Watson, Tim Derksen and Dont'e Reynolds has started all 10 games while Nate Renfro and Foster have started nine of 10. Montray Clemons also drew a start at Montana.

The Wins and Losses
Of the six victories, four have been by a combined total of 11 points (78-75 at Illinois-Chicago; 58-57 vs. UC Riverside; 65-61 CSUN; 96-93 vs. Coppin State) while two others have been by a combined total of 47 points (80-54; Rice; 67-47 vs. Delaware State). The Dons never led in losses to Fresno State, UC Santa Barbara or Montana and led for only :32 seconds in a loss to Eastern Washington.

The Half of It
USF has trailed at haftime in seven of 10 games and is 3-4 in those contests. The Dons are averaging 28.9 points (289 total) while shooting 35.8 (99-for-276) from the floor over the first 20 minutes of games this season compared to after intermission when USF is scoring at a 41.4 clip (414 total) and shooting 51.4 percent (142-for-276) from the floor.

Dons Defensively
USF has allowed 79.2 points a game in its last four games against Eastern Washington (81), Montana (82), CSUN (61) and Coppin State (93). The Dons are allowing 69.6 ppg this season, which ranks sixth in the WCC. Opponents are shooting 41.1 percent, including 37.1 percent from long distance, against the Dons this season.

From the Floor
USF has shot 50 percent of better in three games this season (50.8 vs. Rice; 55.8 vs. Montana; 55.0 vs. Coppin State) and is now shooting 43.7 percent from the floor on the season, which ranks fifth in the WCC. USF shot 50 percent or better from the field just eight times all last season but finished fourth in the WCC in field goal percentage at 45.1 percent.

Toeing the Line
After making just 22-of-39 (56.4) of its free throws at Illinois-Chicago, USF has knocked down 132-of-188 (70.2) of its free throws over its last nine games and is now shooting 67.8 percent from the line this season -- fifth best in the WCC. Last season, USF ranked last in the WCC with a 62.9 free throw percentage, which was the lowest mark since the 1985-86 season (62.4).

From Distance
After making a season high nine 3-pointers against Delaware State, USF has managed to connect on 24-of-77 (31.1) of its long distance tries over its last four games. The Dons are now shooting 32.2 percent (60-for-192) from three-point range on the year, which ranks seventh in the WCC. Sophomore Devin Watson tops the team in 3's made (19) while Tim Derksen leads the team in three-point accurary (41.0; 16-for-39).

Board Work
USF has outrebounded six of its first 10 opponents and is +49 in the rebound column on the year. USF narrowly lost the battle of the boards to Fresno State (35-38), UC Santa Barbara (35-34), Montana (33-35) and were outrebounded by CSUN (30-38). The Dons are averaging 39.2 boards a game, which ranks third in the WCC and are fourth in rebound margin (+4.9). Five players - Dont'e Reynolds (6.3), Tim Derksen (5.9), Montray Clemons (4.4), Nate Renfro (4.1) and Matt McCarthy (4.4) - are averaging at least 4.0 boards per game.

Assists, Turnovers and Steals
USF has turned the ball over at least 15 times in six of the 10 games this season and are averaging 14.8 turnovers a game, compared to the opponents at 11.2 per game. USF ranks 10th in the WCC in turnover margin (3.60) and ninth in assist-turnover ratio (0.8). Of the Dons 241 total field goals, 123 (51.0) have come via an assist. USF is also averaging 4.87 steals a game to rank 10th in the WCC.

The Bench
USF's bench scored 25 points in a 65-61 win over CSUN, which was its highest production since contributing 37 in the second game of the season against Rice. USF's reserves are averaging 18.5 ppg this season (185 total), compared to the opponent's at 23.0 (233).

Derksen Joins 1,000-Point Club
With 1,085 career points, senior Tim Derksen ranks 27th on USF's all-time scoring list. He needs two more points to tie Shamell Stallworth (1,087; 1999-03) for 26th place and 18 more to tie Alan Wiggins, Jr. (1,103; 2003-07) for 25th

Derksen on USF's 3-Point Charts
Tim Derksen has made 16-for-39 (.410) of his 3-point tries this season and is now shooting 39.6 percent (113-for-285) from long distance for his career, which ranks sixth on USF's all-time career list. Shawn Sykes (1988-90) is USF's all-time leader in 3-point percentage at 44.4 (98-for-218).

Dons in Overtime
USF is now 4-3 in its last seven overtime games and 13-6 in overtime games under head coach Rex Walters after its 96-93 OT victory over Coppin State on Dec. 18. USF was 1-1 in OT games last season, dropping a 69-65 decision at Cleveland State and defeating Santa Clara, 69-62.

Scouting Report

About Saint Mary's
Off to a 8-1 start following a 92-36 victory over Southern Utah last Wednesday…eight wins have come by an average of 30 points…lost all five starters and 80 percent of its scoring and rebounding off of last year's NIT team which finished 21-10 overall and 13-5 (t-2) in the WCC…lead the nation in field goal percentage at 54.6 percent…also the second-best 3-point shooting team in the nation at 47.7 percent (105-for-220)…averaging 21.3 assists per game which ranks fourth nationally…also lead the nation in assist/turnover ratio (2.11)…recently set a school record with 19 3-pointers in a home in over Cal Poly…sophomore guard Emmett Naar leads the Gaels in scoring with a 15.0 ppg average…Naar leads the nation in three-point field goal percentage at 69.4 (25-for-36) and ranks 15th nationally in assists per game at 6.8…Boston College transfer Joe Rahon is averaging 11.4 points a contest and ranks seventh nationally in assists per game at 7.1…all told, eight Gaels are averaging between 7.6 and 15.0 points a game…feature six players from Australia in Kyle Clark, Jordan Hunter, Tanner Krebs, Jock Landale, Naar and Dane Pineau…head coach Randy Bennett is in his 15th season in Moraga and has led the Gaels to nine post-season appearances (5 NCAA and 4 NIT) since taking over the program for the 2001-02 season...Gaels have averaged 26 wins a season over the last six years under his guidance.