Game #26
San Francisco Dons (9-16, 3-10 WCC) vs. Santa Clara Broncos (11-14, 5-8 WCC)
Thursday,  Feb. 12, 2015 • 8:00 p.m.
Memorial Gymnasium • San Francisco, Calif.
Series Record: Santa Clara 112-103
Last Meeting: Santa Clara 70-64 (Jan. 17, 2015)
Audio/Video Streaming: TheW.tv (Pat Olson, Play-by-Play; Jim Brovelli, Analyst)
Television: ESPNU (Roxy Bernstein, Play-by-Play; Corey Williams, Analyst)

Complete USF Game Notes (PDF) | Complete Santa Clara Game Notes (PDF)

The Dandy Dons

• Now 9-16 overall and 3-10 in the West Coast Conference after dropping a pair of home games last week to Portland (69-57) and No. 2 Gonzaga (81-70)...have dropped five straight and are 6-16 over last 22 games after a 3-0 start.
• Enter Thursday's game vs. Santa Clara in ninth place in the WCC standings, one game behind eighth place LMU and one game in front of 10th place Pacific.
• Have lost five straight for the first time since dropping the first five conference games of the 2012-13 season...last lost six straight in 2009-10.
• Suffered a 70-64 loss to Santa Clara earlier this season at the Leavey Center...Dons swept the season series last year and are 8-5 vs. the Broncos dating back to the second meeting of the 2008-09 season.
• Finish the regular season by playing three of the last five games at home...are 6-7 on the Memorial Gymnasium hardwood this season and just 1-5 in home conference games, with the lone win coming over Pepperdine on Jan. 22 (71-59).
• Shot 50 percent (26-for-52) vs. Gonzaga, marking the seventh time this season the team has shot 50 percent or better...shooting 46.2 from the field this season, which ranks fourth in the WCC.
• Were -26 on the rebound column last week vs. Portland (39-28) and Gonzaga (37-22)...gave up 28 offensive rebounds in the two games...have been outrebounded in 10 of 13 conference games after outboarding 10 of its first 12 opponents...were +9.7 on the boards vs. non-conference foes and are -4.4 vs. conference opponents...rank fifth in the WCC in rebound average (35.0) and are sixth in rebound margin (+1.7).
• Three players - Matt Glover (5.4), Kruize Pinkins (5.2), and Mark Tollefsen (5.1) - are averaging at least 5.0 rebounds per game while Tim Derksen is averaging 4.6.
• Were 9-for-15 from three-point range vs. Gonzaga, which were the most 3's made in a game since also making nine at Cleveland State on Dec. 21...shooting 36.2 percent from long distance this season, which raks sixth in the WCC...however, shooting just 31.9 percent from beyond the arc in conference play.
• Have committed 53 turnovers over the last four games leading to 72 points by the opponent.
• Have attempted 561 free throws this season, which ranks as the 32nd highest total in the nation...however, are shooting just 61.0 percent from the line, which ranks 10th in the WCC and is the seventh lowest percentage in the nation among Division I teams...have made 68-of-108 (62.9) free throws in losing last four games by a combined total of 37 points.
• Will be off this weekend before returning to action next Thursday at Loyola Marymount...visit Pepperdine on Feb. 21 before wrapping up the regular season with home games against Saint Mary's and Pacific.

Notables

Opening Tip
USF (9-16, 3-10 WCC) wraps up a three-game homestand on Thursday when the Dons play host to Santa Clara (11-14, 5-8 WCC) beginning at 8:00 p.m. in Memorial Gymnasium. The game will be televised nationally on ESPNU. The Dons have lost five straight after dropping a pair of home games last week to Portland (69-57) and Gonzaga (81-70). The Broncos have lost their last four games and were also swept at home last week by the Pacific Northwest schools.

Series History with Santa Clara
In a series that dates back to 1908-09, Santa Clara leads the all-time series with USF, 112-103. Santa Clara represents USF's oldest rival in terms of games played (215). The Broncos won the first meeting of the season between the two schools, 70-64 at the Leavey Center on Jan. 17. However, USF swept the season series last year, winning 75-66 on the Hilltop on Jan. 25 and 69-63 at the Leavey Center on Feb. 15 and has won seven out of the last 11 and eight out of the last 13 in the series following a seven-game Santa Clara winning streak. The two schools have met seven times in WCC Championship play, with Santa Clara holding a 5-2 advantage.

First Meeting With Santa Clara
Santa Clara made 10-of-21 three-pointers and knocked down 24-of-30 free throws en route to a 70-64 victory over USF on Jan. 17 at the Leavey Center. The Broncos led 39-28 at the half and by as many as 20 points at 61-41 with 8:21 remaining. USF cut the lead down to six at 65-59 with 1:38 left but could get no closer. Kruize Pinkins led all USF scorers with 16 points while Mark Tollefsen recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Devin Watson chipped in with 13. Santa Clara's guard trio of Brandon Clark (23), Jared Brownridge (18) and Denzel Johnson (11) accounted for 52 of the Broncos 70 points.
 
Last Time Out
USF gave Gonzaga all it could handle before the second-ranked Zags pulled away late to defeat the Dons, 81-70 before a sold out crowd in Memorial Gymnasium. The game was tied at 38-38 at halftime and the Zags led by just three points at 68-65 with 4:10 remaining. However, Gonzaga outscored USF 13-5 down the stretch to fend off the Dons upset bid. Both teams shot 50 percent from the field but the Zags held a decisive advantage on the boards (37-22) and at the foul line, where they made 23 (of 30) free throws compared to just nine for USF. Mark Tollefsen led the Dons with 18 points while Corey Hilliard came off the bench to add a career-high 13. Gonzaga's Kyle Wiltjer led all scorers with 29 points.

The Record
At 9-16 overall, USF is six games off its pace from last season when the Dons were 15-10 overall and 8-5 in the WCC at the 25-game mark. The Dons ultimately finished 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 6-16 over its last 22 games and has not won back-to-back games since its 3-0 start. The Dons have dropped five straight games for the first time since the 2012-13, when USF lost its first five conference 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 Losses
Of USF's 11 conference losses, four have been by eight points or fewer. USF  has lost a pair of one-point games to San Diego (57-56) and LMU (70-69) on its home floor, dropped a six point decision at Santa Clara (70-64), fell by four points at BYU (78-74) and fell by eight points at San Diego (77-69) after squandering a late lead.

The Home Record
USF is in a stretch that will see the team play five out of its last seven regular season games at home, where the Dons are 6-7 this season. However, USF is just 1-5 on the Memorial Gymnasium hardwood against WCC foes, with the lone win coming at the expense of Pepperdine, 71-59 on Jan. 22.

Fabulous in February
Over the last five seasons dating back to the 2009-10 campaign, USF has posted a 22-14 (.611) record in the month of February, including back-to-back 5-2 marks each of the last two seasons.

Dons Defensively
USF allowed a combined 305 points in its last four games (76.2) at BYU (78-74), San Diego (77-69), Portland (57-69) and Gonzaga (70-81). USF ranks eighth overall in the WCC in points allowed per game (69.1). After limiting 12 non-conference opponents to 38.9 percent shooting from the floor, conference foes have clipped the nets at 47.2 percent. USF ranks fifth overall in field goal defense at 43.1 percent.

Turnovers
USF has committed a total of 53 turnovers in its last four games vs. BYU (17), San Diego (17), Portland (10) and Gonzaga (9) leading to 72 points in four losses which came by a combined total of 35 points. USF has committed 12 turnovers or more in 11 games this season.

Defending the Three
USF is allowing opponents to shoot 36.4 percent from three-point range, which ranks eighth in the WCC.  WCC opponents have clipped the nets at 37.5 percent from long distance. Nine 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 10 of 13 conference games, 34.7 to 30.3. USF ranks fifth the WCC in rebound average at 35.0 per game and sixth in rebound margin (+1.7). However, USF is being outboarded by 4.4 per game in conference action, including games last week vs. Portland (28-39) and Gonzaga (22-37).  In nine wins this season, USF has held a decisive advantage on the boards (38.4-30.4). Three players - Matt Glover (5.4), Kruize Pinkins (5.2), and Mark Tollefsen (5.1) - are averaging at least 5.0 rebounds per game while Tim Derksen is averaging 4.6. All four players have pulled down 10 or more rebounds in a game this season.

From the Field
USF rebounded from a chilly 36.4 percent shooting night vs. Portland to shoot 50 percent vs. Gonzaga. USF is shooting 46.2 percent from the field this season, which ranks fourth in the WCC. The Dons have shot 50 percent or better from the floor seven times this season, but just three times in its last 17 games.

From the Line
USF is shooting 61.0 percent from the foul line, which ranks last in the WCC and is the seventh-lowest percentate among 345 Division I teams. The Dons are slightly better in conference action at 66.4 percent. USF has made just 181-of-323 (56.0) of their free throws in 16 losses which have come by a total of 173 points. USF's 561 free throw attempts ranks as the 32nd highest total in the country among Division I teams.

Beyond the Arc
USF made nine (of 15) three-pointers against Gonzaga, its highest single-game total since also making nine at Cleveland State on Dec. 21. The Dons have made just 36-of-120 (30.0) of its three-point attempts over the last seven games and now rank sixth in the WCC in three-point field goal percentage at .62 (164-for-453). The Dons are shooting 43.6 percent (71-for-163) from long distance in nine wins this season and are shooting just 32 percent (93-for-290) from beyond the arc in 16 losses.

Lineups
USF employed its seventh different starting lineup of the season Saturday night, as senior Kruize Pinkins came off the bench for the first time this season after making 43 consecutive starts dating back to the final 19 games of last season. The Dons used just three different starting fives all of last season.

Fan Guide

Ticket Information
Individual game tickets for all USF home games this season are available on line at USFDons.com or by calling (415) 422-2USF. General admission tickets are available for as low as $10.
 
Parking Information
Parking is available free of charge two hours prior to tip-off until one hour after the conclusion of the game in any campus lot, with the exception of designated green parking spots and the top of Hayes-Healy garage on Golden Gate Avenue adjacent to the gymnasium.
 
The Hilltop Club Level
USF Athletics is pleased to announce the opening of The Hilltop, a new club level where fans 21 and older can enjoy beverages and catered food options before and during designated games during the 2014-15 season. Located in the upper mezzanine level on the south side of Memorial Gymnasium, The Hilltop will open one hour before tipoff and will remain accessible throughout the game. Beer, wine, soft drinks and catered food options will be available to all fans 21 years of age and older. Admission to the The Hilltop is priced at $25 per game. Season passes for all games with the exception of designated premium games may also be purchased for $250. Food and drink options are extra. The cost does not include a game ticket.