SAN FRANCISCO – On most nights, USF will like its chances against BYU when it holds the Cougars to 13 points under its season average and just four three-pointers. However, the Dons endured their worst shooting night of the season and dropped a 68-52 decision to the Cougars in War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
 
USF missed 17 of its first 19 shots from the floor and finished shooting just 24.7 percent from the field for the game. The loss ends a four-game winning streak and drops USF's record to 18-9 overall and 8-6 in the West Coast Conference. BYU improves to 18-9 overall and takes sole possession of third place in the WCC standings with a 9-5 record. The win is also the Cougars ninth straight in the series with USF.
  "We couldn't get anything to fall," said USF head coach Kyle Smith. "We got plenty of good looks but when you get off to a slow start like we did it sometimes snowballs on you."
 
The Dons were ice cold from the outset of the game but trailed just 13-6 midway through the second half as the Cougars managed to connect on just four of their first 10 shots.
 
Back-to-back three-points by Jordan Ratinho brought the Dons to within three at 15-12 with 8:31 left. USF shot just 22.2 percent in the first half and trailed 36-22 at the break.
 
The Dons' deep freeze continued in the second half as USF got no closer than 13 points at 50-37 with 8:35 left before succumbing, 68-52.
 
Junior Chase Foster was the only USF player to reach double figures with 10 points. Frankie Ferrari made three 3-pointers and finished with nine points. Ratinho also added nine while Ronnie Boyce and Charles Minlend chipped in with seven.
 
Four Cougars reached double figures, led by Yoeli Childs who poured in a game-high 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field. Childs also pulled down 17 rebounds helping the Cougars to a 50-41 advantage on the boards.
 
USF's only lead was at 6-4 less than five minutes into the game.

With its 12 three-pointers, USF set a single-season record for three-pointers made with 253, breaking the old mark of 249 (2012-13).
 
The Dons held their ninth straight opponent under 70 points, the longest such streak since the 1964-65 season, as the Cougars' 68 points matched their season low (third time). USF also forced the Cougars into 15 turnovers.
 
"We actually did some good things tonight that are easy to overlook when you shoot 24 percent," said Smith. "Defensively, we were pretty good but Childs was a load all game."
 
USF will play its last four regular season games on the road beginning Thursday night when the Dons travel to Spokane to face the top-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs beginning at 6:00 p.m. The Pacific Northwest trip concludes a week from tonight in Portland.