BELFAST, Northern Ireland – After trailing for much of the game, with 11:23 in the contest a layup by Jamaree Bouyea knotted the game up at 53-all.  Unfortunately that was as close as the University of San Francisco men's basketball team would get to pulling off the upset as No. 21 Buffalo came away with the 85-81 win in the championship game of the Belfast Classic on Saturday afternoon at SSE Arena.
 
The Dons' (7-1) saw their seven-game winning streak come to an end but not before USF treated the 5,200 in attendance to the best game of the tournament.  After trailing by as much as nine in the first half the Dons never let the game slip away.  USF battled all afternoon, eventually cutting the deficit to two with less than a minute remaining. 
 
Free throws proved to be the difference as the Bulls (7-0) went 11-for-20 at the line including a 6-for-8 stretch with less than a minute remaining to help put the game on ice.
 
USF, played exceptional team ball and had five players finish in double figures. Leading the team was guard Frankie Ferrari who scored 19 points while dishing out six assists to go along with four steals en route earning Belfast Classic All-Tournament team honors. 
 
Ferrari was joined by Matt McCarthy who had 17 points and eight rebounds, Jordan Ratinho had 14 points, Charles Minlend had 13 points and a career-high nine rebounds, and Bouyea who finished with 11 points.
 
The Dons nemesis on the afternoon was the 3-point shot.  USF finished 4-for-20 from beyond the arc – meanwhile Buffalo went 8-for-25 from 3-point range.  Overall the Dons had a good night shooting. USF once again shot better than 50 percent from the field, going 32-for-63.  McCarthy alone went 7-for-8 in the post.
 
Leading the Bulls was Nick Perkins who scored a game-high 22 points and earned Tournament MVP honors.
 
GAME NOTES

• The Dons finished the night shooting 50.3 percent from the field, USF has now shot 50 percent or better in five of the eight contests.  The Dons only shot 50 percent or better from the field six time last season.
• For the first time this season, the Dons were outrebounded by their opponent.  USF went into the game +14.6 in rebound margin – one of the top marks in the nation.  The Bulls grabbed 39 rebounds to the Dons 37.
• With the loss, USF falls to 0-3 all-time when facing the No. 21 ranked team in the AP Poll. 
• Jordan Ratinho's 3-point field goal just at the end of the first half gives him 22.  He now has 163 for his career which is fourth most in USF history.  He trails John Cox (1999-05) who is in third with 185.

UP NEXT
The Dons will take on Bay Area foe Cal at Haas Pavilion on Wednesday.  The game against the Golden Bears will be televised on Pac-12 Network.  The game is slated for an 8:00 p.m. tip.