BERKELEY, Calif. – A 15-3 run midway through the first half gave the University of San Francisco men's basketball team a 10 point lead, their first separation of the evening. Following a brief run by the host Golden Bears late in the first, the Dons never looked back winning 79-60 on Wednesday evening at Haas Pavilion.
 
USF (8-1) led by as much as 29 with 5:14 left in the contest, but it wasn't the scoring that propelled the Dons to a 19-point win – their seventh win of at least 18 points or more this season.  USF's defense was suffocating.  The Dons forced 12 turnovers from the Bears (2-5) and converted those 12 turnovers into 20 points. 
 
Cal shot 38.8 percent from the field going 19-for-49 and from 3-point range they finished 7-for-23 (30.4 percent) but a lot of their scoring came when the outcome was already well in hand.  The Bears scored 11 points over the final three minutes to cut the deficit to 19.
 
The offense did do its part however.  USF shot 49.2 percent from the field going 29-for-59.  From 3-point range, from beyond the arc the Dons were 10-for-27.  Ten players scored a bucket for the Dons, as they moved the ball beautifully. Leading the team was Charles Minlend who finished with a team-high 17 points and a game-high 11 rebounds for his first career double-double.
 
Joining Minlend in double figures was Jimbo Lull with 14 points, to go along with his four rebounds.  Lull got the Dons offense going early in the first half with some quick buckets that forced the Bears to bring their defense in leading to open looks from beyond the arc. One of those beneficiaries of the open looks was Jordan Ratinho who finished with 11 points going 4-for-9 from beyond the arc.
 
GAME NOTES

• The win over the Bears on the road is the Dons' first win in Berkeley since 12/3/1991 when the Dons defeated Cal 80-73 under then head coach Jim Brovelli.
• The Dons made 10 3-point field goals tonight, the fourth time this season USF has made 10 or more from beyond the arc. 
• USF is 8-1 for the first time since USF started 12-1 in the 1999-00 season.  That year the Dons opened the year with a loss at Maryland and then went on to win 12-straight to enter WCC play 12-1.  That year the Dons finished 19-9. 
• USF improves to 7-0 when leading at the half.  They also improved to 7-0 when outrebounding their opponents.
• USF finished +12 in the rebound category, outrebound the Bears 40-28. 
• The win over the Bears is the Dons first win against a Pac-12 team since USF beat Utah 89-82 on Dec. 22, 2016 at the Diamondhead Classic.  Under Kyle Smith the Dons are 2-2 against the Pac-12.  All-time USF improves to 73-88 against the Pac-12 conference.

NEXT UP
The Dons will be off for finals, they will return to action on Thursday, December 13 at 7:00 p.m. when Eastern Washington comes to War Memorial at the Sobrato Center. That game will be streamed on TheW.tv.  Tickets can be purchased on Dons Ticket Central.