The University of San Francisco men's basketball team looks to get back into the win column on Saturday.  To do that they will have to get past a longtime rival who has been stellar at home when the Dons take on Saint Mary's at McKeon Pavilion.  Saturday's game is slated for a 1:00 p.m. tipoff time and will be televised on NBCS California with Glen Kuiper and Dan Belluomini on the call.  As always, fans can tune in to the official home of USF Dons basketball, 1550-AM The GAME, to hear Pat Olson and Jim Brovelli calling the game from courtside.

GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: Feb. 02, 2019 – 1:00 p.m. PST
Opponent: Saint Mary's Gaels (13-9, 4-3 WCC)
Site: McKeon Pavilion (Moraga, Calif.)
Television: NBCS CALIFORNIA | SPECTRUM SPORTSNET | ROOT SPORTS | THEW.TV (OUT OF MARKET) 
Talent: Glen Kuiper (play-by-play); Dan Belluomini (analyst); Sammy O'Brien (reporter)
Radio:  1550-AM The GAME
Talent: Pat Olson (play-by-play) and Jim Brovelli (analyst)
Live Stats: USFDons.com
Game Notes: USF at SMC
 
USF AT A GLANCE

• At 17-4, USF is off to their best start through 21 games since the 1981-82 season when the Dons opened the year 17-4 en route to a 25-6 finish.  USF has started the season 17-4 or better 10 times, with the previous nine teams all advancing to the post season.
• According to the website Kenpom.com, the Dons are the 43rd ranked team in the nation, USF is one of three WCC schools in the top-50.  Haslametrics.com, another college basketball analytics website has the Dons ranked No. 36 - one of three WCC teams in the top-40.
• Senior Matt McCarthy has a chance to join elite company on Saturday. With just two more rebounds he will become the 16th player in USF history to score at least 800 points and grab 650 rebounds.  Of the 15 other players who have done it at USF, 14 are in the Dons' Hall of Fame.
• In the latest NET rankings, the Dons are holding strong at No. 46.  There are only four other teams on the West Coast ranked ahead of the Dons in the NCAA's primary selection tool. 
•  USF does a tremendous job taking care of the basketball. The Dons are 12th in the nation in turnovers per game, averaging 10.4 per contest.  Their 209 turnovers are the 16th fewest in the nation.
• Junior Jordan Ratinho has moved into a tie at third place and is two back second all-time for 3-point field goals made with 158.  Teammate Frankie Ferrari moved into 10th all-time on Thursday with his 140th made 3-point field goal.
• Charles Minlend has scored in double figures in 20 of 21 games this season, including 19-straight.  When Minlend scores 10 or more for his career, the Dons are 28-9.
•  Three times this season, the Dons have immediately gotten back into the win column following a loss. In the three games after a loss, the Dons are averaging 77.6 points per game and holding their opponents to 66.0 points per game a +11.5 scoring margin.

Olson and Brovelli Road Show - Talking about the Gaels
 
THE SERIES
USF, currently riding a two-game winning streak over the Gaels, return to Moraga where they have not won since Feb. 8, 2003.  All-time USF owns a 101-80 advantage in the series that dates back to the 1930-31 season.  Since 1950, the Dons are 34-33 on the road against SMC, which include a 13-26 record at McKeon Pavilion which was opened in 1978.  The last time these two teams played was on Jan. 3 when the Dons came away with a 76-72 win over the Gaels in a game televised on ESPN2.
 
ABOUT THE GAELS
Saint Mary's enters Saturday's contest with a 13-9 overall record and are 4-3 in the WCC after losing back-to-back contests.  First, a 71-66 decision at the hands of BYU in Provo, followed by an 84-77 overtime loss at the hands of Pepperdine in Malibu. In their nine losses this season SMC has only one by double figures, the Gaels have seven losses by five of less.  At McKeon Pavilion, the Gaels are 10-2 this season and are 3-0 in conference play at their home site. The Gaels shoot over 52 percent at home and over 40 percent from beyond the arc, they also outscore their opponents by an average of 18.6 points per contest. As a team, SMC is averaging 76.6 points per game and shooting 48.3 percent from the field.  Their opponents are averaging 66.4 ppg and shooting 44.0 percent from the field.  Leading the team in scoring is Jordan Ford who is averaging 21.7 ppg which ranks second in the WCC. Malik Fitts is averaging 15.7 points per game, he is the only other player in double figures for Saint Mary's.
 
LAST GAME AGAINST SAINT MARY'S
On Jan. 3 the Dons opened conference play with a convincing 76-72 win over their Bay Area rival.  The Dons were led by seniors Frankie Ferrari and Nate Renfro who finished with 19 and 18 respectively.  Renfro had a double-double grabbing 10 rebounds to go along with his 18 points.  After trailing 6-5 early, USF went on a 12-2 run to go up 17-8 and eventually went into the locker room with a seven point advantage, 40-33.  Out of the break, the Dons were outscored by the Gaels 39-36 thanks in part to Ford who got hot in the second half scoring 13 of his game-high 24 after the intermission. USF started the game playing tremendous defense against the 3-point field goal, holding SMC to 1-for-6 in the first half, after halftime the Gaels were 4-for-9 from distance, including a 2-for-3 mark from Ford.  USF put the game away at the free throw line where they finished 11-for-16 in the second half.   
 
UP NEXT
USF will play the last of this three-game road trip when they travel to Spokane to take on No. 4 Gonzaga in The Kennel on Thursday, Feb. 7 at 6:00 p.m.  The game will be televised on ROOT NW.