On Thursday the University of San Francisco men's basketball will travel a little further south than usual to take on rival Santa Clara. The Dons and Broncos will square off at Kaiser Permanente Arena, home of the Warriors G-League team in Santa Cruz.  Thursday's game will tip off at 7:00 p.m. and will be televised on NBC Sports California with Barry Tompkins and Ben Braun calling the action.  Pat Olson will have the play-by-play on the home of USF Basketball, KNBR 1050-AM.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: Jan. 21, 2021 – 7:00 p.m.
Opponent: Santa Clara (8-3, 2-1 WCC)
Site: Kaiser Permanente Arena (Santa Cruz, Calif.)
TV:  NBC Sports California
Talent: Eric Rothman (play-by-play); Richie Schueler (analyst)
Radio:  KNBR 1050-AM
Talent: Pat Olson (play-by-play)
Live Stats: SantaClaraBroncos.com


USF AT A GLANCE
• The Dons saw their 10 point lead evaporate late in the second half when BYU's strong interior play took over. The Cougars defeated the Dons 72-63 at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center last Saturday, sending the Dons to 9-7 overall and 3-3 in the WCC. Khalil Shabazz scored 30 points - 12 in the final five minutes as USF tried to retake the lead.
 
• 10 Who Have Played 16:  As of Wednesday afternoon, the Dons remain one of the few teams who have played at least 16 games.  They are the only team west of Texas to have played 16.  Leading the nation in games played is Carver College, Liberty, Longwood, and Oakland with 17. 
 
• Bouyea Closing In on 1,000:  Senior point guard Jamaree Bouyea is just 22 points shy of becoming the 39th player in USF history to score 1,000 points. Should Bouyea do it in the next two games he will accomplish this feat in his 118th or 119th game.  The last player to score 1,000 career points at USF was Charles Minlend who did it against Saint Mary's on Jan. 2, 2020.  The all-time leader in scoring at USF is Hall of Famer Bill Cartwright with 2,116.
 
• Shabazz Goes For 30: For the third time in his brilliant career at USF, Khalil Shabazz went for 30 in a contest.  It is the second time he has done it against BYU when he went for 30 on Thursday going 10-for-21 from the field and 8-for-14 from 3-point range.
 
• Bombs Away:  In the Dons the Dons loss at BYU, USF went 13-for-36 from 3-point range.  Since 2010-11 the Dons are 52-14 in games in which they make at least 11 3-point field goals.  In the Golden Era the Dons are 17-2 in games in which they make 11 or more 3s.  The only other loss came against Rhode Island on 11/29/20.
 
• Golden's First 50 on the Hilltop: On Saturday the Dons competed in its 50th game in the Todd Golden Era.  Though the game didn't go USF's way, the Dons are still off to a tremendous start under the guidance of the second year head coach.  Golden's 31-19 mark through 50 contests is the fourth-best start in program history. The top mark goes to Pete Barry, who guided the Dons to a 41-9 record through the first 50 games, followed by a tie at second with Bob Gaillard, who went 39-12 (in his first two full seasons) and Dan Belluomini, who both went 39-12.  Golden bests the start by Kyle Smith who was 30-20 in his first 50, and ranks ahead of Naismith Hall of Famer members Phil Woolpert (20-30) and Pete Newell (25-25).
 
• Free Throw Oddity:  In three-straight games the Dons have made 5 or fewer free throws.  Since 2010-11 the Dons have made five or less only 33 times - and are 13-21 in those contests.  Against BYU the Dons were just 2-for-3, at Portland they went 4-for-6, and at LMU they were 5-for-6. For the year, the Dons are 179th in free throw attempts with 215, they are 165th in the nation in free throws made with 154.
  »» USF is 3-0 when making more free throws than their opponent. Under Golden, they are 17-2.
 
• Bouyea in rare company:  According to CollegeBasketballReference.com there are only two players in the nation who have made 110 or more field goals and are shooting 53.0 percent or better from the field - Bouyea and Iowa's All-American Luka Garza (140 fg, .625 fg%).  If you include players who have made 100 field goals and are shooting 53.0 percent or better the list swells to just 10 players - with the WCC claiming three (Bouyea, Gonzaga's Corey Kispert and Drew Timme).
 
Series History: Santa Clara Broncos
Thursday night the Dons square off against Santa Clara for the 228th time. It is the oldest rivalry. in USF history. All-time SCU owns a 116-111 advantage in the series that began in 1908 when USF was still St. Ignatius Academy and the team nickname for the school was "The Grey Fog". Since 1949-50 the series is remarkably even with the Broncos owning a slim 81-80 advantage during that span. At Leavey Center, the Dons are 42-58 all-time.  Since the renovated Toso Pavilio became Leavey Center the Dons are 9-12. In the last four years the Dons are 7-5 against the Broncos. At a neutral floor, the Dons and Broncos are 12-12.  Last season, the Dons swept the season series going 2-0 in Golden's first year at the helm.
 
About the Broncos
The Cougars have won three of their last five and are 8-3 overall, including a 2-1 mark in the West Coast Conference.  Santa Clara boasts wins over Saint Mary's and San Diego to begin conference play. Santa Clara has been relegated to games at Kaiser Pemanente Arena in Santa Cruz, Calif., home of the Warriors G-League team.  They are 5-1 there.  As a team, they are averaging 66.5 points per game while shooting 40.6 percent from the field.  Their opponents are averaging 64.7 points per game and shooting 37.7 percent from the floor.  Santa Clara doesn't like the 3-point shot, connecting on just 28.4 percent of their attempts from beyond the arc.  Leading the team in scoring is Josip Vrankic who is averaging 14.3 points per game.
 
Last Time Out Versus SCU
Last time out, center Jimbo Lull notched his fourth double-double of the year with 16 points and 12 rebounds per game.  The Dons finished with four players in double figures, led by Jamaree Bouyea's game-high 17.
 
Defensively, the Dons stymied Vrankic who was 0-for-10 from the field and finished with just three points.  USF was just 6-for-20 from range but outrebounded the Broncos 41-35 and finished the contest with 11 second chance points.
 
NEXT UP
The Dons will host their other longtime rival when Saint Mary's comes to the Hilltop.  The Dons and Gaels will tip off at 4:00 p.m. in a game that will get national attention on CBS Sports Network.  Rich Waltz and Dan Dickau calling the action remotely.  Pat Olson will have the call live courtside on KNBR 680 AM.