SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Kicking off a week of home games on Monday night, the University of San Francisco men's basketball team (9-4) battled until the final whistle against UT Arlington, but ultimately fell to the Mavericks (5-7), 68-63, at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- Finding their rhythm right out of the gates, UT Arlington raced out to a 7-0 lead before Zane Meeks cashed in from atop the arc for USF's first three points of the night at 17:38 in the first half.
- Just a few minutes later, Julian Rishwain provided a spark off the bench by knocking down a three of his own at 13:08 to bring the Dons within one, 15-14.
- As the half progressed, USF would not be able to get into a groove of their own to overtake the Mavericks as UTA held an eleven-point advantage, 38-27, heading into the locker room.
- Similar to the first half, UT Arlington maintained a double-digit lead as the Mavericks played physical on both ends of the ball all night. Nearing the midway point of the second half, Meeks cut USF's deficit to single digits, 55-47, on a layup in the paint at 10:33.
- Down the stretch, the Dons remained on the heels of UTA as USF came within four points, 64-60, with less than one minute left on the game clock.
- Inching closer, the green and gold came as close as three points, 66-63, with just over 29 seconds remaining. After the Mavericks sank a pair of free throws with 21 seconds left, the Dons would attempt a few final shots to draw even, but could not find the bottom of the net when they needed to as USF dropped the contest, 68-63.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
- Finishing with 20+ points for the second time this season, Tyrell Roberts led USF with 24 points, including 5-of-8 from distance. Additionally, he also added three assists, three steals and two rebounds in 39 minutes played.
- Rounding out the trio of double figure scorers, Meeks finished with 13 points while Khalil Shabazz tallied 11 points for the Dons.
- As a team, USF led UT Arlington in points off turnovers (20-16), second chance points (4-3) and fast break points (15-11).
POSTGAME WITH THE DONS:
- To view the full highlights of tonight's game, please click here.
- To view the full postgame interview with head coach Chris Gerlufsen, please click here.
UP NEXT:
USF will face off against their first ranked opponent of the season when they welcome No. 25 Arizona State to the Hilltop on Wednesday night at 7:00 pm. The matchup between the Dons and the Sun Devils will air live on CBS Sports Network and on KNBR 1050 at game time. Live statistics, radio and ticket links are all available via the team's schedule page.
FOLLOW US:
For updates and more information on the USF men's basketball program, follow the Dons
@USFDonsMBB on Twitter,
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@USFDonsMBB on Facebook.
MERCHANDISE:
Want to dress like the Dons? Rep USF today by visiting the all-new USF Dons online store at
www.usfdons.com/shop.
SPONSOR THE DONS:
The University of San Francisco Athletics Department would like to acknowledge and thank our primary sponsor - Provident Credit Union - for their continued support of USF Athletics. Interested in sponsoring the Dons? Please contact
Frank Allocco, the Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director of External Relations, at fallocco@usfca.edu or at (415) 422-4561.