SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Leading wire-to-wire, the University of San Francisco men's basketball team (10-4) routed No. 25 Arizona State (11-2), 97-60, on Wednesday night as the Dons used an all-around team performance to notch their first win over a ranked opponent since Nov. 2020.
 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

• Catching fire from distance out of the gates, USF raced out to an 9-0 lead through the first five minutes of action after Tyrell Roberts, Josh Kunen and Zane Meeks all each nailed a three-pointer to give the Dons the early advantage.
• Firing on all cylinders as the half progressed, the green and gold enjoyed success on both ends as another triple from USF, this time from Marcus Williams, combined with strong defense kept the Dons in control, 24-2, as the midway point of the first half approached.
• Keeping their foot on the gas pedal, Julian Rishwain converted on a jumper in the paint on a fastbreak at the 4:05 mark to stretch USF's lead to 32, 43-11, over the Sun Devils.
• Locking down for the remainder of the half, the Dons held a 27-point advantage, 50-23, heading into the locker room. Notably, the 23 points allowed in the first half tied for the lowest point total by a USF opponent in the first half this season (Merrimack, 23).
• Continuing to pour it on from behind-the-arc in the second half, Khalil Shabazz connected on a triple of his own at 14:44 to give the Dons a 40-point lead, 65-25.
• Throughout the rest of the contest, USF rode their momentum as the green and gold stretched their advantage to as many as 47 multiple times.
• Leaving no doubt, the Dons cruised to a dominant 97-60 victory over the newly-ranked Sun Devils behind a balanced attack and total team effort. Notably, the win marked USF's first win over Arizona State at home in San Francisco since a 102-90 win on Dec. 30, 1977.  

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• Lethal with the ball in his hands, Shabazz was tabbed as the Player of the Game after finishing with a game-high 26 points on 8-of-16 from the floor, 5-of-11 from distance and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free-throw line. Additionally, the Seattle native added seven rebounds, six assists and one steal in 31 minutes played. Historically, Shabazz is now tied with Ali Thomas for second all-time in program history in made three-pointers with 236.
• Alongside Shabazz, Hawthorne enjoyed a successful night as he tallied a new career-high with 19 points on 7-of-12 overall. Impressively, the versatile forward also logged four rebounds, two steals and one block in 29 minutes played.
• Dangerous in the backcourt, Roberts (14 points) and Williams (11 points) also each finished in double figures for USF on Wednesday.
• As a team, the Dons held Arizona State to 27.9 percent overall from the field, marking the lowest overall shooting percentage by a USF opponent in a single game this year. Additionally, the green and gold led the Sun Devils in points in the paint (32-26) and bench points (32-21). 

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.
• To view the full postgame interview with Isaiah Hawthorne, please click here.  

UP NEXT:
USF will conclude non-conference play with one final game as the Dons are set to host Hartford on Thursday night at 6:00 pm on the Hilltop. Live streaming, radio, live statistics and ticket links are 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, @USFDonsMBB on Instagram and @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.