GLENDALE, Ariz. - Back on the road for a pair of crucial matchups, the University of San Francisco men's basketball team (2-1) will begin play in the inaugural Arizona Tip-Off tournament on Friday evening as the Dons will battle Grand Canyon (2-0) at Desert Diamond Arena.
 
GAME 4 INFORMATION:
Date: Friday, November 17, 2023
Time: 6:00 pm PT/7:00 pm MT
Opponent: Grand Canyon (2-0)
Site: Desert Diamond Arena
Location: Glendale, Arizona
Watch: CBS Sports Network
Listen: KNBR 1050
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
 
DONS AT A GLANCE:

• Last time out, San Francisco fell on the road at Boise State, 63-58, in a hard-fought matchup on Sunday, Nov. 12. Despite the loss, at least four Dons finished in double figures for the third straight game to begin the season: Mike Sharavjamts (13), Ndewedo Newbury (10), Jonathan Mogbo (10) and Isaiah Hawthorne (10).
• Through three games, the Dons still rank amongst the nation's best in various categories: fifth in field goal percentage (56.76), eighth in effective field goal percentage (.646), tied for eighteenth in scoring margin (32), twenty-eight in scoring defense (58.0) and bench points per game (37.67), tied for thirty-fifth in scoring offense (90.0), tied fort thirty-ninth in turnovers forced per game (17.67) and forty-second in rebound margin (12)
• Individually, Mogbo continues to sit atop the NCAA leaderboard in field goal percentage (91.30) as the Missouri State transfer has missed only two attempts in three games this year, shooting a scorching 21-of-23 from the floor so far.
• Saturday's matchup with Grand Canyon will mark the third time in the last four seasons in which the two schools have squared off as the Dons and Lopes have split their previous two matchups. Notably, all three matchups have been at neutral site venues, with GCU and USF meeting up in Las Vegas T-Mobile Arena) in 2020 and in Phoenix (Footprint Center) in 2021.
• Depending on the result of Friday's contest, San Francisco will square off against South Carolina (3-0) or DePaul (1-2) on Sunday, Nov. 19.
• Looking ahead, this will mark the first of two trips to the Phoenix area in the next month for the green and gold as San Francisco will return to the Valley of the Sun for a road matchup at Arizona State on Sunday, Dec. 3.

SCOUTING THE LOPES:

• In their last time on the hardwood, Grand Canyon took down Northern Arizona, 89-55, at home on Sunday, Nov. 12 as the Lopes recorded their largest margin of victory ever over the Lumberjacks, which spans 49 games over 69 years.
• Coming into the matchup with the Dons, GCU currently sits at No. 68 in KenPom. Dangerous with the ball in their hands, four players currently average double figures: Tyon Grant-Foster (20.5 ppg), Sydney Curry (12.5 ppg), Isaiah Shaw (10.5 ppg) and Collin Moore (10.0 ppg).
• Prior to the start of the regular season, GCU earned preseason hardware as the Lopes were picked to win while guard Ray Harrison was selected as the Preseason WAC Player of the Year after earning First Team All-WAC honors in 2022-23.
• With six rebounds this weekend, Gabe McGlothan (626) will become the program's all-time leader in rebounds at the Division I level as he is set to pass Keonta Vernon (631) with just a few more boards. 

SERIES HISTORY:
Friday's meeting between the Dons and the Lopes will mark the third meeting all-time between the two programs. Notably, USF and GCU have split their previous two matchups - San Francisco won 68-65 in Las Vegas in Dec. 2020 while Grand Canyon was victorious, 50-49, in Phoenix in Dec. 2021.
 
TRACK THE ACTION:
Friday's game will air live on CBS Sports Network at game time with Jack Benjamin and Matt McCall on the call. The contest will also air on KNBR 1050 as Pat Olson will have the call from Glendale. Live statistics are also available above and via the team's schedule page.
 
FOLLOW US:
For updates and more information on the San Francisco men's basketball program, follow the Dons @USFDonsMBB on Twitter, @USFDonsMBB on Instagram and @USFDonsMBB on Facebook.
 
MERCHANDISE:
Want to dress like the Dons? Get your official San Francisco Dons gear from the University of San Francisco bookstore today! Click here to purchase.
 
SPONSOR THE DONS:
The University of San Francisco Athletics Department would like to acknowledge and thank our sponsor - Nike - 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.