NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Notching their first road victory of the season, the University of San Francisco men's basketball team (6-3) dug deep when it mattered most on Wednesday night as the Dons defeated Vanderbilt (4-5), 73-60, in the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

• Opposite of their last outing, San Francisco started hot out of the gates as a fastbreak layup from Ndewedo Newbury capped off a 10-2 run to open the contest.
• Responding quickly thereafter, Vanderbilt used a 7-0 run of their own to come within one, 10-9, after a jumper from Ven-Allen Lubin at 13:05.
• As the midway mark of the first half approached, the two teams remained close, but back-to-back three-pointers from Marcus Williams put the Dons up eight, 20-12, at the 9:06 mark.
• Pushing the lead to double digits, Ndewedo Newbury cashed in on a triple of his own at 6:25 to make it 26-15 in favor of the green and gold.
• Although the Commodores would close the gap to six points in the minutes to follow, San Francisco pushed their advantage back to double digits, 32-20, with just under four minutes remaining in the first half following consecutive three-pointers from Josh Kunen and Williams.
• Increasing the margin to as much as 18 to close out the half, USF held a 14-point lead at the break, 43-29.
• Coming out of the locker room with some fire, Vanderbilt trimmed their deficit to just four, 47-43, after a layup from Lubin at the 15:02 mark.
• Moving along, the Commodores remained on the heels of the Dons as a three-pointer from Jason Rivera-Torres at 10:51 kept it a six-point game, 57-51, in favor of San Francisco.
• Down the stretch, Vanderbilt kept fighting with each possession, but the USF defense would not allow the Commodores to break through. Closing the contest on an 8-2 run, San Francisco wrapped up the night by pouring it on late as the Dons scored three of the last four field goals.
• Running out of time to mount a comeback, San Francisco went on to pick their first road win of the year, 73-60.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• Enjoying a career night in Nashville, Newbury finished with a season + career-high 17 points to go along with three rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal. Overall, the junior was 6-of-7 from the field, 3-of-4 from beyond-the-arc and 2-of-2 from the free throw line in 29 minutes played.
• Alongside Newbury, Williams tallied 18 points and a season-high seven rebounds in addition to adding four assists and one steal in 36 minutes. Notably, the guard finished 7-of-13 from the floor, which included knocking down a season-high four triples (4-8 3PT).
• Flirting with a triple-double, Jonathan Mogbo dazzled once again as the versatile forward finished with 4 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists and 1 block in 36 minutes. Impressively, these ten assists mark a season and career-high as it was also the fourth consecutive double-double for the Missouri State transfer.
• With the win on Wednesday night, San Francisco defeated an SEC team for the first time since the Dons took down Georgia on Nov. 28, 1981. Notably, it also marks USF's first win away from home over an SEC team since an 84-75 victory over Tennessee on Dec. 2, 1977 at the Sun Devil Classic in Tempe, Ariz.
• Looking at this season, the win over Vanderbilt also marks San Francisco's third win in nine games over a Power 6 school (DePaul, Minnesota, Vanderbilt).

POSTGAME WITH THE DONS:

• To view the full postgame interview with head coach Chris Gerlufsen and Ndewedo Newbury, please click here. 

UP NEXT:
San Francisco will return home to the Hilltop next week as the Dons will host New Orleans on Monday, Nov. 11. 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 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 - Coca-Cola - 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.