SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Getting back in the swing of things, the University of San Francisco men's basketball team (17-6, 7-3 WCC) bounced back with a win over San Diego (4-18, 1-8 WCC) on Saturday night as the Dons defeated the Toreros, 81-69, at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

• Both teams struggled to find the bottom of the net to begin the ballgame as San Francisco did not score their first points of the contest until a turnaround jumper from Tyrone Riley IV at 16:56.
• After San Diego raced out to an early 8-3 lead, a layup from James O'Donnell and a three-pointer from Marcus Williams quickly evened the score at 8-all at 11:41.
• Near the midway mark of the opening half, Kean Webb put the Toreros on top, 13-10, but a 6-0 from the Dons catapulted USF back into the lead, 17-13, following a triple from Riley IV at 9:06.
• Answering once more, USD responded with a 7-0 stretch of their own to jump in front, 20-17, at 7:19. However, this advantage would be short lived as San Francisco used five points from Carlton Linguard Jr. and a pair of free throws from Malik Thomas to get back in the driver's seat, 24-20, with 4:43 remaining in the first half.
• Holding the lead for the remainder of the period, San Francisco responded to each blow from San Diego to close out the opening half as the Dons were up by four points, 32-28, heading into the locker room at halftime.
• Coming out of the break, the Toreros fought to draw even at 37-all as reigning WCC Freshman of the Week Tony Duckett converted a three-point play at 17:44.
• Taking matters into his own hands, Thomas drove through the USD defense for back-to-back layups to give the green and gold the lead, 41-37, just 38 seconds later.
• As the half played on, San Francisco continued to gel as a unit, which included an 8-0 near the ten-minute mark to grow the USF advantage to double digits, 53-43. Finding their rhythm on offense, Thomas then knocked down a three of his own at 6:34 to make it a sixteen-point game, 65-49, in favor of the Dons.
• Although San Diego would trim the deficit to nine points following a free throw from Duckett with 2 minutes left, the green and gold went on to finish the contest with a twelve-point lead as San Francisco defeated the Toreros, 81-69, on Saturday.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• Flirting with a double-double, Linguard Jr. was tabbed Player of the Game after recording 13 points, 8 rebounds (4 offensive), 2 blocks and 1 assist against San Diego. Overall, the graduate transfer shot 5-of-10 from the floor for the second straight game while also finishing 3-of-7 from beyond-the-arc.
• Alongside Linguard Jr., Thomas (17 points), Riley IV (16 points) and Ryan Beasley all finished in double figures for the Dons in the win.
• Playing extended minutes for the first time in his collegiate career, Karl Poom tallied 2 points, 6 rebounds and 1 assist in 11 minutes off the bench on Saturday night.
• As a team, San Francisco led San Diego in points in the paint (32-28), points off turnovers (19-10) and fast break points (15-13).

POSTGAME WITH THE DONS:

• To view the full highlights of tonight's contest, please click here.
• To view the full postgame interview with head coach Chris Gerlufsen, please click here.
• To view the full postgame interview with Carlton Linguard Jr. and Malik Thomas, please click here.

UP NEXT:
San Francisco will have a bye next Thursday, Jan. 30 as the Dons will return to the hardwood next Saturday, Feb. 1 when they welcome Washington State to the Hilltop. Tipoff from War Memorial at the Sobrato Center is scheduled for 7:00 pm as Chris Sylvester and Ben Braun will have the call on ESPN+ while Pat Olson and Jim Brovelli will have the call on KNBR 1050. 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 - Twenty Five Ventures - for their continued support of San Francisco 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.