Home Court Heroes: Dons Dominate Beavers with Precision Shooting

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Leading for the last 34 minutes of action, the University of San Francisco men’s basketball squad remained steadfast on Saturday evening as the Dons defeated Oregon State (14-6, 4-3 WCC), 81-70, at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

• Exchanging baskets in the initial minutes, San Francisco and Oregon State were tied early, but Malik Thomas’ first three-point shot of the contest at 17:33 put the Dons ahead, 5-4.
• Shortly afterwards, the Beavers gained some momentum, seizing a 14-7 lead following consecutive layups from Parsa Fallah around the 15-minute mark. However, the green and gold countered with a 10-0 surge to reclaim the advantage, 17-14, after a pair of free throws from Ryan Beasley at 12:39.
• Continuing to battle, Oregon State tied the game at 24-all on a free throw from Fallah at 8:42, but Beasley responded by sinking a triple 36 seconds later to restore USF’s lead, 27-24.
• After two shots at the charity stripe from Michael Rataj made it a one-point game, 29-28, with 6:09 left in the half, San Francisco would outscore the Beavers 14-6 in the closing moments of the first period. Heading into halftime, the Dons held a nine-point lead, 43-34.
• Emerging from the break, Thomas and Carlton Linguard Jr. combined to score USF’s initial four field goals of the second half as the green and gold increased their lead to twelve, 52-40, at 17:23.
• Following a layup from Rataj at 15:33, San Francisco held Oregon State scoreless for over three minutes as the Dons stretched their lead to nineteen points, 61-42, when Thomas connected on another three-pointer at 12:14.
• With just under eight minutes remaining, Tyrone Riley IV made consecutive three-pointers to widen the gap for San Francisco, 73-52. Less than two minutes later, another shot from downtown by the freshman gave the Dons their largest lead of the night at 22 points, 77-55.
• Fighting back, Oregon State managed to cut their deficit to as few as ten points late in the game, but the green and gold ultimately rallied to protect their home court. Converting one last free throw with 48 seconds to go, Riley IV helped San Francisco secure the victory over the Beavers with a final score of 81-70 on Saturday night.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• Controlling the rhythm from the point guard position, Williams was recognized as Player of the Game after finishing with 21 points, 5 assists, 1 rebound, and 1 steal. Overall, the Dickinson, Texas native shot 8-of-12 from the field, 4-of-5 from beyond the arc, and 1-of-1 from the free-throw line. Notably, his four three-pointers tied a season-high.
• Making the offense look seamless, Thomas ended the night with a game-high 24 points along with three assists and two rebounds. Impressively, this marked Thomas’ eleventh game this season in which he scored 20 or more points.
• Alongside Williams and Thomas, Riley IV (15 points) and Linguard Jr. (11 points) also reached double figures in the triumph. As a collective unit, San Francisco outperformed Oregon State in points off turnovers (15-11) and fast-break points (14-3).

POSTGAME WITH THE DONS:

UP NEXT:
San Francisco will stay in the Bay Area next week as the Dons will make the brief journey across the Bay Bridge to face Saint Mary’s next Thursday, Jan. 23. The tip-off from University Credit Union Pavilion is scheduled for 6:00 pm, and the game will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network and KNBR 1050. Live streaming, radio, and live stats links are accessible via the team’s schedule page.
 
FOLLOW US:
For updates and additional information regarding the San Francisco men’s basketball program, follow the Dons @USFDonsMBB on Twitter, @USFDonsMBB on Instagram, and @USFDonsMBB on Facebook.
 
MERCHANDISE:
Want to sport the Dons’ apparel? Acquire your official San Francisco Dons gear from the University of San Francisco bookstore today! Click here to buy.
 
SPONSOR THE DONS:
The University of San Francisco Athletics Department wishes to recognize and extend gratitude to our sponsor – Park-n-Fly – for their sustained support of San Francisco Athletics. Interested in sponsoring the Dons? Please connect with Frank Allocco, the Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director of External Relations, at [email protected] or at (415) 422-4561.