Dons Deliver Hospitality: Pilots Soar High on the Hilltop!

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Returning to victory at home on the Hilltop, the University of San Francisco men’s basketball squad (14-4, 4-1) managed their tasks against Portland (5-13, 0-5 WCC) on Thursday evening, triumphing over the Pilots, 81-72, at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
 
IF YOU MISSED IT:

• Following Portland’s initial two baskets of the night, Junjie Wang got San Francisco started with a jumper in the lane at 17:26.
• Exchanging points at the outset, San Francisco tied the game at 8-all when Marcus Williams hit a jumper at 15:34 after a Pilot error.
• As the half progressed, both teams struggled offensively, but four consecutive points from the green and gold near the middle of the period placed the Dons ahead, 14-10, at 10:58. A minute later, Carlton Linguard Jr. executed a hook shot in the paint to give USF a six-point lead, 18-12.
• Despite the Dons remaining in command, Portland persistently battled as the Pilots kept close to San Francisco. With 4:37 left in the first half, a second-chance layup by Chris Austin brought it to a one-point game, 24-23.
• Taking initiative, Malik Thomas ended the first twenty minutes of play by scoring the last seven points of the half, allowing the Dons to hold a six-point lead at halftime, 37-31.
• Emerging from the locker room, the green and gold scored the first seven points of the second half, including five consecutive points from Linguard Jr. to advance USF by thirteen, 44-31, at 18:03.
• Grinding closer, Portland narrowed their deficit to single digits, 44-35, after a three-pointer from Max Mackinnon at 16:17, but Jason Rivera-Torres quickly retaliated with a triple of his own, pushing San Francisco’s advantage back to twelve, 47-35, just thirteen seconds after.
• Approaching the midway point of the second half, the Pilots netted two straight baskets to reduce it to seven, 57-50, with 9:39 left in regulation. However, the Dons would rebound and create distance again as a slam dunk from Linguard Jr. with 5:30 remaining on the clock allowed the green and gold to move back ahead by double digits, 71-59.
• Guarding their home turf down the stretch, San Francisco prevented Portland from closing the gap to more than nine points in the dying minutes of the contest as the Dons achieved an 81-72 triumph over the Pilots on Thursday evening.

DISTINGUISHED PERFORMANCES:

• Securing his first Player of the Game accolade this season, Linguard Jr. was effective against Portland, finishing with 14 points, 6 rebounds and 1 assist on 6-of-11 from the field and 2-of-3 from three-point range.
• Alongside Linguard Jr., Thomas (19 points), Williams (17 points) and Wang (14 points) also reached double figures. For Wang, the forward recorded a new career-high in points for the second consecutive game.
• As a collective unit, San Francisco outpaced Portland in points off turnovers (16-11), second-chance points (16-10), fast break points (4-3), and bench points (9-4).

POSTGAME WITH THE DONS:

NEXT UP:
San Francisco will make their way to the South Bay this Saturday, Jan. 11 as the Dons prepare for a rematch with Santa Clara. The game is scheduled to commence at 4:00 pm PT, with Pat Olson and Jim Brovelli providing the commentary on KNBR 1050 live from Leavey Center. Links for live streaming, radio, and statistics can be found on the team’s schedule page.
 
STAY CONNECTED:
For updates and further details on the San Francisco men’s basketball program, follow the Dons @USFDonsMBB on Twitter, @USFDonsMBB on Instagram and @USFDonsMBB on Facebook.
 
MERCHANDISE:
Want to sport Dons apparel? Acquire your official San Francisco Dons merchandise from the University of San Francisco bookstore today! Click here to buy.
 
SPONSOR THE DONS:
The University of San Francisco Athletics Department extends its gratitude to our sponsor – ABM – for their ongoing support of San Francisco Athletics. Interested in partnering with the Dons? Please reach out to Frank Allocco, the Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director of External Relations, at [email protected] or at (415) 422-4561.