Feb. 10, 2011
Final Stats
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.- The University of San Diego men's basketball team dropped its West Coast Conference matchup with San Francisco Thursday night by a score of 61-47 from USF's War Memorial Gym. The Toreros (5-20, 1-9 WCC) had three players in doubles figures, while the Dons (13-11, 7-2 WCC) led the entire game.
USD was led offensively by junior point guard Darian Norris and his game-best 14 points, which included a perfect 9-9 night from the free throw line. Norris added five rebounds as well. Sophomore forward Ken Rancifer contributed 13 points and seven rebounds, while sophomore center Chris Gabriel just missed a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds on the night.
San Francisco received 12 points and 10 boards from Perris Blackwell, while Michael Williams and Moustapha Diarra added 10 points apiece. Rashad Green had nine points and a game-high six assists.
The Toreros struggled to get shots to drop all night as they ended the contest with a 32.7% (16-49) mark from the field, including 16.7% (2-12) efficiency from beyond the arc. Despite their struggles from the field, USD was a solid 86.7% (13-15) from the free throw line and was even with the Dons on the glass as each team pulled down 35 rebounds apiece.
Turnovers would haunt the Toreros throughout the game as they opened play with back-to-back turnovers that were converted into a quick 4-0 lead for the Dons. USD would commit 16 turnovers in the game, while San Francisco had seven. Gabriel got USD on the board with a layup at 19:05, but the Dons would maintain their aggressive pace by going on a 14-4 run that put them up 18-6 with 10:48 left in the first half.
Rancifer knocked down his only three of the night at the 10:34 mark, but the Toreros would score only two points over the ensuing six and a half minutes, which by then they were looking at a 17-point deficit with the Dons up 28-11 with just over four minutes remaining.
USD chipped away at the lead over the final four minutes with the help of free throws by Dennis Kramer, Norris, and a layup by Rancifer, but ended the first half still down 31-17.
The Toreros opened the second half with renewed vigor as a Rancifer jumper kick started an 11-5 USD run that trimmed San Francisco's lead to six points as the score sat at 36-30 with 13 minutes left on the clock. The Toreros' momentum was short-lived however, as the Dons answered by building their lead back to 13 when Williams connected on a three to put San Francisco up 45-32 at the 9:37 mark.
Norris would score the next five Torero points to continue the second-half momentum seesaw as USD again mounted an offensive run that saw them trim San Francisco's lead to six again with 4:36 left in the game. But the Dons regained control with a commanding 12-4 run over the final four and a half minutes that downed the Toreros.
The loss, which was the Toreros third consecutive to the Dons, evens the all-time series record at 33-33. Senior forward Matt Dorr did not play due to illness.
USD returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 12th when they travel to Santa Clara for a 5:30 p.m. tip.
