San Francisco will be aiming for its second West Coast Conference win of the season when it travels to Portland on Thursday night. The Dons had lost three straight games before beating LMU in a 72-70 final on Saturday. Portland is on a five-game losing streak after getting blown out by St. Mary’s in its last game.
San Francisco got off to a fantastic start this season, rattling off six consecutive wins. The Dons have struggled with consistency since then, alternating between wins and losses in their next eight games. They lost to UT Arlington as 14.5-point favorites on Dec. 19 before beating then-No. 25 Arizona State by 37 points as 2.5-point underdogs. San Francisco added an 85-53 win against Hartford, covering the 26-point spread. The Dons dropped their next three games after that, including an 80-68 loss to San Diego as 10-point favorites. They covered the 9.5-point spread in their 77-75 loss to Gonzaga last week before bouncing back with a 72-70 win against LMU as 2-point underdogs.
Thursday marks former @USFDonsMBB star @bouyea_ycl's return to … not quite the Bay Area, but the Central Coast.
Here's how you can watch him and the @SFSkyforce.https://t. co/eqfc32xAtg
— Ethan Kassel (@KasselMedia) January 10, 2023
The Dons have been shooting the ball well this season, ranked No. 74 in effective field goal percentage (52.6). They are knocking down 53.4% of their 2-point tries, but they are No. 289 in turnover rate. San Francisco has an experienced roster, but it will be at a severe height disadvantage in this matchup. The Dons are facing a Portland defense that is No. 268 in field goal percentage. Senior guard Khalil Shabazz leads San Francisco with 15.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Senior guard Tyrell Roberts is scoring 14.8 points, while junior forward Zane Meeks is adding 12.1 points and 6.8 rebounds.