SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Set for another important matchup to begin conference play, the University of San Francisco men’s basketball team (11-3, 1-0 WCC) wraps up a three-game homestand on Monday night as the Dons will host Bay Area rival Santa Clara (9-5, 1-0 WCC) at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.

GAME 15 DETAILS:

Date: Monday, December 30, 2024

Time: 7:00 p.m. PT

Opponent: Santa Clara (9-5, 1-0 WCC)

Location: War Memorial at the Sobrato Center / San Francisco, Calif.

Watch: ESPN+ (Chris Sylvester, Ben Braun)

Listen: KNBR 1050 (Pat Olson, Jim Brovelli)

Live Stats: StatBroadcast

Tickets: Purchase Here

 

DONS AT A GLANCE:

• In their last time on the hardwood, San Francisco opened up conference play with a 70-55 victory over LMU at home on Saturday, Dec. 28. Malik Thomas once again led the green and gold in scoring with 19 points to go along with a season-high 7 rebounds and three three-pointers. Junjie Wang had his highest scoring performance since entering the starting lineup as the forward totaled 10 points with two made threes against the Lions.
• With the win over LMU, San Francisco has now won four of their last five conference openers dating back to the 2020-21 season. If the Dons can get it done on Monday night against the Broncos, the green and gold would notch their second straight 2-0 start to WCC play.
• Heading into Monday night’s action, San Francisco’s 11-3 overall record is tied with Saint Mary’s and Washington State for the best record in the West Coast Conference.
• Through fourteen games this season, San Francisco is a perfect 5-0 when holding their opponents to under 60 points. Under head coach Chris Gerlufsen, San Francisco is 19-1 when achieving this feat.
• Across Division I, San Francisco ranks in the top 50 in the country in opponent points per game (17^th, 62.1) and opponent field goal percentage (40^th, 39.3). Additionally, the Dons are one of 54 teams in the nation with a win percentage of 77.0 percent or better.

SCOUTING THE BRONCOS:

• After a subpar 2-4 start to the season, Santa Clara has bounced back, including winning seven of its last eight games, as the Broncos currently ride a six-game win streak into Monday night’s contest.
• Last time out, the Broncos opened up conference play with a 91-80 home victory against Pepperdine on Saturday, Dec. 28. Five players scored in double-figures for Santa Clara as senior guard Adama-Alpha Bal paced the offense with 19 points, which included four made threes, to go along with a season-high eight assists.
• Junior college transfer Elijah Mahi has provided a spark this season for Santa Clara as the forward is averaging 13.3 points per game, the second-most on the team behind Bal. Overall, Mahi is shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 48.1 percent from distance through his first 14 games at SCU.
• As a unit, Santa Clara has been one of the most high volume three-point shooting teams in the nation as the Broncos rank in the top 50 in both three-pointers made and three-point field goals attempted. Notably, SCU is one of 37 teams across Division I averaging at least 10 made threes per game.

SERIES HISTORY:
San Francisco and Santa Clara are set for their 236^th all-time meeting as the Dons hold a narrow 119-116 lead in the head-to-head series, which dates back to 1908. Last season, the two teams split the regular season series, which included a 19-point comeback victory (71-70) by the green and gold at home on the Hilltop on Feb. 10, 2024. Notably, San Francisco is 7-3 against the Broncos in their last ten matchups.
 
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 US:

The University of San Francisco Athletics Department would like to acknowledge and thank our sponsor – Coca-Cola – 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.