The AU men’s basketball team fell 77-69 to the University of San Francisco on the back end of a two-game California road trip on Dec. 22.
Defensive lapses by the Eagles (3-7, 0-0, PL) and clutch offensive plays by the Dons (7-5, 0-0, WCC) late in the second half resulted in AU’s third straight loss.
“We did some things well offensively today, but 77 points is a lot to give up,” head coach Mike Brennan told AUEagles.com
The match was tight with 2:51 left in regulation. Junior guard John Schoof made two free throws to pull the Eagles within one point of the Dons. USF responded with a 6-0 run, including two consecutive layups by USF junior guard Matt Glover.
The Eagles’ fouls and turnovers in the last two minutes of the half helped USF secure the win. Following his second layup, Glover stole the ball from sophomore guard Jesse Reed. Junior guard Darius Gardner followed with a foul and a turnover on a traveling call.
Weak fullcourt press by the Eagles also contributed to AU’s loss. The Dons were able to notch a dunk and a layup on defensive lapses by the Eagles in the last 30 seconds of the game.
The Eagles problems were compounded by foul trouble during the second half. AU put USF in a double bonus situation with 9:20 left in the game. The Dons took advantage of their situation by drawing three fouls in the last two minutes of the second half.
USF scored efficiently throughout the match. The Dons posted a 60.9 field goal percentage and made 7-12 three-pointers. The Eagles finished with a 49 field goal percentage after shooting 38.5 percent from the field in the first half.
The Eagles picked up the loss despite overcoming a 12-point deficit. They fell behind 31-19 with 5:28 left in the first half, but closed out the half on an 11-2 run to cut the Dons’ lead to three points at halftime.
The Eagles even had a three point advantage following the lead in the second half. A three-point shot by Gardner with 16:03 left in the second half gave AU a three point advantage. However, the Dons responded with a 7-0 run to retake the lead. The Dons maintained their advantage until the end of regulation.
Schoof led all scorers with 22 points,including ing 12 points off of his four three-pointers. Reed added 16 points to the Eagles’ effort. Junior guard Austin Carroll came off of the bench to finish with 11 points.
Senior center Tony Wroblicky notched a game- and career-high seven assists against the Dons.
Gardner led all players with eight rebounds, one rebound away from tying his personal best.
AU will resume its five-game road trip with a match against University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Md. on Dec. 29. The game is AU’s last non-conference match of the regular season.
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