Complete USF Game Notes
Game #4
USF Dons (2-1, 0-0 WCC) vs.
Columbia Lions (3-1, 0-0 Ivy League; vs. Wayland Baptist 11/23)
War Memorial Gymnasium • San Francisco, Calif.
Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012 • 7:00 p.m. PT
Series Record: USF leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: USF 85-74 (Jan. 4, 1992)
Radio: USFDons.com (
Pat Olson, Play-by-Play; Jim Brovelli, Analyst)
TV/Web: None
Dons Briefs
-
Now 2-1 on the season after Monday night's 67-53 win at American...have won two straight after a season-opening loss to Stanford.
-
Open a three-game homestand on Saturday vs. Columbia...Montana (Nov. 30) and St. John's (Dec. 4) follow the Lions into Memorial Gym.
-
Three players are averaging in double-figures, led by De'End Parker's 16.7 ppg average...Cole Dickerson is scoring at a 15.0 ppg clip while freshman Avry Holmes is averaging 10.7 off the bench.
-
Cole Dickerson leads the nation in rebounding averaging 13.7 boards per game...he had 19 rebounds in the season-opener vs. Stanford.
-
Have featured a different leading scorer in each of its first three games (Holmes 17 vs. Stanford; Parker 18 vs. CS Easy Bay; Dickerson 20 at American).
-
De'End Parker is shooting 72.7 percent from three-point range (8-for-11) while the team is shooting 36.4 (20-for-55) from long distance.
-
Are +36 in the rebound column after outrebounding Stanford (45-29), CS East Bay (50-39) and American (28-19) to start the season...limited the Cardinal to three offensive rebounds while grabbing 13 o-boards.
-
Shuffled the lineup for the first time this season at American...6-11 freshman Tao Xu got the nod in the middle while sophomore Frank Rogers came off the bench after starting the first two games.
-
Fifth-year head coach Rex Walters (Kansas '92) has guided the Dons to a 64-67 record in four previous seasons while his six-year career record stands at 95-100...USF has improved in the win column in each of the previous four seasons with Walters at the helm.
-
Comcast SportsNet California will televise the St. John's game on Dec. 4th from Memorial Gym...tip time remains 7:00 p.m.
USF Opens Three-Game Homestand Saturday Against Columbia
USF (2-1, 0-0 WCC) returns to its home floor in Memorial Gymnasium Saturday night to face the Columbia Lions..tip off is set for 7:00 p.m.
The Dons are coming off a 67-53 victory at American Monday night while the Lions are 3-1 on the year heading into Friday night's game with Wayland Baptist.
Montana (Nov. 30) and St. John's (Dec. 4) will follow the Lions into Memorial Gym...Dons next road contest will come at Pacific on Dec. 8..
The Series with Columbia
In the only previous meeting between the two schools, USF defeated Columbia, 85-74 at Memorial Gymnasium on Jan. 4, 1992.
Tim Owens scored a game-high 29 points to go along with eight rebounds to pace the Dons.
Last Time Out: USF 67, American 53 • Nov. 19, 2012 • Washington D.C.
USF led virtually wire-to-wire in posting its first road win of the season...trailed just once at 20-19 at the 8:25 mark of the first half.
Led 33-31 at halftime and outscored the Eagles 16-5 to start the second frame to build up a 13-point lead at 49-36 with 13:06 remaining...lead was never less than nine the rest of the way.
Cole Dickerson scored a game-high 20 points while De'End Parker added 19 to pace the Dons in scroring...
Cody Doolin had an impressive stat line with nine points, eight assists and four rebounds.
Dons shot a season best 53.1 percent from the floor and outrebounded its third straight opponent, 28-19.
Shuffled the starting lineup for the first time this season, with 6-11 Tao Xu earning the start in the middle while sophomore Frank Rogers came off the bench.
Three Games, Three Leading Scorers
USF has featured a different leading scorer in each of its three games so far this season.
Freshman Avry Holmes took game-high scoring honors vs. Stanford, finiishing with 15 points...junior De'End Parker's 18 points paced all USF scorers vs. CS East Bay, while junior
Cole Dickerson had a game-high 20 points in Monday night's win at Ameican.
Dickerson Doubling Down
Junior forward
Cole Dickerson is averaging 15.0 points and 13.7 rebounds a game after three games...his rebound average currently leads the nation.
He opened the season by scoring 11 points and pulling 19 rebounds against Stanford and followed with a 14-point, 15-rebound effort against Cal State-East Bay...he finished with 20 points and seven rebounds Monday at American.
He also posted double-doubles in both exhibition games against San Francisco State (21-15) and UNC-Pemboke (24-10).
Dickerson averaged 7.1 ppg and 4.0 rpg in 34 games last season, including one start.
De'End's Just Beginning
Junior guard De'End Parker leads USF in scoring afer three games with a 16.7 per game average.
He opened the season by scoring 13 points against Stanford and followed with 18 and 19-point outings vs. Cal State-East Bay and American, respectively.
He is shooting 48.7 percent from the floor, including 72.7 percent (8-for-11) from three-point range...ranks third nationally in three-point percentage in the early going.
Parker grew up two blocks from the USF campus, attended Lincoln High School and City College of San Francisco before spending one season at UCLA.
What's Doolin
Junior point guard
Cody Doolin is averaging 5.7 assists (17 total) after three games to go along with a 9.3 scoring average.
He dished out eight assists while scoring nine points to go along with four rebounds Monday at American.
Doolin has a 2.1 turnover-assist ratio (266-127) in 71 career games -- all starts.
Board Work
USF has outrebounded each of its first three opponents by decisive margins.
The Dons held a 45-29 advantage on the glass against Stanford and outrebounded both CS East Bay (50-39) and American (28-19).
USF is averaging 41.0 rpg on the year while limiting the opposition to 29.0 rpg...USF is also avraging 10.4 offensive boards a game while limiting the opponents to 5.2 second chances per contest.
Cole Dickerson currently leads the nation in rebounding with a 13.7 per game average.
Last season, USF averaged 33.2 boards a game and finished fifth in the WCC in round margin at +0.9.
Lineup Shuffle
Head coach
Rex Walters altered the starting lineup for the first time this season Monday night at American, inserting 6-11 freshman Tao Xu at center in place of Frank Rogers, who came off the bench at the four spot.
Xu responded with eight points and one rebound in a 21-minute playing stint before fouling out.
Good Hands
USF has committed 43 turnovers in its first three games against Stanford (17), CS East Bay (17) and American (11) while forcing 36.
The Dons have totaled 20 steals in three games, with
Cody Doolin and Tim Derksen leading the team with four each.
Of the Dons 73 made field goals, 45.2 percent have come off assists (33 total)...Doolin leads the team in assists with 17 from his point guard position followd by Dickerson with five.
Debuts
Eight players have made their USF debuts so far this season, including freshmen Tim Derksen, Coltin Gelb, Matt Christiansen, Avry Holmes, Tao Xu and redshirt freshman
Mark Tollefsen.
De'End Parker, who spent last year at UCLA and Frank Rogers, who played at Cabrillo College, have also made their USF debuts this season.
