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SAN FRANCISCO – USF built a 23-point halftime lead over visiting San Diego and then hung on for an 80-74 victory over the Toreros in the West Coast Conference opener for both teams.
 
Charles Minlend scored a career-high 20 points while Jordan Ratinho added 12 and Ronnie Boyce 11 as the Dons improved to 11-3 on the season. Sophomore Olin Carter III had 19 points while Brett Bailey added 18 and Tyler Williams finished with 11.
 
Minlend made seven of 10 shots from the floor, including four of five from distance, to record his 10th double figure scoring game of the season.
 
The Dons jumped on the Toreros (7-6, 0-1) early as Minlend scored 12 of his 20 minutes in the first 9:08 of the game to help USF to a 27-9 lead. USF boosted its lead to 23 points at 47-24 after Boyce drilled a three-pointer with 2:24 left before the break. Minlend ended the first half with 14 points and The Dons shot 73.9 percent over the first 20 minutes to take a 51-28 lead into intermission.
 
The Toreros turned the tables on the Dons in the second half and outscored USF, 46-29 after the break.
 
The Dons enjoyed a comfortable 20 point lead at 67-47 after sophomore Marquill Smith drained a three-pointer with 7:36 remaining. San Diego, which limited USF to just 33.3 percent shooting in the second half, began methodically to chip away at what seemed to be an insurmountable deficit.
 
A three-pointer by Carter cut USF's lead to 10 at 72-62 with 3:35 left and then following a Dons' turnover, a Bailey layup drew the Toreros to within single digits with 2:56 remaining.
 
Matt McCarthy boosted the Dons' lead back to 10 at 74-64 but San Diego then scored the next six points to whittle the lead to 74-70 with just under a minute remaining. USF's lead was still four with :27 left after a Tyler Williams' layup. Williams was fouled on the play but missed the chance to make it a one-possession game after missing the free throw.
 
Chase Foster made four free throws in the final :27 to preserve the win for USF.
 
"I thought we played extremely well in the first half and needed just about all of that 23-point lead," said USF head coach Kyle Smith. "We got a little too comfortable over the last seven and a half minutes and the thing really turned into a dog fight. I give San Diego a lot of credit. They never gave up and played extremely well coming down the stretch."
 
With his performance tonight, Minlend is now averaging 12.0 points a game on the season, including a shade over 14 in his last five games.
 
"Charles in playing with a lot of confidence right now," said Smith. "He's a natural scorer and obviously has a very bright future ahead of him."
 
After shooting 36.9 percent in its last two game against Illinois State and San Diego State, the Dons finished at 52 percent against San Diego, marking the eighth time in 14 games USF has shot 50 percent or better from the floor.
 
USF also regained its form from beyond the three-point line, connecting on 10-of-23 of its long distance tries. It was the eighth time this season the Dons made 10 or more three-pointers in a game.
 
The Dons will return to action on Saturday when they travel to the South Bay to face longtime rival Santa Clara beginning at 3:00 p.m. The game will be televised live on CSNBA and also can be heard on 95.7 FM The Game.

Ticket Information
Reserved and general admission tickets for USF's upcoming games against Gonzaga (Jan. 5) and Saint Mary's (Jan. 7), along with all other WCC home games, are currently available for purchase on-line at USFDons.com/tickets or by calling (415) 422-2USF (2873).

Fans may also purchase the Box Out Big Three ticket package, which includes a general admission seat to all three games against Gonzaga, Saint Mary's and BYU, for $105 (adults) and $90 for seniors and children 12-under.

For information regarding USF Basketball tickets for the remainder of the 2016-17 season, please call the USF Athletic Ticket Office at (415) 422-2USF (2873) or go on-line to USFDons.com/tickets.