Dec. 8, 2009

Box Score

By Stacy Hicklin
USF Beat Writer

SAN FRANCISCO -- After entering the locker room at halftime without the lead for the seventh consecutive game, the University of San Francisco men's basketball team decided it was time to write a new ending.

The Dons (3-6) rallied to overcome an 11-point halftime deficit to post a 76-71 win against Bay Area rival San Jose State (3-4) on Tuesday night at War Memorial Gym.

"We needed this game," USF senior forward Dior Lowhorn said. "We definitely started clicking out there."

USF had more turnovers (9) than baskets (8) in the first half and struggled to get much going offensively, but an entirely different team emerged from the locker room for the second half.

The Dons hit 11 of their first 13 shots and with 16 minutes and 12 seconds to play, went on a 20-3 run to take a 50-43 lead. During that stretch, Lowhorn went on a 10-0 run by himself, hitting four consecutive baskets then knocking down two free throws.

"[Lowhorn] went to work on us and I thought he was really the difference in the game," San Jose State coach George Nessman said. "They went to Lowhorn inside and he delivered."

The senior standout finished with a game-high 26 points, with 20 of Lowhorn's points coming in the second half. Sophomore Angelo Caloiaro had nine second-half points to finish with 12, while classmate Kwame Vaughn finished with 15 points.

Caloiaro, Lowhorn and freshman Perris Blackwell all had seven rebounds with senior Dontae Bryant adding five assists.

The Dons only shot six 3-pointers, but they were awarded seven three-point play opportunities and converted six of them. Vaughn and Caloiaro each notched two.

"We weren't the most confident team coming off the road and taking our lumps, but I thought after we got through the darkness we really started to execute our game plan," USF head coach Rex Walters said.

"I thought our guys kind of saw the light at the end of the tunnel and they haven't seen that in a while."

The Dons' next contest tips off at 11 a.m. (PST) on Saturday, Dec. 12th at Loyola Chicago.

NOTES: Lowhorn passed Mark McCathrion for No. 13 on the Dons' career scoring list. Lowhorn finished with 1,394 points. McCathrion, who played from 1985 through '89, had 1,368. ... San Francisco avenged a 82-76 to the Spartans in San Jose last season.