Dec. 18, 2007

Final Stats

(Long Beach, CA) - USF rallied late, but could not overcome a determined Long Beach State squad and dropped a 71-68 non-conference decision Saturday night in the Walter Pyramid. The Dons (4-7) drop their second straight, while the 49ers (3-7) improve to 2-1 against the West Coast Conference.

Freshman guard Myron Strong and junior guard Manny Quezada scored a team-high 18 points to lead four Dons in double-digit scoring. Sophomore forward Dior Lowhorn added 14 points in 39 minutes, while senior guard Danny Cavic connected for 13 points, including a late 3-pointer and pulled down six rebounds.

For the second straight ballgame, San Francisco opened up a big lead and surrendered a huge run midway through the opening period - this time a 19-2 burst by Long Beach State after leading 12-7 in the early going. The Dons trailed by as many as 12 in the first half, 26-14 with 8:58 remaining before heading into the locker room down seven, 38-31.

After shooting at a remarkable .682 (15-22) clip from the field in the opening period, including a .750 (6-8) from beyond the arc, the 49ers cooled somewhat in the second, converting on .435 (10-23). Long Beach State finished the game at .556 (25-45) and limited USF to a .435 (27-62) pace from the floor, .375 (9-24) from long distance.

San Francisco lost the rebound battle 32-26, although the Dons pulled down 13 offensive boards compared to seven for Long Beach State. USF forced 19 49er miscues and committed 14 turnovers.

Donovan Morris scored a game-high 26 points on 9-of-14 from the field with seven rebounds, four assists and a steal in 37 minutes for Long Beach State. Darnell Porter added 18 points and five boards.

USF returns to action for its final game before the Christmas holiday Saturday, December 22 when it travels to South Bend, Indiana to take on Notre Dame. Tip-off against the Irish is set for 1:00 PM (PT).