Three-Pointers Help Dons Hold Off USD

After Friday night’s loss to Santa Clara, University of San Francisco Coach Jim Brovelli talked of his team being snakebit.

Saturday night against the University of San Diego, the Dons bit back.

Shawn Sykes hit three clutch three-pointers down the stretch, and the Dons missed just one free throw the entire game as San Francisco survived with a 77-67 decision over USD in an unusual West Coast Conference game in front of 1,670 at Memorial Gym.

“The games we’ve lost,” Brovelli said, “we’ve been in a position to win. We’ve been snakebit. Tonight, we made the plays at the end. We made the free throws. We made the shots.”

Despite having played one of its worst first halves of the season, USD still had a chance in the closing minutes. San Francisco had lost three similar WCC games by a total of nine points.

But along came Sykes, who made three long-range shots, the last a 25-footer with four seconds left on the shot clock after USD had pulled to within 63-60 with 2 minutes 45 seconds left.

“I didn’t realize how far I was out until I was in the air,” Sykes said.

Said USD Coach Hank Egan, exaggerating just a bit: “He hit it from downtown San Francisco.”

Sykes basket with 2:02 left gave the Dons a 66-63 lead. After USD’s Craig Cottrell made a layup 20 seconds later, San Francisco outscored USD, 11-5, the rest of the way making five of five free throws and getting a basket on a goaltending by Pat Holbert.

That USD was in position to even challenge was slightly amazing.

The Toreros committed 25 turnovers and shot just 56% from the free-throw line.

USD, which played well in a 76-65 victory Friday night at St. Mary’s, fell to 7-10, 2-3. San Francisco, which played badly in a 53-51 loss to Santa Clara Friday night, improved to 6-12, 2-3.

“It was like night and day from last night,” Egan said.

Only five players scored for San Francisco, but each was in double figures. Sykes and Joel DeBortoli led with 19 points each.

Holbert had a career-high 17 points and was instrumental in bringing the Toreros back into the game after they had trailed by as many as 14.

John Jerome scored 13, six below his average, and Gylan Dottin had 12.

San Francisco built a 36-22 lead by scoring the first six points of the second half.

The first of a pair of Jerome baskets didn’t come until nearly three minutes had gone by in the half. USD pulled to within 42-37 with an eight-point run keyed by Kelvin Woods free throws.

“We did a good job to pull that thing back,” Egan said.

How bad was the first half?

“I thought we were lucky to only be down by eight with the way we played,” Egan said.

USD made only 10 of 29 shots in the half. After making their first two shots, the Toreros had a dry spell of eight minutes 26 seconds.