The San Francisco Dons continue winding down their 2011-2012 season as they host the No. 24 Gonzaga Bulldogs at War Memorlal Gym Saturday evening at 5:00pm PT. The Dons are in the midst of a tough final home stretch that featured BYU on Thursday, Gonzaga on Saturday and Saint Mary's next Saturday. Saturday's game against Gonzaga will feature Bill Cartwright Appreciation Night, with the first 750 fans getting Cartwright replica jerseys.
The Dons lost a golden opportunity for a big win on Thursday as they suffered a last second defeat to the BYU Cougars. USF trailed for most of the game before securing their first lead with 46 seconds left. Perris Blackwell had a chance to widen the one point lead but missed the front end of a one-and-one. BYU freshman Matt Carlino drove in for a layup with 23 seconds, which was the difference in the game.
The Dons lost their first matchup with Gonzaga back in mid-January, falling 74-63. Angelo Caloiaro led USF with 14 points and 9 rebounds, but it was not enough to overcome four double digit scoring days for Gonzaga. Perris Blackwell had one of his weaker games of the year, but has since bounced back with double digit points in his last six games and back-to-back double-doubles heading into this game.