The San Francisco Dons were hoping for one last win to earn a trip to the WCC Tournament finals, but came up empty on Saturday night. In the semifinals of the 2012 WCC Tournament in Las Vegas, the Dons were unable to make an early lead stand up, as they were defeated by the first-seeded St. Mary's Gaels, 83-78.
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USF held a 38-34 lead heading into halftime and looked great in the first half. The second half saw the Gaels heat up, as they outscored their opponents 49-40 following the break. The Dons were able to close to within three points with six seconds left on the clock, but it was too little, too late.
Although contributing to the losing side, Dons guard Cody Doolin led all scorers with 28 points. Clint Steindl led St. Mary's scorers with 19 points. SMC forward Rob Jones had a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds.
The Gaels now advance to the finals, where they will meet the winner of Saturday's nightcap between the BYU Cougars and the No. 2-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs.