Dons Notes: Previewing American

Nov 20, 2013; Columbus, OH, USA; American University Eagles guard/forward John Schoof (22) looks fro room to get around Ohio State Buckeyes guard Aaron Craft (4) at the Schottenstein Center. Ohio State won the game 63-52.Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

Hi guys, short post prior to Christmas week.

Today marks the last non-conference game for the Dons in the 2013-2014 season. Tip-off is set for 2:00 pm as American University plays their second straight WCC opponent following a Thursday loss to Saint Mary’s. The Green & Gold’s West Coast Conference play kicks off on December 28th against Portland followed a couple days later with a match up against Gonzaga  in Spokane.

During USF’s last time out, on the east coast, the Dons were overwhelmed with by an athletic St. John’s Redbird team. The Green & Gold struggled on defense as SJU took at lopsided 81-57 victory. USF was held to a season-low 57 points as Mark Tollefsen led the Dons with 14 points; Kruize Pinkins added 12 points. On the other side of the ball, St. John’s scored 81 points, contributing to the Dons’ defensive field goal percentage of 47.3%. That is the worst in the WCC.

American lost to Saint Mary’s in Moraga last Thursday to a final score of 59-44. Darius Gardner led the Eagles with 13 points as he went 6-7 from the field. The Eagles tied a season-high with 10 steals and hit 41.9% of its shots. However, Saint Mary’s owned the advantage on the boards, 37-19, while also getting to the line 10 more times than AU.

USF leads the all-time series 1-0 after defeating the Eagles last year in Washington D.C. San Francisco defeated the Eagles 67-53 as Cole Dickerson scored 20 points and De-End Parker added 19 points. This time around, the Dons should be prepared for a well disciplined American team which will be looking to take advantage of any mistake the Dons make. USF may be the better team, but American is prepared to steal a win at the Hilltop.

One For the Road

Former USF basketball player Dominique O’Connor graduated during December graduation. His Dons’ career was plagued by unfortunate injuries, but was always valued on the court. Congrats Domo!