West Coast foes will battle when the San Francisco Dons (13-10) play the BYU Cougars (17-8) at War Memorial Gymnasium. The game starts at 10:00 pm ET on Thursday, Feb. 11.
The Dons barely escaped Santa Clara 89-86 the last time they played. Tim Derksen fueled the Dons, recording his fifth double-double of the season with 21 points and 13 rebounds. The Cougars, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 77-72 loss against Pacific in their last game. Kyle Davis had a solid game for BYU, recording 21 points, five rebounds, and two steals.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Cougars winning the first matchup 102-92. Chase Fischer was a standout player in the game, producing 25 points, two rebounds, four assists, and five three-pointers.
The Dons come into this game 13-10 Straight Up (SU) and 10-10 Against The Spread (ATS). The Dons have no trouble scoring as they rank 45th in the nation in home offense with 82.1 points per game.
Across the court, BYU has a SU record of 17-8 and an ATS record of 11-10-2. Offensively, they average 82.6 points per game, which is good for 13th in the country. BYU is one of the top three-point shooting teams in the nation, connecting on 8.0 shots from three-point range per game. The Cougars are an unselfish team with an average of 15.8 assists per game, ranking 45th in Division I. The Cougars average 73.2 points allowed per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 83.1 points per game during that span. Defensive rebounding is an area where BYU has excelled. The Cougars average 27.0 defensive rebounds per game, making them one of the best in the nation.
Following the Cougars’ latest win over San Francisco, their SU record rises to 9-1 over San Francisco in their most recent games. The Dons hold the advantage ATS with a record of 7-3. San Francisco and BYU each held the edge in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) one time in their last five meetings.
Predictions: SU Winner – BYU, ATS Winner – BYU
Notes
San Francisco averages 77.2 points per game (ranked 76th). BYU, on the other hand, allows 73.2 points per game (ranked 174th).
San Francisco scores 82.1 points per home game (ranked 45th). BYU ranks a poor 190th in points allowed on the road, allowing 77.9 points.
The San Francisco Dons rank 100th for their offensive rating of 109.0. The BYU Cougars have a defensive rating of 99.6 (ranked 99th).
BYU beats San Francisco in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Cougars average 73.7 possessions and 1.121 points per possession, while the Dons average 70.8 possessions with 1.090 points per possession.
The BYU Cougars average an effective field goal percentage of 52.4% this season. The San Francisco Dons have an underachieving record of 2-8 when opponents have an eFG% of 52.4% or greater.
On average, San Francisco attempts 21.0 three pointers and BYU attempts 23.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the San Francisco Dons are 7-9 while the BYU Cougars have a solid 15-7 record.
BYU ranks 49th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.32. San Francisco is ranked lower at 232nd with an A/TO of .97.
BYU, the 16th-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 41.4 rebounds per game. San Francisco ranks 43rd with 39.9.
San Francisco ranks 81st in defensive rebounding. When it comes to offensive rebounds, BYU ranks 76th.
On average, BYU forces a turnover rate of 17.5%. When San Francisco turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a winning 9-5 record.
