Watch CBS News

St. Mary's Beats USF 83-78 In WCC Conference Semifinal

LAS VEGAS (CBS/AP) -- At least early, San Francisco hardly looked like a team that was playing its third game in three nights.

Yet it certainly showed at the end of its West Coast Conference semifinal game against top-seeded Saint Mary's, which the Gaels won 83-78.

"No excuses, but maybe we ran out of gas with about 16 minutes to go," said San Francisco guard Cody Doolin, whose career-high 28 points weren't enough for the Dons.

After trailing throughout the first half, and the first seven minutes of the second half, the Gaels got going. Clint Steindl's 3-pointer tied the score at 51. Saint Mary's then went on a 19-9 run to take a 70-60 lead with 5:24 left. Steindl and Jorden Page hit back-to-back 3s for the Gaels (26-5).

"I didn't think we played hard in the first half, and that's on me," Saint Mary's coach Randy Bennett said. "I didn't think we got after people defensively at all. But we did do a good job of not panicking and keeping our composure (in the second half)."

The Dons (20-13) may have been tired, but they weren't done.

They fought back behind Perris Blackwell (8 of 10 for 19 points), Doolin (10 of 16) and Rashad Green (12 points).

Blackwell's put-back pulled San Francisco within 77-73 with 38 seconds left, but Rob Jones intercepted a pass on the Dons' next possession, and Matthew Dellavedova went to the line and sank both free throws.

Michael Williams' 3-pointer with 6 seconds left got San Francisco within 81-78, but Dellavedova sank two more foul shots for the final margin.

Saturday's win was the Gaels' 14th straight over the Dons.

Dellavedova, the WCC player of the year, had only five points in the first half but came on strong in the second. He finished with 17 points, including 10 of 10 from the line, and also handed out six assists.

Saint Mary's held an 11-2 edge in second-chance points and outscored the Dons 49-40 in the second half.

The biggest difference was 3-pointers — the Gaels hit 11 of 26, compared to 8 of 20 for San Francisco — and rebounding, where Saint Mary's held a 30-21 edge.

"Anytime we get the edge we'll take it," Bennett said. "I thought Rob Jones was great on the boards in the second half. We played hard in the second half, and when you do that you get some second-chance points.

"I think they (the Dons) had to pick their spots under pressure. We were a little more ready for it this time. When we take care of the ball, we're going to be all right. And that's one of our keys every night, every game, every year."

Steindl led Saint Mary's with 19 points, including six 3-pointers.

Brad Waldow added 12 points, while Jones had a double-double for Saint Mary's with 11 points and 13 rebounds.

While the Gaels were well rested, having received a double bye to the semifinals, San Francisco was playing its third game in three days.

The Dons beat Loyola Marymount 67-60 on Friday in a game that went down to the wire and ran past Portland 87-66 on Thursday.

San Francisco started strong Saturday, shooting 60 percent from the field and hitting 5 of 11 3-pointers en route to a 38-34 halftime lead. But the Gaels had too much in the end.

Now the Gaels will be headed to the WCC tournament championship for the fourth straight year. Saint Mary's faces Gonzaga in Monday's championship. The Gaels split their season series with the Bulldogs, including a 14-point road loss on Feb. 9.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.