GAME NOTES: Coming off a tough road loss, the Colorado Buffaloes resume their travels on Saturday as they take on the San Francisco Dons at War Memorial Gymnasium.
This is a return trip from last season after the Buffaloes defeated the Dons, 78-54 on December 1, 2009 in Boulder. Cory Higgins led all scorers with 22 points and three steals, and the Buffs shot 55.4 percent from the field to cut its series deficit with the Dons to 2-1.
Alec Burks poured in a game-high 23 points in Colorado's 83-74 loss at Georgia on Tuesday. Cory Higgins had 15 points and Austin Dufault 13. Higgins and Burks entered the season as one of the top returning scoring tandems, combining to average 36 points a game last season. So far in 2010-11, the duo is exactly on target at the same 36 points a game - Burks, a sophomore guard at 20.5 ppg and Higgins, a senior guard, at 15.5 ppg. Dufault, a starting forward, checks in at 11.0 ppg. In fact, the Buffs have five players averaging double digits in points, as Levi Knutson (10.0 ppg) and Marcus Relphorde (10.0 ppg) are both key factors to the success of the team. Freshman Andre Roberson is making his presence felt (18.5 minute a game), leading the Buffaloes in rebounding at 9.5 a game. Burks and Higgins have reached the free throw line an astounding 43 times after two games combined and have made 35 of them. The rest of the team is 18-of-26 at the stripe.
San Francisco enters 1-1 after posting a season-opening win over Seattle (97-76) and then falling on the road to San Jose State (74-64). Four players average 10 or more points with Michael Williams leading the way with 17 points and eight rebounds per game. Junior forward Angelos Caloiaro nearly averages a double-double with 13.5 points and 9.5 boards a game. Last season, Williams ranked among the top-10 in the West Coast Conference in three-point field goal percentage (.438). Caloiaro enjoyed a monster night in USF's win against Seattle aand turned in his first career double-double with 18 points and a career-high 13 rebounds to go along with four assists and three steals. Caloiaro connected on 6-of-11 from the field to share the team lead in scoring. Center Moustapha Diarra has hit half of his shots from the field thus far and at 6-10, the senior is a force to be reckoned with in the middle.
USF is one of the youngest teams in Division I this season with just seven years of returning Division I experience. The Dons' roster features 11 newcomers, nine freshmen, one redshirt freshman and two transfers. They've won four straight at War Memorial Gym. That streak ends tonight.
GAME NOTES: Coming off a tough road loss, the Colorado Buffaloes resume their travels on Saturday as they take on the San Francisco Dons at War Memorial Gymnasium.
FACTS & STATS: Site: War Memorial Gymnasium (4,800) -- San Francisco, California. Television: None. Home Record: Colorado 1-0, San Francisco 1-0. Away Record: Colorado 0-1, San Francisco 0-1. Neutral Record:Colorado 0-0, San Francisco 0-0. Conference Record: Colorado 0-0, San Francisco 0-0. Series Record: San Francisco leads, 2-1.
Saturday, November 20th, 10:00 p.m. (et)
Colorado 77, San Francisco 67