SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. –  The San Francisco Dons benefited from a fast start and 16 offensive rebounds to hold on for a 62-50 victory over the Portland Pilots in a West Coast Conference game Saturday night at War Memorial Gymnasium.

Junior forward Alan Wiggins had 15 points and nine rebounds for the Dons (7-10, 3-1 WCC) who maintain their hold on third place in the conference standings. Portland senior guard Pooh Jeter led all scorers with 22 points, but he was the only Pilot to reach double figures.

Junior guard Armando Surrat had 16 points and seven rebounds, while Jerome Gumbs added 11 points and five boards.

Portland falls to 5-25 all-time at San Francisco and lost their fifth straight to the Dons.

Leading by 11 at the half, USF started the second period with an 11-4 run and gained their largest lead of 18 points at 50-32 with 14:10 remaining. Portland was dealt a big blow when second leading scorer Darren Cooper left the game early in the half with a recurring turf toe injury on his right foot. Cooper would not return and is listed as day-to-day. Jeter’s jumper at 3:07 cut the margin to eight points at 58-50, but the Pilots would not score again.

Jeter, who is No. 2 behind Gonzaga’s Adam Morrison in WCC scoring, led the late surge with 13 second-half points.

A slow start again put the Pilots in an early hole on the road as Portland has trailed at the half in 14 of its 19 games on the season. USF ran to a 13-2 lead in the first five minutes and led by as much as 14 points in the first half.

A three-pointer at the halftime buzzer by Jeter made it a manageable 11-point deficit at 39-28 at the break.

The Dons forced nine first-half turnovers, while the Pilots made just six of 10 free throws in the period including two missed front end of one-and-one opportunities. Wiggins scored 13 points in the first stanza, going five of six from the floor.

Portland will continue its current road trip at San Diego on Monday, Jan. 23 with a 6 p.m. televised game against the Dons on FSN Northwest.