SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The Portland Pilots led by two at halftime, but the San Francisco Dons erupted in the second half and cruised to an 88-64 victory in West Coast Conference play Thursday night at the Sobrato Center.
Isiah Dasher led the Pilots (6-4, 0-1 WCC) with 17 points, while Ahmed Ali and Eddie Davis added 13 and 10 points, respectively.
Khalil Shabazz scored a game-high 19 points for the Dons (8-5, 2-1) and senior guard Jamaree Bouyea added 14 points, five rebounds and seven assists. The duo combined for 21 second half points including the first 10 points as San Francisco used a 10-0 run out of the halftime break.
The lead blossomed to 20 on back-to-back three-pointers from Julian Rishwain and Damari Milstead and would grow to as much as 25 points late in regulation.
The Dons knocked down 10-of-26 second half three-pointers and shot 51 percent from the floor as they outscored the Pilots 47-21 after intermission. Portland was held to 28 percent shooting after halftime and was 0-for-8 from three-point range.
It was a different story in the first half as Portland closed the period with a 13-2 run, holding the Dons scoreless for the final 2:41 of the period to take a 43-41 lead. Ali and Dasher sparked the surge and finished with 11 and 10 points in the first half, respectively.
San Francisco gained a 40-30 rebounding advantage for the game and dished out 24 assists.
The Pilots will have a quick turnaround before hosting the No. 1-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs (11-0, 2-0) Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Chiles Center. The game will be televised on ROOT Sports with radio coverage on 910-ESPN Portland (KMTT).