BYU Hosts San Francisco Looking For Revenge In Key Conference Game

PROVO, Utah – Two weeks have already passed since BYU’s last loss. That one-point defeat came against the San Francisco Dons on the Hilltop at War Memorial Gymnasium. It was a tough setback and a missed opportunity for BYU to get another quadrant two victory on their NCAA Tournament resume.

Now BYU will have a chance at revenge as they host the Dons at the Marriott Center on Saturday night.

This is a really good BYU team. Looking forward to seeing them Saturday night in the rematch with San Francisco, 7:30 MT live on BYUtv! #GoCougs

— Dave McCann (@DaveMcCannKSL) February 7, 2020

BYU comes into the game on a three-game winning streak since their loss to the Dons. Along with getting a victory, a top priority for BYU will be to prevent USF’s Khalil Shabazz from going off again. Shabazz had 32 points on a perfect 10-10 shooting from the field in the upset.

“This San Francisco team has had our number for the last three games, they’ve [beaten] us three times in a row,” said BYU coach Mark Pope. “Regrettably, I was terribly outcoached when we played them two weeks ago. They’re a great team. It’s a challenging matchup for a few different reasons. It’s a big game on Saturday.”

The last time BYU defeated San Francisco was nearly two years to the day in a home game that saw the Dons push the game to overtime. USF has been a challenging opponent for BYU in recent years and new head coach Todd Golden, a Randy Bennett disciple, has put together a solid first year. But the Dons are coming into Provo off of a surprising loss against Pacific on Thursday night.

BYU guard Jake Toolson is still playing through a sprained ankle, but if Thursday night’s 80 percent shooting performance and 22 points are any indications of how the ankle will impact his play, Toolson will be just fine on Saturday.

The last time BYU and San Francisco met, Yoeli Childs was only in his second game back from a dislocated finger injury. Childs continues to play well, but the Dons will likely see a better version of the Karl Malone Award candidate this time around.

Will Gavin Baxter play?

BYU sophomore forward Gavin Baxter nearly checked in with three minutes remaining in Thursday’s win at Portland. Head Coach Mark Pope got cold-feet and waived Baxter back to the bench instead. Baxter is still recovering from a shoulder injury he suffered in pre-season training camp this past October.

If this tweet gets 99 likes I’ll play tmrw

— Gavin Baxter (@gbax25) February 8, 2020

After being cleared by doctors this past Monday, Baxter has been practiced and dressed for the first time on Thursday.

On Friday night, Baxter told fans on his social media that if he received 99 likes on a tweet reply he sent to BYU’s Student Section, The ROC, he would play on Saturday night against USF. Easily, Baxter’s tweet exceeded the 99 likes requested. So, should we expect to see the 6-9 athlete on the court at some point tonight? Don’t be surprised to see him play.

BYU is No. 1 in three-point shooting

After Thursday night’s win at Portland, BYU finds itself at No. 1 nationally in three-point field goal percentage at 42.4 percent per game. San Francisco, on the other hand, is 341st in defending the three.

BYU 3PFG% offense: 1st
USF 3PFG% defense: 341st

— Greg Wrubell (@gregwrubell) February 8, 2020

In the loss two weeks ago against the Dons, BYU shot 55 percent from beyond the arc and still lost.

BYU’s top three-point shooters this season with at least 50 attempts are Jake Toolson at 49.3 percent, Alex Barcello at 48.8, and Connor Harding at 42 percent.

BYU vs. San Francisco

Tip: 7:30 p.m. (MST)

TV: BYUtv

Radio: KSL NewsRadio 102.7 FM & 1160 AM

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.