In front of 3,259 fans at the Chiles Center during Junior Parents weekend, the University of Portland men’s basketball team fell to the San Francisco Dons Saturday night, 65-51. Another double-digit scoring outing by sophomore guard Jazz Johnson (18 points)— who’s had at least 10 in every game this season— was not enough, as the Pilots dropped their 14 straight game.
Portland drops to 9-19 on the year and tie the program’s longest losing streak since the 1988-89 season.
Handling the rock was the most glaring issue for Portland Saturday night, as they turned the ball over 19 times.
“We have to realize that we’re in a tough situation right now (as a team) and splitting apart isn’t going to help,” Johnson said. “I think if we all just stay together and stay in the gym and keep working to getting better individually, eventually we’ll get it right.”
The first 14 minutes of the game was tightly-contested, with six lead changes and neither team gaining more than a three-point advantage. But after a lay-up from the Dons’ Chase Foster brought the lead the five at 19-14, with 5:50 before the break, the Pilots never came back to within striking distance. San Francisco began pulling away and brought their lead to double digits with a bucket just seconds before the buzzer.
USF commanded a 29-18 at the break and would go on to extend their lead to as many as 15 twice in the second half.
Foster paced three Dons in double figures with 18 points.
Sophomore walk-on Xavier Hallinan, who made his second straight start, was a bright spot for Portland in the loss. He’s played 21 or more minutes in the last three games. He logged just seven minutes through the first 25 games of this season.
Hallinan had eight points and six rebounds in 33 minutes of action on Saturday.
“Personally, I wish more of the scholarships guys had his attitude and his desire and his toughness (on the floor),” assistant coach Ben Johnson said. “That’s something they can all learn from.”
Portland will have a quick turnaround, as they host the Walla Walla University Wolves on Monday, Feb. 20 at 5 p.m. before hosting BYU on senior night next Thursday.
