The fifth seeded USF men’s basketball team made it to the quarterfinals in the WCC tournament, beating the Portland Pilots in the third round and losing to the Oregon State Beavers in the quarterfinals.
On March 7, the Dons defeated the ninth seeded Portland Pilots, 82-65. The game tipped off with junior forward David Fuchs against former Don James O’Donnell.
Coming off of player of the game against the University of the Pacific, WCC Newcomer of the Year and All-WCC Second Team, Fuchs continued to make his presence known by scoring the first seven points for the Dons.
The Dons had trouble maneuvering the Pilot’s zone defense in the first half. The game seesawed as the teams traded single-digit leads.
The team relied on Fuchs in the low block, and he tallied 15 points and eight rebounds at the half.
The Dons later gained momentum with 1:12 on the clock, scoring five unanswered points. Junior guard Ryan Beasley knocked down his second three-pointer in a row from the top of the arc. At the end of the half, the game remained tied at 29-29.
At the start of the second half, the teams continued to exchange points.
The energy shifted when the Dons took the lead with a three-pointer from junior forward Mookie Cook, starting their 11-0 run. Scoring six points straight with a three-pointer from sophomore guard Tyrone Riley , the Dons found their rhythm against the zone defense. USF picked up the intensity on defense as well, with first-year guard Legend Smiley grabbing his third steal of the night, resulting in a three-point shot for graduate student and guard Vukasin Masic. Junior forward Junjie “Barry” Wang stole the ball and finished at the basket, pushing the lead to 55-44. They extended their lead with a rebound from Smiley into a runner off the glass, continuing their 15-2 run.
The Dons continued to break down Portland’s zone defense with Riley’s floater in the key. After a rebound from Fuchs, the Dons remained in control of the ball. Riley lobbed the ball from the top of the key and found Fuchs at the rim, extending the lead 68-49.
With about six minutes left in the game, the Pilots utilized a full-court press in an attempt to end the Dons’ run, ultimately, leaving the backcourt and Fuchs open. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Cook lobbed the ball to Fuchs for a dunk. This solidified the largest lead of the night, 70-49.
The Dons continued to build their lead in the remaining minutes and pulled their starters with 39.7 seconds left, and won 82-65. Fuchs finished the game with 23 points and 16 rebounds. Riley finished with 18 points and four assists.
The Dons’ run in the WCC Tournament ended in the quarterfinals with a one-point loss to the fourth-seeded Oregon State Beavers, 77–78.
USF started the game strong, going on an 11-0 run. The Beavers caught up with four three-pointers in a row from Dez White. The lead went back and forth between the two teams.
A screen from Fuchs set up the opportunity for Smiley to cut from the right wing to the left for a three-point shot for the Dons to take the lead at the half, 32-30.
The teams continued to trade baskets in the second half. An 11-0 run gave the Beavers the lead, 44-52. Riley’s defense locked down White, but Oregon State’s Josiah Lake and Isaiah Sy continued to put up points for the Beavers.
With 1:29 left on the clock, the Dons trailed by nine points and utilized their full-court press. Riley’s fastbreak layup and a quick three-point shot from Smiley set the score to 69-73.
USF continued the press and fouling on Oregon State to stop the clock. The Dons put points on the board with fastbreaks from Riley and Smiley off free throws, closing the gap to a four-point deficit, 74-78.
Riley made the fastbreak corner three at the buzzer, ending the game with the final score of 77-78. Riley finished the game with 23 points.
Despite the loss, Fuchs recorded his ninth double-double this season with 12 rebounds and 11 points. Smiley finished with 18 points, all from three-pointers. Beasley finished with 19 points and seven assists.
“Not the ending we wanted. I thought it was a pretty darn good basketball game… Kind of punched them early, and to their credit, they responded. I thought the three-ball, we’ve played them three times, and that’s been the separator in every game,” Head Coach Chris Gerlufsen said in the post-game interview. “I still had great belief in our group that as long as there was time left on the clock that we’re going to find a way to win, just came up a little bit short.”
The Dons finished the 2025-2026 season with a 17-16 record. Looking forward, Gerlufsen said, “There’s going to be a lot of self-reflection, and it starts with me, and I’ll evaluate everything within our program. We’re going to learn a lot about this year and respond the right way…I can certainly tell you that we’ll be in a better position this time next year.”
