Dons build big lead, hold off Eagles

Thursday night’s game on the Hilltop couldn’t have begun much better for USF. The Dons didn’t quite cruise the rest of the night, but they held off Eastern Washington 81-71.

USF (5-3) scored the game’s first 11 points. And after freshman Souley Boum hit two foul shots with 2:17 left before halftime, the Dons were up 43-17.

Eastern Washington (3-6), which beat Stanford at Maples Pavilion on Nov. 14, cut its deficit to six points three times in the second half, the final time coming on Ty Gibson’s three-pointer with a little more than a minute left.

Boum hit two more foul shots on the ensuing possession and the Dons weren’t threatened the rest of the way.

Matt McCarthy led USF with 17 points. Boum had 16 as he went 12-for-13 at the foul line.

Bogdan Bliznyuk had game highs of 31 points and 10 rebounds for the Eagles, who are playing under first-year head coach Shantay Legans, the former Cal guard. #21 Purdue 80, Valparaiso 50: Vincent Edwards scored 15 points as the host Boilermakers (9-2) dominated the Crusaders (8-1), who got 19 points from Joe Burton.

WOMEN

Cal State Northridge 76, San Jose State 59: Channon Fluker went 10-for-12 from the floor en route to 25 points and grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds as the visiting Matadors (3-6) overwhelmed the Spartans (2-6).

Boise State 85, Washington 62: Shalen Shaw had 17 points and 14 rebounds as the Broncos (4-3) handled the visiting Huskies (4-4).

Northern Arizona 84, Arizona 66: The host Lumberjacks (3-4) went 30-for-55 (54.5 percent) from the floor and dusted the Wildcats (2-6). Olivia Lucero had a game-high 23 points for NAU..

#4 Louisville 79, Vanderbilt 57: Asia Durr scored 25 points and the host Cardinals (10-0) put away the Commodores (3-7), who managed all of four points in the third quarter.

#10 West Virginia 73, Pittsburgh 52: Teana Muldrow had 20 points and 11 rebounds as the host Mountaineers (8-0) cruised over the Panthers (5-4).