Coming off a successful weekend at the Shasta Tournament, the Dons men’s basketball team hoped to take that momentum into the game against San Jose on Nov. 19. The Dons finished third in the Shasta Tournament and forward Keith Miyakusu was named to the All-Tourney team. However, the Dons lost to the San Jose Jaguars 75-58.

The Dons defense was slow to react on some plays, forcing the Jaguars to the free-throw line. In additions to De Anza centers Daniel Logan and Dario Burns fouling out, center Steven Butler left the game late in the game with a bad back. San Jose continued to increase their with putting up points in the vulnerable key.

“[Our] big guys fouled out. This whole game was about foul trouble. They’re huge, and we had our two big guys foul out,” state Riley.

Burns performed well defensively putting up three blocks in the key, however he put up only one point. After Burns blocked a shot in the first half, Keith Miyakusu put in a fade away shot after he crossed-over two San Jose opponents. Miyakusu finished with 16 points, with three of them coming behind the three-point line. Prior to the end of the first half, Miyakusu put up two of his three pointers in.

By the end of the first half, the Dons led the game 36-34. San Jose guard Ricky Williams and forward Michael McFadden put Burns and Logan into foul trouble as they drove to the net. Combining in the second half, Williams and McFadden put up 13 points from the free-throw line.

The Dons fell behind early in the second half, but they came back to tie the game in the last six minutes. With a three on one breakaway, Butler runs up the court and dishes to forward Sam Pfifer a no-look pass.

It all came down to the foul trouble that decided the outcome of the game. Jaguar Head Coach Percy Carr played the ball to centers Jeff Jones and Donnie Davis to finish off the game for San Jose. The Dons couldn’t hold back the two tall centers.

They combined for a total of 22 points, nine of them coming in the second half.