University of San Francisco Athletics

• San Francisco (10-15, 3-9 WCC) notched its 10th win of the season and just its third away from War Memorial Gym on Thursday in Portland.  In the win, Mel Khlok and Taylor Proctor both posted double-doubles as four Dons scored in double figures and three finished with at least 10 rebounds.
• The conference-leading Gonzaga Bulldogs (21-5, 11-1 WCC) enter with a string of nine consecutive wins. In its latest game, Gonzaga avenged its only loss in conference play and beat Saint Mary's 69-54.

• Mel Khlok celebrated her birthday on the road trip, celebrating the milestone on Friday. Favorite “Mel Moments” from her teammates and coaches ranged from her huddle opening performance, to seeing her grow as a player and person, to celebrating after a three-pointer,  to just sharing the court with the senior.  Watching her give to her teammates and family, seeing her dance - or fall down - in a game, and her physical transformation during her college career all rate as top takeaways from their relationships with Khlok. The words in the photo graphic above are all describing the senior from Sacramento.

 
In it to Win it

• With USF earning its 10th win of the season, the Dons will finish the season with a double-digit win tally for the first time since the 2007-08 season when the team was 14-16. This year is the most successful to date for three-year head coach Jennifer Azzi.

 
Devine's Dimes

• "One of my favorite Gonzaga memories came in 2002, when USF was closing in on a potential post-season bid. Gonzaga had a great freshman class, one that went on to begin the Bulldogs rise to the national elite. USF had what I still believe was it's most talented team during the last 17 years. 
  “The game was nip and tuck for about 37 minutes, when all of a sudden Carey Sauer from nearby Newport, Wash., took it to another level and scored a key three-point play.  It happened while her former team from Newport, including little sister Rose (who went onto play at Portland) walked into the old Kennel after a playoff win.  I wonder if Carey saw them in the corner of her eye and got a bit inspired!"- George Devine, USF play-by-play man

 
Know the Foe

• The Bulldogs enter Saturday's game leading the WCC in the standings and pacing the league in a multitude of categories. Gonzaga is tops in scoring offense (69.3 ppg), scoring defense (allowing 54.5 ppg), steals (12.3 spg), turnover margin (+5.88), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.1) and home attendance (5,640).
• Nationally, the team is 10th in the NCAA Division I standings in 3-point field goal percentage, sinking 37.6 percent if its attempts from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Bulldogs is Taelor Karr, who is 50-of-114 (43.9%) from downtown.

 
USF and Gonzaga—The Series

• The Bulldogs lead the overall series between the two 30-24. Gonzaga enters War Memorial Gym riding a 14-game winning streak against USF with the Dons' last win over the Bulldogs coming March 2, 2006, at the WCC Tournament in Spokane, Wash. In those last 14 games, Gonzaga has won those con-tests by an average of 30 points per contest.

 
Portland Remix

• Portland scored first in Thursday's game to take the 2-0 lead, but USF never trailed after that bucket. The Dons started fast and furious going on a 12-0 run to set the tone for the night. Despite a close call at the end, USF maintained composure and control down the stretch to take the team win 75-71. This marks the first season sweep for the Dons since 2009's pair of wins over Loyola Marymount.
• USF was led by double-doubles from Mel Khlok (23 points, 10 rebounds) and Taylor Proctor (19-13). Khlok also added eight assists in the victory. Had she gotten the triple-double, it would have been the 10th of the season the NCAA Division I basketball. The Dons are 7-0 on the season when scoring 70 points or more.
• USF was 18-of-22 (81.8%) from the line. Highest free throw percentage since Feb. 23, 2012, when the Dons were 12-of-13 from the line against Gonzaga.

 
On the Air

• Listen to Joe Castellano take a turn as voice of the Dons throughout the Pacific Northwest trip at www.usfdons.com.
• Filling in for George Devine, Castellano broadcast Siena College Men's Basketball for four years and called NCAA men's and women's  basketball for Westwood One Radio Network. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics he was the women's basketball announcer for Westwood One. Castellano is currently a play-by-play announcer for Comcast and hosts a San Francisco Giants podcast called "Inside China Basin" on TheSportsVirus.com.
• Catch the action for both home and away games all season long by going to www.usfdons.com/live.

 
Follow the Dons

• Fans can keep up on the latest in USF athletics through several ways:
• Become a fan of the Dons on Facebook by going to www.facebook.com/DonsAthletics - and follow the women's basketball team specifically at www.facebook.com/SanFranciscoWBB.
• Become a follower of USF on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DonsAthletics or follow coach @Jennifer Azzi.
• Check out video of the Dons in action at www.youtube.com/USFDonsAthletics.