University of San Francisco Athletics

Box Score | Post-game video: The Future is Bright
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – If the second half of the University of San Francisco women's basketball's second round game with Loyola Marymount is any indication, the Dons' future is bright.

After finding itself in a 28-point deficit at halftime, USF went on to outscore Loyola Marymount 34-28 in the second half, playing hard until the final second drained off the clock on Thursday at the Orleans Arena.

Despite the tournament loss, the Dons finish the season with a record of 12-19, its first double-digit win total since 2007-08. Another milestone was achieved in the USF's first-round victory over Pepperdine on Wednesday, the program's first postseason win since March 1, 2007.

“I'm really proud of our team, just for the way that they handled all the adversity this season,” head coach Jennifer Azzi said, making mention of family tragedies and medical hardships the squad has played through this year that brought the roster to seven available players. “Most people have no idea what we've been through this year. Our team never gave up and that's something that I'm really proud of.”

The eighth-seeded Dons fell behind early, as No. 5 Loyola Marymount built a 31-point lead in the early goings of the second half with the score at 52-24. But USF went on a 11-3 run with three 3-pointers from senior Mel Khlok, and a pair from the line from Alexa Hardick.

Later in the half, the Dons went on a 9-1 run and capped by a triple from Alicia Scafidi with 7:16 remaining in the game. The final tally in the game was 75-53 in favor of Loyola Marymount, with Deanna Johnson's 17-point output leading the way. USF outscored the Lions by six points in the half as Khlok scored 16 of her 22 total points in the period. She finished as the game's leading scorer in her last collegiate outing.

Khlok finishes with a banner senior season in which she led the team in points, assists, steals and field goal percentage. Her 15.5 points per game earned her the fourth-highest scoring output in the WCC this season. In USF's tournament win, she etched her name in the record books with a 13-for-13 performance from the free throw line, the best single game effort in program history.

The Sacramento native's 480 points during her senior season is the seventh best output in program history and with 207 free throw attempts ranks second on the all-time list. For her final year efforts, Khlok was honored as a WCC all-conference selection and earned Player of the Month for December 2012.

Also playing her last game for the Dons was Bailey Barbour, hailing from Harbor City, Calif. Barbour leaves the Dons with 409 career points, and she posted two double-doubles in last three collegiate games. She went for career-highs of 14 points and 12 rebounds against Pepperdine in USF's first tournament victory since March 1, 2007. In four season she grabbed 316 total rebounds and finished with 80 blocks. Her 32 swats during her junior season is the 13th best season for a Don.

Whitney Daniels, from Manhattan Beach, Calif., also matriculates from the USF program after four years for the Green and Gold. The forward posted a total of 264 points, 371 rebounds and 78 assists in her time for the Dons. This class was part of a marquee victory in 2012 as USF upended BYU to pick up its first road win over a ranked opponent in 16 years.
 
“It's a bittersweet thing because you always want to win, and I'm sad to have these guys leaving,” Azzi remarked on her senior class. “But at the same time as we look toward the future as a program, they've been a part of building the foundation, and we've got really outstanding players coming into USF and they've got the right mindset. They already want to work, just outstanding young ladies. It will help build on what we started this year.”