SAN FRANCISCO – Off to its best start since the nearly two decades, the San Francisco women's basketball team raced their way to a 63-48 victory over Nevada Tuesday night at War Memorial Gym.

The Dons now stand at 4-1 on the year, a mark last seen during the 1996-97 season in which the Dons went to the Big Dance after winning the West Coast Conference tournament title. With the defeat, Nevada now stands at 1-3 on the season.

The Dons were paced in the victory by sophomore guard Rachel Howard, who poured in a game-high 16 points on a hot-handed 5-of-8 shooting in the first half of action. Zhane Dikes, junior from Las Vegas, Nev., came up with a stat line of 11 points, nine rebounds, four steals and three assists in the decisive victory. USF's other double-digit performance came from senior Paige Spietz, who added 10 points and collected seven rebounds in the contest.

"Games like that, you don't exactly plan for it to happen," Howard said of her first half shooting barrage. "It just happens. I missed my first few shots, but the best shooters keep on shooting. I have Coach Azzi instilling that confidence in me and my team. They were setting me up really well for the open looks. I think we just passed the ball in general really well tonight."
The Wolfpack began the night with the lead, opening with a 9-3 run capped by a layup from 6-8 Mimi Mungedi. But the Dons would speed back into control with an 18-0 run that spanned more than six minutes of game action. During the stretch, USF connected on four straight free throws, and Taj Winston scooped up the offensive rebound and putback to knot the score at 14-14. The Dons' defense force T Moe into the turnover that was scooped up by Spietz. The senior got the ball to Winston, who dished to a streaking Dikes for the fast break layup and converted and-1 opportunity.

Then the floodgates broke open. Dikes banked in a 3-point bomb, and Howard connected from long range on USF's next two scoring possessions to give the Dons a 12 point lead. During the big run from the home team, Nevada committed seven of its 25 total turnovers and went 0-for-7 from the floor.

The Dons would go on to hold the 37-19 halftime advantage and the team never looked back.

While the pace of scoring slowed in the second, the lead for the Dons stayed a comfortable one. Nevada narrowed the gap to 15 points after Nyasha Lesure's layup with 8:45 to play, but the Wolfpack could never inch closer. 

USF closed the evening shooting 33.8 percent, and 36.4 percent percent from three, compared to Nevada's 31.5 percent effort from the floor. The Dons finished with the sizeable advantage in hustle points, as USF got nearly half of its baskets off Nevada turnovers. The Dons finished with 33 points off 25 Nevada miscues, and stepped in to take three charges in the contest.

"It was awesome, especially getting back on our home court," Howard noted of the victorious effort. "We definitely want to do our best to stay undefeated on our home court, and it can be a huge advantage on the season."

After Thanksgiving observances, the Dons take to the court at War Memorial Gym against Utah Valley. USF plays host to the Wolverines Saturday at 2 p.m. Tickets to the game can be obtained here, with prices starting at $10.