USF (6-1) at Long Beach State (6-1)Sunday, December 7 | 2 p.m. | Walter Pyramid
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Live Stats |
Complete Game Notes (PDF)Tale of the Tape
USF
(6-1, 0-0 WCC) | | LBSU
(6-1, 0-0 Big West) |
| 70.9 | Points/G | 74.4 |
| .401 | FG% | .404 |
| 43.4 | Rebounds/G | 40.1 |
| 11.7 | Assists/G | 17.4 |
| 8.7 | Steals/G | 10.4 |
| 2.3 | Blocks/G | 3.6 |
The Buzz
USF senior
Taj Winston returns to her hometown of Long Beach as San Francisco seeks to avenge last season's double-overtime loss at the hands of the 49ers.  The contest stands as the first of  back-to-back Sunday games during the closing weeks of the non-conference slate.
A Lasting Legacy - NCAA Silver AnniversaryÂ
USF head coach
Jennifer Azzi, who led Stanford to two Pac-10 Conference championships and the first NCAA women's basketball championship in school history, is one of six former student-athletes who will receive the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award for their collegiate and professional achievements.
The Silver Anniversary Award annually recognizes distinguished individuals on the 25th anniversary of the conclusion of their college athletics careers. Representatives of NCAA member schools and conferences, along with a panel of distinguished former student-athletes, select each year's recipients.
The 2015 recipients include Azzi, Brent Lang (Michigan; swimming & diving), Pellom McDaniels (Oregon State; football), Bernard Muir (Brown; basketball), Mike Mussina (Stanford; baseball) and Tamyra Rogers (Oklahoma; women's basketball). The NCAA will recognize the honorees at the Honors Celebration during the 2015 NCAA Convention on Jan. 16 in the Washington, D.C. area.
#WeAreSF
The Dons have four women averaging double-digit scoring in the early-goings of the season.
Taylor Proctor posts a team-leading 13.4 points and 8.7 rebounds a night, and
Zhane Dikes adds 11.0 points and 6.4 rebounds.
Taj Winston is averaging 10.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game, and
Rachel Howard is contributing 10.0 points per game to the Dons offense.
Strong Start
USF's early season start matches some streaks that have been on the books for decades. USF's 3-0 mark was just the fourth in program history (since 1976).
The Last Time ...The Dons opened the year 3-0 - 1983-84
- When Doves Cry by Prince topped the Billboard charts, Ghostbusters was the highest grossing film of the year and Dynasty was must-watch TV.
The Dons opened the year 6-1Â - 1994-95
- Everyone wanted to live in Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise, Bravehart took home the Oscar's hardware and a gallon of gas cost $1.15.
Know the Foe
Long Beach State is riding a four-game winning streak, and sits at 6-1 on the season. The 49ers only loss thus far in the non-conference slate was a 90-85 overtime defeat at the hands of USC.Â
The Beach is off to its best seven-game start since 1989-90, when it also opened the year at 6-1. That team went on to finish the season with 25 wins and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
USF and Long Beach State - The Series
The 49ers maintain a 6-3 advantage in the all-time series, including an 85-82 double overtime victory last season at War Memorial Gym.Â
Current streak: L2 • Last 5: 2-3 • at LBSU: 1-3 (sole win at The Pyramid came 01/02/03 - 67-47)
Last Time Out
It took late-game calm and confidence at the line for the San Francisco women's basketball team to finish off UC Davis 73-70 Tuesday night at The Pavilion. The Dons notched its first road win of the season after fending off the Aggies as
Paige Spietz swished the final three points of the game from the free throw line.Â
USF had four women finish with double-digit scoring, paced by 16 points from junior
Taylor Proctor.
Rachel Howard finished with 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting, and
Zhane Dikes added 13 points, four assists and four steals. Spietz closed with 12 points including a 7-of-8 effort from the line and a team-high seven rebounds, and fellow senior
Taj Winston closed the evening with a new career high of six steals. [
game recap]
Jump Around
As was the trend last season, USF has been solid on the opening tip, with the combination of
Paige Spietz and
Taylor Proctor winning 6-of-7 jumps from the circle thus far.
Hustle Up
The Dons have been hustling and bustling this year, holding solid margins in points in the paint, points off turnovers, and points off the bench. 50.4 percent of USF's overall points on the season have been scored in the paint, and 32.1 percent of the Dons' scoring come off opponent's turnovers. USF rates first in the WCC and 28th in the NCAA in turnover margin, +6.33.Â
On the Air
Listen to longtime voice of the Dons,
George Devine, behind the mic all season long. Devine is in his 19th season as the play-by-play voice of USF women's basketball.
Watch all home games on theW.tv/live, in partnership with Silver Chalice/Campus Insiders. Catch the action for both home and away contests at usfdons.com/LIVE.
On the Horizon
After USF's tilt with the 49ers, the Dons head to Seattle next Sunday to take on the Redbirds. USF closes the non-conference slate at War Memorial Gym with a pair of contests before the Christmas holiday. The Dons will be looking to continue the season's five-game home streak.
Get Connected
Fans can keep up on the latest in USF Athletics in a variety of ways.Follow USF Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @ DonsAthleticsFollow USF women's basketball on Facebook at www.facebook.com/San FranciscoWBB, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/USFDonsWBB, or via Instagram at www.instagram.com/USFBasketballCheck out video of the Dons in action at www.youtube.com/usfdonsathletics and tune in to Comcast SportsNet California for USF's monthly cable feature series, "Behind the Mask". Check local listings for air times and dates.
