Women's Basketball | 12/7/2015 5:42:00 PM
Game 10: USF (7-2, 0-0 WCC) at Long Beach State (7-1, 0-0 Big West)Tuesday, Dec. 8 | 7 p.m. | Walter Pyramid (5,000)
Watch:
bigwest.tv | Listen:
usfdons.com/LIVEComplete game notes (PDF)#OneTeam
The Dons play their final non-conference contest against a Division I opponent, taking on Long Beach squad riding a four game winning streak. Not to be outdone by the 49ers, USF has taken the last five consecutive contests.
By the Numbers
When the Dons have the ball USF Scoring Offense - 78.2 (35) |Long Beach State Scoring Defense - 54.3 (28)
USF Field Goal Pct. - .466 (21) |Long Beach State FG Pct. Defense - .361 (73)
USF 3FG Pct. - .352 (59) |Long Beach State 3FG Pct. Defense - .304 (171)
USF Free Throw Pct. - .712 (94)
When the 49ers have the ball Long Beach State Scoring Offense - 64.9 (181) |USF Scoring Defense - 68.3 (247)
Long Beach State Field Goal Pct. - .411 (129) |USF FG Pct. Defense - .403 (234)
Long Beach State 3FG Pct. - .300 (187) |USF 3FG Pct. Defense - .379 (330)
Long Beach State Free Throw Pct - .641 (267)
(NCAA rank in parentheses)
Comparison (USF/LBSU)Scoring Margin:
9.9/ 10.6
Rebounds/Game:
38.4/34.4
Assists/Game:
18.0/14.0
Turnovers/Game:
17.1/15.3
Assist/Turnover Ratio:
1.1/0.9
Steals/Game:
9.9/8.4
Blocks/Game:
2.9/1.8
Between the Baselines
The Dons are led by senior
Taylor Proctor's 24.3 points on .532 shooting and 9.8 rebounds per game. Proctor's point tally currently rates 5th in the NCAA, and with four double-doubles on the year she stands tied for 16th, nationally. She leads the NCAA in total field goals made with 82.
Zhane Dikes adds 14.7 points and a team-high 2.6 steals per night.
Rachel Howard averages 13.6 points, hitting 42.9 percent of her attempts from beyond the arc, and adding 4.0 assists a game.
As a team, USF is leading the WCC in assists with 18.0 per game, rating 24th in the country. USF's .466 shooting percentage stands in 21st nationally, and first in the league.
Know the Foe
Long Beach State enters the contest with a 7-1 record, its only blemish coming at LSU on Nov. 21 in a 59-53 defeat. The 49ers have won their last four, including a 68-60 decision at Pacific and most recently in a 59-42 contest against Colorado.
The team is led with a well-rounded scoring effort as seven women average at least five points and two rebounds per game. Defensively, the squad forces 21.6 turnovers a night and holds opponents to 54.3 points a game - first in the Big West 28th in the country.
Series Snippits
Long Beach State has to 7-3 advantage in the all-time series against the Dons, and are 4-1 at home. In the most recent contest, the Dons fell 70-58 at Walter Pyramid on Dec. 7, 2014.
In that game, USF was within one possession at halftime at Long Beach State before succumbing to the 49ers. USF and Long Beach State was neck and neck in nearly every category, save one. The Dons committed 24 turnovers that led to 27 points for the Beach. The 49ers earned nine extra points off turnovers and four more points from the free throw line, and that proved to be the difference in the contest.
Last Time Out
The San Francisco women's basketball team extended its winning streak to five games, taking down San Jose State 82-78 Sunday afternoon from the Events Center.
USF was paced by their upperclassmen, with seniors
Taylor Proctor and
Zhane Dikes combining for 47 points and 13 rebounds. Junior
Rachel Howard added 15 points and a game-high six assists in the win to round out the double-digit scorers.
"Taylor and Z - great senior leadership," remarked Azzi on her dynamic duo. "They're both really taking ownership this season. It's their team and their teammates really believe in both of them. I'd love to see them just keep going and have outstanding senior years.
"They came to USF at a very different time and really bought into it. They both had to start as freshmen, so they took some knocks early on in their careers and now it really matters to them, and they have their hearts in it 100 percent."
The string of five consecutive is the longest in the
Jennifer Azzi era, and the 7-2 start for the Dons is the best since USF's 1996-97 season.
Thirty for Thirty(two)
Taylor Proctor has been on a scoring tear to start the season, with two 30-point games thus far. Against Utah Valley on Nov. 23, she recorded a career-high 39 points. Her tally stands tied as the second-best single game performance in school history even with USF Hall of Famer Mary Hile-Nepfel's mark against Pepperdine in 1979, and three points shy of Teri Hunt's 42 points against San Diego on Jan. 31, 1987.
On Dec. 4 in the Dons' victory against UC Riverside, she went off for 32 points to lead the squad. In USF's 1,116 games played in the history of the program, the 30-point mark has only been eclipsed 36 times, and Proctor is one of seven women to record multiple 30-point games.
Other multi-game 30-point scorers:Mary Hile (9), Dominique Carter (4), Valerie Gillon (2), Teri Hunt (4), Linda Walsh (2), Margaret Walsh (2)
Multi-game 30-point scorers in a single season:Mary Hile (5 in 87-89), Mary Hile (3 in 77-78), Teri Hunt (3 in 85-86), Dominique Carter (2 in 07-08), Linda Walsh (2 in 82-83), Margaret Walsh (2 in 85-86)
NCAA Active Career Leaders
Taylor Proctor currently ranks 34th among active Division I scoring leaders (1,398 points). She also ranks in the top-40 among active players in field goals (521/30th) and double-doubles (20/35th). Fellow senior
Zhane Dikes rates 17th in NCAA Division I in career free throw attempts (471) and 21st in makes (341).
USF Record-Setters
The duo both grace USF's 1,000-point scoring list of 21 women, and Proctor is also a member of the 500-rebound club. Dikes needs 11 more boards to join her.
Currently, Proctor is seventh in all-time scoring and fifth in rebounds, climbing the lists in both categories in USF's last contest - a victory at San Jose State. She is one of five women to rate in the top-10 in both categories.
On the Offensive
Under the tutelage of one of the best point guards to play the game, the Dons have improved their offensive output and team mentality of sharing the ball and assisting the shooter.
In the year previous to Azzi's arrival on the Hilltop, the Dons shot .338 from the field, .308 from 3-point range and averaged 9.8 assists per game.
Currently, the Dons are connecting on 46.6 percent of their attempts, and hitting threes at a rate of 35.2 percent. USF is leading the WCC in assists per game with 18.0.
From the Tip
With Taylor Prcoctor jumping from the circle, the Dons have won eight of the first nine tips of the season, only losing the opening possession in USF's season-opener at North Texas.
Let's Get it Started
The Dons open the season with a 7-2 record for the second straight season, and boast the solid start for just the eighth time in program history.USF also reached the 7-2 mark in NCAA tournament seasons 1994-95 and 96-97, along with the 1979-80, 80-81, 82-83 and 89-90 seasons.
No Points For You
In USF's home opener against Holy Names, the Dons held the Hawks scoreless in the fourth quarter, keeping the team at the 31 point-mark for the final 10 and a half minutes of game action.
On the Air
Listen to longtime voice of the Dons,
George Devine, behind the mic all season long. Devine is in his 20th 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. Get in on the action for both home and away contests at usfdons.com/LIVE. Catch all the action, any time, anywhere at theW.tv!
Jumping Ahead
The Dons will have more than a week off before closing the non-conference slate against San Francisco State at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center on Dec. 19 at 2 p.m.
Get Connected
Fans can follow the Dons in a variety of ways:
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- On
YouTube at USFDonsAthletics, where fans can view video segments online
- On Comcast SportsNet California in USF Athletics' monthly show, "Behind the Mask"
- With previews, recaps, videos, features and more as seen on
USFDons.com
