USF (2-1) vs. Long Beach State (3-0)
Sunday, Nov. 20 | 2 p.m.
War Memorial at the Sobrato Center | San Francisco, Calif.   
Series Record: 7-4 (LBSU)
Last Meeting: USF, 66-52 (A), 12/8/15
Video: TheW.tv (George Devine)
Live Stats
Complete Game Notes [PDF]
 
The USF women's basketball team rounds out a busy week featuring three games in six days when they host Long Beach State at 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
 
The Dons are looking to bounce back against an undefeated Long Beach State squad after falling on the road to Washington State 73-35 on Friday. USF (2-1) got 10 points from senior Rachel Howard in the loss, but will be aiming to get back to the potent offensive pattern they showed over the first two contests where they averaged 82 points per game to open the year.
 
Meanwhile, Howard, USF's leading scorer at 18 points per game, is looking to rekindle her magic from last season's 66-52 victory over Long Beach State where she scored 26 points and knocked down a career-high seven 3-pointers.
 
USF will hopefully get a boost being back at home, where they are 21-11 over the last two seasons, including their two victories over Sacramento State and Seattle to open the season. Unfortunately, this will be the Dons' last glimpse of their home court until Dec. 21 when they return to the Sobrato Center to host UC Davis. After Sunday's game, USF will embark on a four-game road swing, plus a home contest that will be played at historic Kezar Pavilion on Dec. 6 against San Jose State. The Dons will play in the Cal Classic in Berkeley on Nov. 25 and 26, followed by road trips to Fresno State (Nov. 30) and North Dakota (Dec. 3).    
 
As for Sunday's matchup, the Dons will have their hands full with a Long Beach State squad that returns all five starters from a team that went 24-9 a year ago and was picked to win the Big West this season. The Beach (3-0) tallied wins over Nevada (97-93, OT) and Pepperdine (44-41), prior to Friday night's 65-55 victory over Houston at home.
 
USF's defense, which is allowing 70.7 points per game on average so far, will be tasked with containing LBSU's top offensive threat, Jewelyn Sawyer, the reigning Big West Player of the Week, who leads the 49ers by averaging a double-double with 11.0 points and 11.7 rebounds per contest.
  
SERIES SNIPPETS
Long Beach State holds a 7-4 advantage in the all-time series, but USF won the last meeting, 66-52, in 2015-16. Rachel Howard poured in 26 points and connected for a career-high seven 3-pointers in USF's win, which came at the Pyramid. Prior to that, LBSU won the previous three meetings, two of which were overtime affairs. The Dons captured back-to-back wins in 2002-03 and 2004-05, but Long Beach State won four in a row prior to that. The first game in the series went USF's way with a 63-54 victory in 1979-80. The Dons are 2-3 all-time against LBSU at War Memorial Gym.