SAN FRANCISCO – In their first taste of game action, the USF women's basketball team cruised to a 99-65 win over Cal State Monterey Bay on Friday night at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
 
Junior Michael Rakova paced the Dons offensively by pouring in 22 points and grabbing seven rebounds, while Ninni Salmi tallied 15 points and seven boards of her own off the bench. Zayn Dornstauder chipped in with 11 points and Rachel Howard added 10 points and a game-high five assists.  
 
The Dons jumped out to a 13-2 lead early in the first quarter when Anna Pierce knocked down a jumper and USF never looked back.
 
Cal State Monterey Bay was able to climb back within four when Jessie Evans hit a pair of free throws with 43 second left in the first quarter, but a three by Pierce gave the Dons a 22-15 advantage at the end of the first frame.    
 
Rakova scored USF's first eight points of the second quarter to help the Dons move ahead 31-18 with 6:38 on the clock. USF took advantage of a Cal State Monterey Bay shooting drought in the second quarter that saw the Sea Otters go over six minutes without a field goal until 1:30 left in the half when Aubri Smith knocked down a jumper on the baseline. Dagny McConnell's layup inside of the one-minute mark gave USF a 23-point cushion heading into halftime.
 
The Dons started to run away with it in the third quarter, opening up a 31-point lead by the end of the period, before closing it out in the fourth quarter by effectively answering every CSUMB score en route to a game-high 36-point advantage with just over six minutes remaining.    
 
USF shot at a 51.4 percent clip from the field, including 72 percent from the free throw line. The Dons also held a 54-34 edge on the boards.
 
USF tips off the regular season at home on Nov. 11 when they host Sacramento State at 6 p.m. at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center. That game will part of a men's and women's doubleheader, with the Dons' men's squad hosting Illinois-Chicago immediately following the women's game.  
 
In celebration of the new season, USF Athletics is offering a lucky "11/11" general admission ticket promotion. Fans can secure their seats to see both games for the low price of $11 – a $19 savings off the regular price of $30. Tickets may be purchased online at USFDons.com/tickets or at the Sobrato Center box office on the day of the game. In addition, all youth 12 and under will receive FREE general admission seating to this family-friendly event.
 
As part of the evening's festivities, USF's 2016 WCC Women's Championship team will be honored and the trophy will be on display between games of the twin bill.