The University of San Francisco women's basketball team begins its 45
th season on Wednesday when the Dons travel to take on UC Davis. USF's two-game road trip to begin the season continues when the Dons travel to Nevada to take on the Wolf Pack on Friday. Wednesday's game against the Aggies is slated for a 3:00 p.m. tip, with Friday's contest scheduled to go at 2:00 p.m.
George Devine will call the action live on the Dons Audio Stream.
GAME 1 INFORMATION
Date/Time: Nov. 25, 2020 – 2:00 p.m. PST
Opponent: UC Davis Aggies (0-0/0-0 Big West)
Site: The Pavilion
Stream: Big West TV
Audio: Dons Audio Stream
Talent:
George Devine
Live Stats: UCDaviesAggies.com
GAME 2 INFORMATION
Date/Time: Nov. 27, 2020 – 3:00 p.m. PST
Opponent: Nevada Wolf Pack
Site: Lawlor Events Center
Stream: Mountain West Network
Audio: Dons Audio Stream
Talent:
George Devine
Live Stats: NevadaWolfPack.com
USF AT A GLANCE
45TH SEASON OF DONS BASKETBALL
Wednesday's contest against the Aggies marks the beginning of the 45th season of USF Dons basketball. USF began sponsoring women's hoops in the 1976-77 season. All-time the Dons are 599-666 (.473). USF has five 20-win seasons in its history including a program best 28 wins which came in the 1979-80 season.
GETTING WIN NO. 600
USF is currently sitting on win No. 599 - with one more they will become the seventh team in the West Coast Conference to notch its 600th victory as a program. Yet to join the 600-win club are Pacific (576), San Diego (576) and Loyola Marymount (464).
FORGET THE PREDICTIONS
The West Coast Conference Preseason Coaches' poll was less than flattering. The Dons, who finished ninth last year in the WCC in an injury riddled season, were picked to finish 10th. Moreover, the Dons did not have any players listed on the annual preseason all-conference team.
WHATS BACK
There is plenty to be excited about on the Hilltop. The Dons return four of five starters from last year's team, and 10 letterwinners all told. The Dons return 75.8% of their scoring from last year and 76.9% of their rebounds.
GETTING HEALTHY
The San Francisco Bay Area has been hit hard with catastrophic injuries - that trend appeared to begin with the USF women's basketball program. The Dons had six scholarship players miss all or most of the 2019-20 season. The Dons effectively get six players back to its roster this season - the six being RSo.
Marta Galic, RSo.
Marianna Klavina, RSo.
Lucija Kostic, RSo.
Julia Nielacna, RSo.
Amalie Langer, and RFr.
Ioanna Krimili. The six players have a combined 963 career points and 419 career rebounds.
THE SERIES
The Dons and Aggies series dates back to the 1978-79 season. All-time UC Davis holds a 9-7 advantage in the series, having won four-straight. The two sides have met every season since the 2004-05 season with the exception of the 2006-07 season and the 2015-16 season. At The Pavilion the Dons are 2-6 all-time.
ABOUT THE AGGIES
UC Davis was an unanimous pick to claim its fifth consecutive Big West crown in 2020-21 by both the media and coaches. The Aggies picked up six of the 11 first-place votes (101 points overall) from the coaches and 13 of the 20 media first-place votes (207 points overall). Year 10 under Jennifer Gross begins with the Aggies returning eight letter winners and three starters from last year's squad that went 17-12 - including a 12-4 mark in Big West play.
The Aggies only had one player average double figures last season, the departed Katie Toole, however headlining the list of returners for UCD is senior Cierra Hall. She was one of the unanimous picks to both the coaches' and media's preseason poll and was the big West Defensive Player of the Year last season.
LAST TIME OUT VERSUS THE AGGIES
Ioanna Krimili recorded her second 20-point game of the year and
Leilah Vigil posted her second double-double of the young season, but it would not matter as host UC Davis defeated USF 79-67 at the Pavilion in Davis on November 22, 2019.
THE SERIES
Friday will make the 18
th time the Dons and Wolf Pack have squared off. All-time USF owns an 11-6 edge in the series that dates back to the 1982-83 season. At the Lawlor Events Center USF is 3-5. The Dons have won two-straight against the Wolf Pack – with the last game taking place on Dec. 1, 2015 at the Lawlor Events Center.
ABOUT THE WOLF PACK
Nevada was picked to finish 10
th out of 11 teams in the Mountain West Conference. UNR lost its top-three scorers from last year's team that went 15-16. Highlighting the list of returners for the Wolf Pack is former Don
Nia Alexander who averaged 6.5 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per contest. UNR returns six in total, but seventh year head coach Amanda Levens will lean heavily on 10 newcomers, which includes four transfers and six freshmen.
LAST TIME OUT VERSUS THE WOLF PACK
The San Francisco women's basketball team used a second-half surge to outlast Nevada 70-62 at the Lawlor Events Center on Dec. 1, 2015. The Dons offense came to life in the second half, as USF shot 53.3 percent from the floor in the final 20 minutes of play, spurred by a string of 12 points off the hand of
Taylor Proctor to close out the third quarter. Heading into the final 10 minutes of action, USF was up 51-48, and midway through the fourth the Dons extended the lead to six. Proctor's 3-pointer with six minutes to play made it 64-58 in favor of USF, but the senior picked up her fourth foul of the night on the ensuing possession for the Wolf Pack.
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