SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Returning to the Hilltop after a week in the Pacific Northwest, the University of San Francisco women's basketball team (8-8, 5-2 WCC) looks to return to the win column this week, when it hosts Washington State (10-8, 5-2 WCC) on Thursday night before heading back on the road to face Pacific (7-10, 3-4 WCC) on Saturday afternoon.
 
GAME 17 DETAILS:
Date: Thursday, Jan. 16, 2015
Time: 6 p.m. PT
Opponent: Washington State
Location: War Memorial at the Sobrato Center / San Francisco, Calif.
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Tickets: Purchase Here
 
GAME 18 DETAILS:
Date: Saturday, Jan. 18, 2015
Time: 2 p.m. PT
Opponent: Pacific
Location: Alex G. Spanos Center / Stockton, Calif.
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
 
DONS AT A GLANCE:

• Following its best start to conference play in 29 years, San Francisco suffered its first losses of conference play last week, dropping contests at Oregon State and Portland. The Dons stayed within striking distance after three quarters in both games, trailing by two against the Beavers and three against the Pilots after 30 minutes of play, but failed to triumph in either game.
• Leading the offensive charge for the green and gold last week, Freja Werth averaged 19.0 points per game, shooting seven-for-15 from beyond the arc. The senior continues to be one of the WCC's best in conference play, ranking third in scoring (16.9 PPG), second in both three-point percentage (40.9) and free throw percentage (88.2), and eighth in field goal percentage (43.8). On a national scale, Werth ranks tied for 13th in the country in free throw percentage, shooting 92.9 percent from the line throughout the season, missing just four out of 56 shots from the charity stripe.
• In the penultimate game of her career in her home state, Cami Fulcher posted season-highs in nearly every statistical category last Thursday against Oregon State, scoring 17 points on six-of-12 shooting from the floor and four-of-eight shooting from distance to go along with six rebounds in 37 minutes of action.
• As a unit, the Dons continue to be one of the WCC's best offensive teams in conference action, leading the league in three-pointers made per game (8.7), ranking second in both points per game (71.9) and free throw percentage (79.0), and ranking third in assists per game (16.9). 
• Despite the recent struggles, the green and gold sits in a five-way tie for first place in the WCC, with San Francisco, Portland, Saint Mary's, Gonzaga, and Washington State all holding a 5-2 record in conference play. 

SCOUTING THE COUGARS:

• Tied for first in the conference, Washington State saw a 3-0 start to WCC play before splitting its last four contests. Last week, the Cougars beat Saint Mary's in Moraga in a 66-57 win last Thursday, before losing 69-61 at home to Gonzaga last Saturday.
• Sophomore guard Eleonora Villa and senior guard Tara Wallack have led Wazzu in scoring this season, averaging 14.5 and 13.1 points per game, respectively. Last time on the hardwood, Villa scored a season-high 24 points on nine-of-19 shooting and five-of-nine shooting from three in the loss to the Zags.
• In conference action, Villa has fronted the Cougars' offensive effort, ranking top-10 in the WCC in points per game (9th, 15.1), field goal percentage (8th, 43.8), and three-pointers made per game (T-7th, 1.9).
• As a team, Washington State has been one of the conference's best defensive squads in WCC action, leading the league in opponent points per game (57.1), opponent field goal percentage (34.4), and blocks per game (6.86).
• In the NCAA NET Rankings, the Cougars are the fourth-highest-ranking team in the WCC at 141st, sitting behind Portland (78th), San Francisco (117th), and Gonzaga (121st).

SCOUTING THE TIGERS:

• Last week, Pacific returned to .500 at home with a 75-64 win against Santa Clara last Thursday before falling 64-44 at Saint Mary's last Saturday.
• The Tigers boast three players averaging double-figure scoring this season in Elizabeth Elliott (14.3 PPG), Liz Smith (13.8 PPG), and Anaya James (12.5 PPG).
• James has seen a boost offensively in WCC action, averaging 17.1 points per game in conference play, second-most in the league. Elliott has been the WCC's most efficient scorer in league play, leading the league in field goal percentage, shooting 57.9 percent from the field in conference play.
• As a team, Pacific has been one of the WCC's best at causing miscues in conference play, leading the league in steals per game (11.0) and ranking second in turnovers forced per game (20.1).
• Before hosting the Dons on Saturday, the Tigers will first host LMU for a 6 p.m. contest on Thursday night.

SERIES HISTORY:

• San Francisco and Washington State face off for the eighth time since 2008, with the Cougars having won each of the last seven matchups. The two teams last faced off two seasons ago on November 11, 2022, on the Hilltop, with WSU taking a close 69-63 victory.
• USF and Pacific will meet on Saturday afternoon for the 52nd time in program history, with the green and gold holding a 28-23 all-time series lead. Last season, the Dons swept the regular season series, but the Tigers took down San Francisco in the quarterfinal round of the WCC Tournament, 76-71, on March 9, 2024.

FOLLOW US:
For updates and more information on the San Francisco women's basketball program, follow the Dons @USFDonsWBB on Twitter, @USFDonsWBB on Instagram and @USFDonsWBB on Facebook.

MERCHANDISE:
Want to dress like the Dons? Get your official San Francisco Dons gear from the University of San Francisco bookstore today! Click here to purchase.
 
SPONSOR US:
The University of San Francisco Athletics Department would like to acknowledge and thank our sponsor - Planet Orange - for their continued support of USF Athletics. Interested in sponsoring the Dons? Please contact Frank Allocco, the Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director of External Relations, at fallocco@usfca.edu or at (415) 422-4561.