USF Women's Basketball Postseason History
NCAA Appearances
1995
NCAA First Round – March 16, 1995 - Seattle, Wash.
Arkansas 67, San Francisco 58
USF made its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1995, as the No. 11 seed in the West Region. The Dons traveled to the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle to face Arkansas. Brittany Lindhe led the way with 21 points, while Jamie Shadian and Renee Demirdjian each added 11 as the Dons got its first taste of the Dance.
Team highlights:
16-game winning streak • Finished with a 24-5 overall record • West Coast Conference Champions • Posted a perfect 13-0 record at home • Program’s first NCAA appearance
1996
NCAA First Round – March 16, 1996 - Durham, N.C.
San Francisco 68, No. 16 Florida 51
USF earned its second NCAA appearance as the No. 12 seed in the Mideast Region. The Dons started their Cinderella run with a 68-61 victory over then-No. 16 Florida. Valerie Gillon dominated with a 28-point, nine-rebound performance, while Andrea Kagie added 15 points off the bench. USF led 31-29 at halftime and never trailed in the second half.
NCAA Second Round – March 18, 1996 - Durham, N.C.
San Francisco 64, No. 13 Duke 60
San Francisco garnered the biggest win in school history as the Dons shocked regional host, then-No. 13 Duke, 64-60, at Cameron Indoor Stadium. For the Blue Devils, it was the first non-conference loss at home since 1991. Brittany Lindhe led the Dons with 17 points, while Julie Murdent scored 14 points off the bench, and Renee Demirdjian added a dozen in the victory.
NCAA Sweet Sixteen – March 23, 1996 - Chicago, Ill.
No. 2 Connecticut 72, San Francisco 44
The eyes of the country were on USF as the team faced defending national champions, Connecticut, in the Sweet Sixteen. In front of the largest crowd (7,190) to watch a women’s basketball game in Illinois, the Dons fell short, dropping the 72-44 decision to the Huskies. The game was tied 13-13 midway through the first half before UConn pulled away for a 37-28 halftime lead. Valerie Gillon scored 13 points in her final collegiate contest, while Julie Murdent came off the bench to add 10 points.
Team highlights:
NCAA Sweet 16 appearance, its longest run in the tournament in USF history • Ranked No. 16 in the final USA Today/CNN women’s basketball poll • NCAA Tournament wins over nationally-ranked Duke and Florida • WCC Tournament Champions • WCC Regular Season Co-Champions • Nine- and seven-game winning streaks • Single-season records for blocks (147) and rebounds (1,302) • Won 20 of the final 23 contests • Played before four crowds of 3,500 or more • Posted a final record of 24-8, and a 12-2 WCC record
1997
NCAA First Round – March 15, 1997
Gainesville, Fla.
Southern California 68, San Francisco 55
The Dons were awarded a No. 11 seed in the Mideast Region and were slated to face No. 6 USC in the opening round. San Francisco came out of the gates strong and trailed by only six at halftime. The Dons eventually fell 68-55 to the Women of Troy. Brittany Lindhe paced USF with 15 points, while Renee Demirdjian added 13 points in her final game wearing Green and Gold.
Team Highlights:
Third-straight NCAA appearance • Third-consecutive WCC title • 25-6 overall record, marking third-straight season with at least 24 victories • Three all-WCC First Team selections, marking a program first • Record-setting home attendance, including two games with 4,000 plus fans • Ranked as high as No. 21 in the USA Today/CNN Coaches’ Poll • Nine-game winning streak
2016
NCAA First Round - March 19, 2016
Palo Alto, Calif.
Stanford 85, San Francisco 58
The Dons’ first NCAA appearance in almost a decade was especially poignant given that head coach Jennifer Azzi would be matching up with her former coach at Stanford, Tara Vanderveer. USF garnered a No. 13 seed, but the contest ended up lopsided as the No. 4 seed Cardinal came away with an 85-58 victory on their home floor of Maples Pavilion. Rachel Howard was the Dons’ top scorer with 14 points, while Taylor Proctor (13 pts., 2 reb) and Michaela Rakova (12 pts., 4 reb) were the other Dons in double figures.
AIAW
Before becoming members of the NCAA in the 1981-82 season, most women’s programs, including the University of San Francisco, participated in the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW). USF played in the AIAW Postseason Tournament for four consecutive seasons, from 1978-81. During the span, the Dons posted a 7-5 record in the tournament. USF made two appearances in the Finals, in 1979 and 1980. In 1979, San Francisco’s season ended following a 99-64 loss to Southeastern Louisiana. The Dons’ 1980 campaign was halted following a 62-58 loss to BYU in the finals.
Regional
1978, 1979, 1980, 1981
Finals
1979, 1980
WNIT
2002
USF played host to USC in its first appearance in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament in 2002. The Dons dropped their lone postseason decision at War Memorial Gym, 72-53, to the Women of Troy. Freshman Toni Russell led the squad with 11 points, seven steals and three assists in the contest.
2015
The Dons made a return to the postseason after a 13-year hiatus after finishing as West Coast Conference tournament runners-up. USF earned the berth into the field to play Fresno State in the first round of the WNIT, and despite holding the lead with two minutes to play the Bulldogs came back to win on its home court by a final score of 79-73. Senior Taj Winston closed out her career on the Hilltop with a 21-point outing to lead all scorers.
