Box Score
PROVO, Utah – Slow starts to both halves proved to be too much for the Dons to overcome as the San Francisco women's basketball team fell 80-58 at the hands of BYU at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah.
A 10-0 run by the Cougars started the game and a 15-3 run that began the second proved to be more than enough to dispatch the Dons, who move to 7-8, 0-2 in the West Coast Conference. BYU, slated to win the league in preseason polling, sit at 10-4 on the season after winning its conference opener.
The first three minutes of the contest proved to be a tone-setter for BYU, as the team jumped out to a 10-0 lead with 16:56 to play. The Dons, who shot 25 percent in the first half, began the game missing its first four attempts from the field and committing three early turnovers.
The early shooting woes and ball handling troubles were exacerbated by 4-of-8 shooting by BYU as USF found itself in a 10-point hole. The Dons got on the board when
Taj Winston, making her first start of the season, picked the pocket of Morgan Bailey and converted the layup with 15:27 to play in the first.
Later,
Whitney Daniels disrupted a pass by Ashley Garfield that led to a steal by
Zhané Dikes and layup by Winston with 3:11 to play in the half. A pair at the line by
Mel Khlok narrowed the gap to 10 points late in the half. At the break, the Dons trailed 34-22.
BYU came out firing on all cylinders in the second, shooting 54.5 percent in the period en route to the 80-58 victory. The Cougars were helped by five double-digit scorers in the contest, with 14 apiece from Garfield and Bailey leading the charge. BYU, ranked No. 20 in the nation in assists per game finished with 26 dimes on 32 baskets. Both Kim Beeston and Haley Steed contributed eight assists each in the win. BYU outrebounded the Dons 49-33 in the game, and its 15 offensive rebounds led to 17 second chance points.
Denae Mary Wiliams finished as USF's leading scorer with 12 points, 10 of which came in the second half. Dikes added 11 and Winston put up 10 points, five rebounds and three steals for the Dons. For the first time in 11 games, a span dating back to Nov. 21, 2012, Khlok failed to register at least 10 points. All nine women who entered the game for the Dons scored at least two points and provided one rebound or more in the loss.
Up next for the Dons is a trip to Malibu, Calif., to face off with Pepperdine on Thursday at 7 p.m.
