Nov. 11, 2002

Final Stats

(San Francisco) - USF's swarming defense forced 38 turnovers and junior forward Carey Sauer poured in a game-high 22 points as the Lady Dons cruised to a 74-44 exhibition women's basketball win against UMB Bansk Bystrica Monday at War Memorial Gym. The exhibition is the final tuneup for San Francisco before traveling to Fort Collins for a Friday contest against Colorado State in the first round of the 2002 Preseason WNIT.

Sauer led three Lady Dons in double-digit scoring as sophomore guard Toni Russell scored 20 points, including a 9-for-13 effort at the free throw line. Junior center Mary Jane Krueger also enjoyed another solid night, turning in her second consecutive exhibition double-double performance with a 10 point, 15 rebound outing for USF.

USF looked somewhat tentative at the start and led 30-21 at the intermission. The Lady Dons exploded out of the gate in the second and outscored the touring team from Slovakia 44-23 in the final 20 minutes. San Francisco held a 36-25 advantage on the boards, including a 20-5 edge on the offensive glass, led by six from Sauer and five from Krueger.

San Francisco took 20 steals in the game, six by senior guard Lisa Whiteside and four from Russell. USF's starting lineup scored 65 points and pulled down 32 rebounds.

USF opens the regular season in the 2002 Preseason WNIT Friday, November 15 at Fort Collins, CO. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 PM (PT) at the Moby Arena. The game will be broadcast live on KUSF 90.3 AM, San Francisco.