Nov. 29, 2008

Box Score

(San Francisco, Calif.) - Freshman guard Rheina Ale scored a career-best 21 points on perfect 9-for-9 shooting Saturday as the USF women's basketball team posted a 73-65 victory over Northern Colorado as past of the sixth annual odwalla Classic. The game was the second of the three-team event, as the Bears (3-2) finished the event 1-1, while the Dons (2-3 overall) made their first appearance in the tournament.

Ale's 9-for-9 shooting, 3-for-3 from the beyond the arc, ties a program-best single game shooting percentage record. The native of Carson, Calif. became just the second Don in San Francisco history to record a perfect 1.000 shooting percentage from the field. The lone other member of USF history to record a perfect game was Teri Hunt, who hit 11-for-11 against Loyola Marymount on Jan. 25, 1986. Hunt's record also stands as a West Coast Conference all-time best. In addition to her 21 points, Ale also added five rebounds, three assists and a steal.

Four of USF's five starters scored in double figures in the contest, headlined by Ale. Senior guard Shay Rollins posted 18 points, including hitting 7-for-8 from the charity stripe, while recording a pair of steals.

Senior center Necolia Simmons posted her second double-double of the season, and seventh of her career, with 16 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, and a career-high 16 rebounds.

Rounding out double-digit scorers for the Dons was junior guard Danesha Wright, who recorded her first double-double with 10 points and a dozen assists. Sophomore forward Donnisha Taylor, junior forward Nnenna Okereke and freshmen Katy Keating and Vania Singleterry also chipped in points for USF.

In the opening half, USF and Northern Colorado played close, with the score tied at five different occasions and the lead changing sides five times. The Bears lead for most of the stanza, taking a lead at 12:02 and not relinquishing it until Ale hit a 3-pointer with five seconds left to give the Dons a 33-31 advantage at halftime. San Francisco maintained the lead for the entire second half, extending its advantage to a game-high 10 points on multiple occasions.

The odwalla Classic will wrap up Sunday as the Dons face Washington State in the final game of the three-day event. Friday, in the opening game of the Classic, the Cougars fell to the Bears 86-79. The tip-off between USF and WSU is scheduled for 2 p.m. at War Memorial Gym.