Dec. 2, 2001

Box Score

(San Francisco) - The last time USF defeated Washington, the year was 1981 and USF Hall-of-Famer Mary Hile led all scorers with a double-double performance. Today the Lady Dons didn't need her - at least not on the floor, as sophomore forward Carey Sauer scored a team-high 14 points off the bench to lead USF to a 72-68 upset victory against Washington in non-conference women's basketball action at War Memorial Gym.

USF (2-3) collected their second consecutive win, behind relentless defensive pressure and forced a season-high 27 Washington (4-3) turnovers. The Lady Dons also took control on the boards and held a 36-30 advantage on the glass, including a 16-13 edge on the offensive end.

Washington constructed an early 14-8 lead at the 11:29 mark on a bucket by junior guard Loree Payne, but the Lady Dons rallied and took the lead on a layup from freshman point guard Toni Russell with 7:12 remaining in the half. USF extended their lead to 14 points, 33-19 on a 3-pointer by junior guard Alicia Hernandez with 1:22 left. A pair of free throws by freshman guard Kris O'Neill cut the Husky deficit to 10, 33-23 for the halftime score.

San Francisco weathered a serious Washington run in the second half as the 10 point intermission lead evaporated. Sophomore center Andrea Lalum knocked down a 3-pointer to tie the contest 45-45 at the 12:56 mark as the Huskies opened the half on a 20-12 run, and took a 50-45 lead at the 11:37 mark on a pair of free throws by sophomore guard Giuliana Mendiola. The Lady Dons rallied and closed to within one, 52-51 on a layup by Hernandez at 9:21. The Huskies built another five-point lead on a driving layup by Payne with 7:03 remaining, but USF's defense tightened.

A layup in traffic by Sauer off an offensive rebound tied the game 56-56, while a pair of free throws from Russell gave USF a 58-56 lead and the Lady Dons did not surrender it.

Senior guard Lindsey Huff scored 13 points on 4-of-7 from the floor, including 3-of-5 from beyond the 3-point line to go along with four rebounds and a pair of steals, while Hernandez finished with 12 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals in 32 minutes. Russell finished with eight points and applied tremendous pressure to the Husky backcourt. Freshman forward Leanne Jensen came through with a strong effort with seven points and five rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench.

Lalum was the leading scorer for the Huskies with a game-high 17 points, while Payne added 12. O'Neill added 12 points for Washington.

Hile-Nepfel is thrilled with the effort turned in by her team against a 2001 NCAA Elite Eight team.

"I am proud of the way our kids played today. They responded to challenges and did a great job applying defensive pressure. Washington is a dangerous team and I am proud of the way we met the challenges against a tough opponent," Hile-Nepfel stated.