Feb. 19, 2002

USF TRAVELS TO PACIFIC NORTHWEST FOR FINAL WEEK OF WCC PLAY AGAINST THE PILOTS AND THE BULLDOGS: San Francisco closes out the 2002 West Coast Conference season when they travel to the Pacific Northwest to play Portland on Thursday and Gonzaga on Saturday. The Lady Dons, winners of seven of their last 10, have already posted more overall (15) and league wins (7) since the 1996-97 season - the last time USF qualified for the NCAA Tournament. Following a sweep of Santa Clara and San Diego last weekend, San Francisco finished with a sparkling 6-1 home record against WCC foes. USF looks for a strong finish in the final week to build momentum heading into the WCC Tournament in San Diego, beginning Thursday, Feb. 28. Although USF has not had a lot of success on the road during league play this season, they have swept the Pilots and the Bulldogs on the road in back-to-back seasons. The Lady Dons defeated Portland (71-60) and Gonzaga (73-58) earlier this season. The Pilots are 10-2 at the Chiles Center this season and have gone 3-2 during WCC play, while the Bulldogs are still looking for their first conference home victory of the season.

PORTLAND Probable Starters - (2/19/02):

G. #20 Da'Love Woods, 5-5, So. (14.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.4 assists), G. #11 Trish Felts, 5-7, Sr. (3.6 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.3 assists), C. #42 Alison Asher, 6-4, Sr. (1.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.6 blocks), F. #45 Khalila O'Reilly-Williams, 6-1, So. (14.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.2 steals), F. #22 Tami Standish, 6-1, Sr. (14.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.7 assists)

USF Probable Starters - 2/19/02:

G. #2 Toni Russell, 5-3, Fr. (6.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.1 assists), G. #22 Lindsey Huff, 5-6, Sr., (11.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.4 assists), G. #4 Lisa Whiteside, 5-9, Jr. (8.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.3 assists), C. #5 Leeane Jensen, 6-3, Fr. (3.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 0.6 steals), F. #42 Carey Sauer, 6-0, So. (11.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 0.8 assists) KEY RESERVES:

G. #31 Melanie Turner, 5-10, Sr. (6.6 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.2 assists), G. #13 Alicia Hernandez, 5-7, Jr. (9.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.6 assists)

GAME #26 - Portland Pilots:

SCOUTING PORTLAND: Portland hosts USF in the first game of the final weekend of West Coast Conference action. The PIlots have been extremely tough at home in the Chiles Center and have posted a 10-2 record, with their only losses coming to WCC foes Pepperdine (51-49) and Gonzaga (71-65). Portland opened up the non-conference schedule on a tear opening up with the best start in program history at 6-0 with impressive wins against in-state rivals Oregon and Oregon State. Then the injury bug hit and the Pilots lost six of their final eight non-league games. Portland is without the services of junior guard Ashlee Giles, who along with fellow junior Erica Moldenhauer, is out with a torn ACL. Giles was averaging 13.3 points, 4.2 rebounds for the Pilots. Last weekend Portland was blown out of a pair of games in Southern California, falling at Pepperdine (100-77) and Loyola Marymount (71-48). Sophomore guard Da'Love Woods leads the team in scoring (14.5) and assists (4.4), while sophomore forward Khalila O'Rielly-Williams rates second in scoring (14.4) and leads the team in rebounding (7.0). The Pilots are coached by Jim Sollars in his 15th season at the helm on The Bluff, where he has compiled a 252-255 record. Sollars has guided Portland to five postseason berths including four NCAA appearances and his peers selected him as the WCC Coach of the Year a league record four times.

SERIES RECORD: USF leads all-time series 19-14.

LAST MEETING: at USF 71, UP 60 (1/26/02).

GAME #27 - Gonzaga Bulldogs:

SCOUTING GONZAGA: Gonzaga hosts USF in the 2002 West Coast Conference finale for both teams Saturday at the Martin Centre. Entering the final weekend, the Bulldogs had posted an 11-15 overall record with a 2-10 mark in the WCC. The Bulldogs are led by one of the premier players in the WCC, senior forward Jessica Malone, who leads the Bulldogs in scoring at 15.4 per game and is an impressive long range shooter. Malone currently ranks 13th in the NCAA career 3-point field goal list with 290 and counting and has converted on .396 (82-207) from long distance this season. (For comparison, USF's all-time leader is current Lady Don senior Lindsey Huff, who has connected on 140.) Freshman forward Ashley Burke shares the load with Malone and rates second on the team in scoring at 11.4 per game and rates second in rebounds with 5.5 an outing. Freshman Raeanna Jewell averages 10.3 points and leads the team with 6.1 boards a game, while freshman guard Shannon Mathews averages 9.2 points and a team-leading 3.4 assists per outing for the Bulldogs. Kelly Graves is in his second year at the helm in Spokane after building a powerhouse at Saint Mary's College. Graves has posted a 16-37 record with the Bulldogs and has an overall record of 82-63.

SERIES RECORD: USF leads all-time series 20-10.

LAST MEETINGS: at USF 73, Gonzaga 58 (1/25/02).

SAUER CRANKING UP THE OFFENSE: Sophomore forward Carey Sauer has returned to the form which earned her All-West Coast Conference Honorable Mention selection as a freshman during the 1999-2000 season. Sauer also pulled down a team-high 12 rebounds against Cal Poly and added a pair of blocks and converted on a perfect 9-of-9 from the charity stripe. Sauer scored 18 and 14 points respectively in USF's back-to-back victories against Gonzaga and Portland and followed it up with a team-high 17 points in USF's win at San Diego. Sauer was solid against Pepperdine and turned in her second double-double of the year with 18 points and 12 rebounds. On the season, Sauer leads the team in scoring (11.6) and is converting on .524 (22-42) of her long distance attempts and is .442 (92-208) overall. Sauer has elevated her game for league play and averages a team-best 14.4 points in WCC games to rank 11th among league leaders.

MORE TURNOVERS THAN A BAKERY: USF's high-pressure defense has forced 486 turnovers through 23 games this season, for an average of 21.1 miscues per game. In back-to-back victories against Washington and Cal, the Lady Dons forced 27 against the Huskies and 30 against the Golden Bears. Washington's previous season-worst was 19. San Francisco forced a season-high 31 turnovers against UC Irvine in the season opener. In the opening weekend of West Coast Conference play, the Lady Dons forced 43 turnovers, including 22 at Loyola Marymount and committed 46 miscues with 23 in each loss. In the Lady Dons' road win at San Diego, USF forced 23 turnovers, marking the 14th time San Francisco has caused at least 20 miscues in a contest. In the USF's second meeting against the Gaels in Moraga, the Lady Dons forced a season-low 11 turnovers. USF averages 20.1 gaffes per game. The Lady Dons committed a season-low eight turnovers in a home victory against Loyola Marymount. Remarkably, San Francisco has coughed up the ball a season-high 29 times in two games this season and won both (Cal and Portland).

HUFF 14th MEMBER OF GRAND LADY DONS CLUB: Fifth-year senior guard Lindsey Huff entered the 2001-2002 campaign with 801 career points. A baseline jumper in the second half at San Diego gave her 1,000 career points en route to 16 points against the Toreros. Huff was dominant early against USD and scored 10 straight points to open the game. Following a career-high 27 points ina win against Santa Clara, Huff currently owns 13th place on the all-time USF scoring list after passing Kim Bachman (1978-83), who scored 1,002 points in her career. Huff has scored 1,065 points in her career with 420 points coming from beyond the 3-point arc. Next up on the scoring list is former teammate Sarah Wanless (1995-2000), who scored 1,086 career points during her tenure in the Green and Gold.

WHITESIDE DRIVES, BOARDS, STEALS & DISHES: Junior guard Lisa Whiteside has emerged for USF offensively and defensively in her third season on the Hilltop. Whiteside entered the season with a 2.8 career scoring average, but has turned that on its ear in the early going, scoring in double-figures seven times this year, two of them USF victories. Whiteside had a career day in a loss at Pepperdine with a career-high 22 points to go along with 10 rebounds for her first career double-double. In USF's win against Gonzaga, Whiteside collected her second double dip with a 12 point, 11 rebound day versus the Bulldogs. Whiteside scored 12 points in a home loss to Pepperdine and pulled down six rebounds for the Lady Dons. On the season, Whiteside rates fourth on the team in scoring (8.2) and assists (2.3) and rates second in rebounds (4.4).

LINDSEY HUFF ALL-TIME 3-POINT LEADER: Senior guard Lindsey Huff entered the 2001-2002 season ranked fourth in USF career 3-point field goal percentage at .383 (102-266) and after connecting on three 3-pointers at Cornell became the leading long range shooter in program history, surpassing Amy Touli (1989-93), who poured in 122. After connecting on 4-of-7 from long range in a win against Santa Clara, Huff now has tallied 140 3-pointers in her career. Huff, the 1997-98 West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year, also ranks fourth in WCC history in career 3-point accuracy. Huff is also moving up the top-10 career assist list and is currently in fourth place with 388. Former USF assistant coach Tami Adkins (1989-93) dished out 501 during her career to rank third. Huff completed her B.A. in Communications in the Spring of 2001 and is currently pursuing her Master's in Sports and Fitness Management. Huff rates second on the team in scoring (11.0) and has converted on .422 (38-90) from downtown.

SCORING DURING LEAGUE PLAY: After entering league play with just one player scoring in double figures, USF is receiving solid offensive contributions from three players in the early going of West Coast Conference action. Sophomore forward Carey Sauer leads the team during league tilts (14.4) and ranks fifth among WCC leaders, while converting on .493 (44-93) from the field. Senior guard Lindsey Huff ranks second on the team in scoring in league contests (12.8), while junior forward Lisa Whiteside rates third in scoring (8.7) and leads the team in rebounds (5.0).

USF AGAINST THE 2001 NCAA FIELD: USF has proven they are capable of competing with the nation's elite teams. So far this season the Lady Dons have dismantled two teams that made deep runs in the 2001 NCAA Tournament. San Francisco made their first statement when they shocked 2001 Elite-Eight participant Washington in a 72-68 win at War Memorial Gym, in their first of back-to-back wins against Pac-10 foes. USF also downed Utah, who made an appearance in the Sweet-16 last season in a 65-56 home victory. On the season, USF is 3-2 against 2001 NCAA Tournament teams with their only loss occurring at Maples Pavilion against #7 Stanford and at Saint Mary's. USF dispatched the Gaels at home.

USF WINNING IN THE 60'S: When USF beat Saint Mary's 74-67 on January 16, it marked the first time in nearly a month that the Lady Dons had scored 69 points in a victory. After 20 games, the Lady Dons are 5-5 on the season when scoring 69 points or less and are 4-2 when scoring 70 points or more. San Francisco's 55-52 victory at Cal (12/5/01) was the lowest point total tallied in a win since scoring 54 in a 54-43 win at San Diego State (1998-99). The Lady Dons have been on an upswing lately and have scored 70 or more points in five consecutive contests, holding a 4-1 record in them, before falling at Santa Clara.

NO MARGIN FOR ERROR: So far this season, most of USF's wins have gone down to the wire. During the non-conference schedule the eight Lady Dons wins were won with an average victory margin of 8.2 points and only two (Cal State Northridge and Cornell) were decided by 10 points or more. Five USF wins this season were decided by five points or less (Washington, California, Fresno State, Cal Poly and Syracuse. USF's three straight West Coast Conference victories against Gonzaga, Portland and San Diego marked the first time all season the Lady Dons have defeated opponents by more than 10 points in consecutive contests.

MARY JANE KRUEGER OUT FOR THE SEASON: Redshirt sophomore forward Mary Jane Krueger will miss the 2001-2002 season after tearing her right ACL during warmups prior to the first exhibition game on November 3. Krueger enjoyed an outstanding freshman season, averaging 8.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per contest.

RUSSELL = RELENTLESS DEFENSE: Freshman guard Toni Russell has made an impact for USF at both ends of the floor in the early going of her Division I career. Russell built a reputation as a defensive specialist during her prep career and is living up to it this season. Russell hit a pair of free throws to ice the game against Cal with two seconds remaining and helped doom the Huskies with clutch charity shots down the stretch. Russell's pressuring defense and a career-high 15 points sparked USF to a thrilling win against Saint Mary's, and a key steal and a pair of clutch free throws sealed the USF victory. The game marked the fourth time this season she has extended USF's lead at the charity stripe with the game on the line. Russell finished with a career-high 15 points to go along with five rebounds, seven steals and four assists. In USF's win against Portland, Russell scored nine points and pulled down a career-high eight rebounds. On the year, Russell averages 6.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and leads USF in assists (3.1) and steals (2.6).

HERNANDEZ COnsistent: Junior guard Alicia Hernandez continues to make contributions for USF. After earning All-West Coast Conference Honorable Mention selection last season, Hernandez is picking up where she left off this year. In the Lady Dons' upset win against Washington, Hernandez scored 12 points and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds, including a crucial late 3-pointer to stop a Husky run. In USF's come-from-behind win against Cal, Hernandez scored a driving lay-up late in the game to give USF the lead in the closing seconds, coming up huge in the clutch for the Lady Dons in her second straight game. Hernandez poured in a team-high 17 points to go along with eight rebounds to lead the Lady Dons to their fourth straight win against Fresno State and followed it up with 15 points and nine rebounds against UNLV. After scoring 12 points in a win against Santa Clara, Hernandez ranks third on the team in scoring (9.1), second in assists (2.6) and is third on the team in rebounds (4.0). The 2000 Junior College All-American has led the Lady Dons in scoring four times, rebounding twice and paced the team in assists six times.

FARMER RE-EMERGES AGAINST SAN DIEGO: Freshman center Celeste Farmer turned in an outstanding performance against Nevada-Reno in her second collegiate contest. Farmer poured in a team-high 17 points on 8-of-14 from the floor and added three rebounds and a block before fouling out after 29 minutes against the Wolf Pack. In a win against Fresno State, Farmer was two points shy of her first career double-double, finishing with eight points and a career-high 10 rebounds. In a setback to UNLV, Farmer recorded her first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Following a nine-point effort in a win against San Diego, Farmer averages 5.6 points per game and is fifth on the team in rebounding (3.7). So far, Farmer has led the Lady Dons in scoring once and rebounding four times.

Senior Capsules #3 Renae Hofmann - - Career-High 19 points in win against Cal Poly

#11 Molly Shanley - - Career-High 14 Points at #14 Oregon - Season-High 10 Points last night in win against Santa Clara

#22 Lindsey Huff - - 1997-98 West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year - USF Career 3-point field goal leader (139) - Ranks 13th in career scoring (1,049) - Career-High 27 points last night in win against Santa Clara

#31 Melanie Turner - - Career-High 22 Points in win against New Mexico State - Career Top-10 In 3-Pointers and 3-Point Field Goal Percentage

HEAD COACH MARY HILE-NEPFEL: USF women's basketball legend Mary Hile-Nepfel was named sole head coach of the University of San Francisco and takes charge of a program she directed to national prominence with her husband Bill Nepfel for 13 seasons. Hile-Nepfel, the first All-American in Lady Dons basketball history, is one of just six players to have a number retired in the rafters of War Memorial Gym. Hile-Nepfel collected her 200th against Cal Poly (12/21/00). In USF's 88-60 win against Gonzaga, Hile-Nepfel became the fourth coach in league history to reach 100 West Coast Conference wins, joining USD's Kathy Marpe, Portland's Jim Sollars and former Santa Clara head coach Caren Horstmeyer. Hile-Nepfel, the winningest coach in program history, has averaged 15 wins per season since her arrival on the Hilltop 14 years ago. During her tenure at USF, the Lady Dons have turned in three 20-plus victory seasons, six winning campaigns and have collected 10 or more wins during conference play on five occasions. USF has won or shared three WCC regular season titles and three WCC Tournament titles. Now in her 15th season she has compiled a 224-190 record.

USF ON THE RADIO AND THE NET: USF women's basketball begins its sixth season on the radio and in cyberspace for the 2001-2002 season. All 27 USF Lady Dons regular season games will be broadcast this year on both the air (KUSF, 90.3 FM) and the web. Women's hoops fans can access the internet broadcasts from their personal computers from the official website of the USF Athletic Department, www.usfdons.com. George Devine, the Dean of women's basketball broadcasters in the West Coast Conference returns for his sixth season of bringing all the exciting play-by-play from his position courtside.