March 11, 2002

USF HOSTS USC IN OPENING ROUND OF THE 2002 WNIT ON WEDNESDAY AT WAR MEMORIAL GYM: USF women's basketball earned a berth in the 2002 Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) and will host the Trojans of USC Wednesday, March 13 at War Memorial Gym in a 7:00 PM contest. USF (18-11) powered to a 9-5 record in the West Coast Conference good for a share of second place, while USC (15-13) recorded an 11-7 record in the Pac-10 this season for a share of fourth place.

San Francisco's selection to the WNIT field culminates the most successful season for the Lady Dons since USF advanced to back-to-back-to-back NCAA Tournaments from 1995-97. The berth marks the first for the Lady Dons in the post season WNIT, although San Francisco did play in the Preseason WNIT, a 85-79 overtime setback to Arizona in the 1996-97 campaign. With the berth, USF advances to the eighth postseason appearance in program history - four regional berths in the AIAW Tournament (1978-81) and three NCAA showings (1995-97). The Lady Dons advanced to the Sweet-16 in the 1996 NCAA Tournament and competed in the Small College National Finals in the 1980 AIAW Tournament.

USF welcomes the opportunity to host for the first time in the post season. The Lady Dons have been tough at home this season, posting a 10-4 record at War Memorial Gym. San Francisco defeated USC at home in the 1990-91 season with a 90-77 victory against the Lisa Leslie-led Women of Troy. This marks the third meeting between the two teams in the post season, with the last coming in the 1997 NCAA Tournament First Round where the Trojans seized a 68-55 victory against the Lady Dons in Gainesville, Florida. San Francisco dropped a 63-50 contest to the Women of Troy in the 1980 AIAW Regionals at San Jose.

USC Probable Starters - (3/10/02):

G. #10 Jessica Cheeks, 5-9, So. (8.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.8 assists) G. #23 Aisha Hollans, 5-10, So. (17.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.5 assists) F. #14 Carmen Krause, 6-1, Sr. (6.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.8 assists) F. #32 Ebony Hoffman, 6-2, So. (14.5 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 1.3 blocks) F. #33 Rachel Woodward, 6-3, Fr. (11.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.7 assists)

USF Probable Starters - 3/10/02:

G. #2 Toni Russell, 5-3, Fr. (5.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.1 assists) G. #12 Vilma Tamuleviciute, 6-0, Jr. (3.2 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 1.2 assists) G. #4 Lisa Whiteside, 5-9, Jr. (7.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.4 assists) C. #5 Leeane Jensen, 6-3, Fr. (3.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 0.5 steals) F. #42 Carey Sauer, 6-0, So. (11.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 0.8 assists) KEY RESERVES:

G. #22 Lindsey Huff, 5-6, Sr., (10.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.3 assists) G. #31 Melanie Turner, 5-10, Sr. (5.8 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 1.1 assists) G. #13 Alicia Hernandez, 5-7, Jr. (9.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.8 assists)

LADY DONS NAMED TO THE ALL-WCC TEAM: Sophomore forward Carey Sauer and senior guard Lindsey Huff were named to the 2002 All-West Coast Conference Team, with Sauer earning a first team selection, while Huff won honorable mention. Toni Russell was tabbed by the league coaches as the 2002 WCC Freshman of the Year, becoming the fourth Lady Dons to win the honor. Huff won top frosh accolades as in 1997-98 and Sauer earned All-WCC Honorable Mention selection in 1999-2000.

GAME #30 - USC Women Of Troy:

SCOUTING USC: USC enters the 2002 WNIT against the University of San Francisco toting a 15-13 overall record with an 11-7 mark in the Pac-10, good for a share of fourth place in the league standings. The Women of Troy fell to Oregon State 68-69 in the opening round of the Pac-10 Tournament Saturday, March 2 in Eugene and have won five of their last 10 contests. USC makes their second WNIT appearance in three seasons after earning a berth in the 2000 field, where they advanced to the second round. The Women of Troy have made 13 appearances in the NCAA Tournament. USC played an extremely demanding non-conference schedule in preparation for the league campaign and went 4-6 with notable wins against Florida (71-68) and Nevada (86-48). Southern California also defeated Morgan State (87-39) and Cal State Northridge (96-54) prior to conference play. The Women of Troy did not shy away from tough competition, falling at Tennessee (106-66), and dropped a tough contest at Texas (66-64) along with an overtime loss at BYU (75-73). During Pac-10 action, USC swept the regular season series against Cal, Oregon State, UCLA, Washington State and split with Arizona, Arizona State and Oregon. Sophomore guard Aisha Hollans leads the way for the Women of Troy offensively and leads the team in scoring (17.1) to go along with 6.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. USC dominated opponents on the glass this season and out-rebounded opponents by an average of 5.2 rebounds per game. Sophomore forward Ebony Hoffman leads USC in rebounds (9.0) and rates second on the team in scoring (14.5). Both Hollans and Hoffman earned All-Pac-10 First Team honors this season. Freshman forward Rachel Woodward rates third on the team in scoring (11.7) and pulls down 5.0 rebounds per game. Southern California boasts a high-octane offense and averages 71.1 points per game, converting on .415 (749-1807) of their field goal attempts. USC is not a particularly good 3-point shooting team, converting on .270 (83-307) but is not shy about taking them. USC turned in a 9-4 home record in the friendly confines of the L.A. Sports Center, including a 6-3 conference slate. Southern California struggled on the road, posting a 5-7 record, with all five victories coming during Pac-10 play. Chris Gobrecht is in her fifth season at the helm of her alma mater, and leads the Women of Troy to their second WNIT appearance this season. Gobrecht was a three-year letter-winner at USC (1974-76). Gobrecht was a two-time Pac-10 Coach of the Year while at Washington where she led the Huskies to nine NCAA Tournament berths, including four trips to the regionals. In addition, Gobrecht won three Pac-10 titles during her tenure (1986-96) in Seattle. Gobrecht owns an overall record of 395-280 and has posted a 63-77 mark in Los Angeles.

USF vs. USC All-Time Series: USC leads all-time series 4-2, Regular Season Series Tied 2-2 USC leads post season series 2-0 @USF def. USC 66-65, 1979-80, USC def. USF 63-60, 1980 AIAW Regionals, @USC def. USF 86-58 (12/5/83), @ USF def. USC 90-77 (12/7/90), @ USC def. USF 50-49 (11/27/91), USC def. USF 68-55, 1997 NCAA First Round (3/15/97)

COMMON 2001-2002 OPPONENTS: Comparing common opponents with USF, USC dismantled Nevada-Reno 86-48 (12/15/01), while the Lady Dons fell to the Wolf Pack 69-67 (11/24/01) on the road at the buzzer in the second game of the season. USF defeated Cal 55-52 (12/5/01) at Haas Pavilion, while USC swept the season series, winning 69-53 (12/28/01) in Berkeley and took a 69-58 (2/24/02) decision at home in the regular season finale. Both teams dispatched Cal State Northridge, with USC cruising to a 96-54 (12/4/01) home win, while the Lady Dons downed the Matadors 95-69 (11/30/01) at War Memorial Gym. San Francisco defeated Washington, taking a 72-68 (12/2/01) victory. The Huskies swept Southern California, winning in overtime in Seattle 80-79 (1/6/02) and captured a 69-63 (2/1/02) win in Los Angeles.

LAST TIME AGAINST THE LADY DONS: USF met USC in the last postseason appearance for the Lady Dons and the last NCAA appearance for the Women of Troy in the 1997 Mideast Regional in Gainesville, Florida. San Francisco could not overcome frigid (.271) shooting and fell 68-55 to USC in the first round. Brittany Lindhe scored a team-high 15 points for the Lady Dons. Seniors Renee Demirdjian added 13, while Andrea Kagie scored 11 in their final games in the Green and Gold. Tina Thompson turned in a 26 point, 15 rebound double-double for the Women of Troy, while Jodi Parriott added 11.

OPPOSING HUDDLES: When USF hosts USC it will mark a reunion of sorts between Southern California head coach Chris Gobrecht with Lady Dons' assistant coach Erika Hardwick. Hardwick played for Gobrecht at Washington from 1989-93 and served as team captain as the Huskies advanced to three NCAA Tournaments, reaching the Elite Eight in 1990.

Sauer Among NCAA Division I Leaders:

SAUER SECOND IN NATION AT FREE THROW LINE: Sophomore forward Carey Sauer continues to excel for USF at the free throw line and currently leads not only the team and the West Coast Conference at the charity stripe, but also ranks second in the nation in free throw percentage, converting on . 937 (90-98) of her attempts. Sauer holds a .041 lead on Santa Clara's Becki Ashbaugh (88-101) and could be the second consecutive Lady Don to win the free throw title, following Kim Whisler, who connected on .841 (111-132) en route to a 2001 All-WCC First Team Selection. Sauer made 49 consecutive charity tosses from 1/2/02 through 2/9/02 and strung together 44 in a row to open up league play. During WCC play, Sauer was even more accurate hitting at a .933 (56-60) clip.

SAUER FIRST TEAM ALL-WCC: Sophomore forward Carey Sauer has surpassed the form which earned her All-West Coast Conference Honorable Mention selection as a freshman during the 1999-2000 season. After averaging a team-best 13.9 points per game during league play this season, Sauer earned First Team All-WCC honors for the 2002 campaign after missing the entire 2000-2001 season with a torn ACL. Sauer equaled her career-high with a 28 point outburst at Cal Poly to go along with a team-high 12 rebounds. Sauer converted on a perfect 9-of-9 from the charity stripe against the Mustangs. Sauer scored 18 and 14 points respectively in USF's back-to-back victories against Gonzaga and Portland. Sauer continued to play well against the Pilots, scoring 17 points to lead USF to a crucial road win at Portland. 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 .511 (24-47) of her long distance attempts and is .457 (111-243) overall. Sauer scored a team-high 17 points in the 2002 WCC Tournament Semifinals against Pepperdine. So far this season, Sauer has led the team in scoring nine times and has paced the Lady Dons in rebounds on five occasions.

LADY DONS SOLID AT THE LINE: USF has continued a three-year trend this season by shooting well at the free throw line. On the year, the Lady Dons have connected on .738 (434-588) of their attempts to rate third in the West Coast Conference in overall contests this season. During league play, San Francisco has been even more deadly, hitting at an impressive .790 (229-290). Surprisingly, USF did not lead the league in free throw percentage during WCC action and rated second behind Gonzaga who connected on an impressive .814 (184-226) percentage at the charity stripe. The .738 season total rates as the third best mark in program history. The 1999-2002 squad established the standard with a .762 tally.

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. In USF's WCC Tournament win against Loyola Marymount, Whiteside pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds. On the season, Whiteside rates fourth on the team in scoring (7.8) and assists (2.4) and rates second in rebounds (4.7). So far, Whiteside has led the Lady Dons in scoring once and rebounding four times.

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. Huff poured in a career-high 27 points in a win against Santa Clara on senior night at War Memorial Gym. Following a 15 point effort in a win against Gonzaga, Huff passed Kim Bachman (1978-83), who scored 1,002 points in her career. Huff has scored 1,107 points in her career to rank 12th on the career scoring chart with 435 points coming from beyond the 3-point arc. Huff passed former teammate Sarah Wanless (1995-2000), who scored 1,086 career points during her tenure in the Green and Gold with her 16 point outburst against Loyola Marymount in the first round of the 2002 WCC Tournament. Next up on the scoring leader board is Linda Walsh (1980-84), who scored 1,143 points in her career on the Hilltop.

USF AGAINST 2002 POST SEASON PARTICIPANTS: San Francisco enjoyed a solid year against the nation's elite programs, posting a 4-7 record against teams reaching post season play. The Lady Dons posted a 2-6 record against the 2002 NCAA Tournament field, with wins against Syracuse 61-56) and Santa Clara (87-79). USF lost three times to Pepperdine, the last coming in the 2002 WCC Tournament Semifinals, 82-77 and dropped contests against the Broncos (65-64), UNLV (71-63) and Stanford (103-72). USF defeated 2002 WNIT entrant Washington (72-68) and downed WCC foe Saint Mary's (74-67) at War Memorial Gym, but the Gaels won the rematch in Moraga (79-73).

LADY DONS TOUGH AT HOME: USF is a dramatically better team at War Memorial Gym so far in the 2001-2002 season, where they have posted an 10-4 overall record with a 5-1 league mark. During West Coast Conference play, the Lady Dons shoot at a .425 clip from the field and limit opponents to a .373 percentage in the friendly confines. San Francisco's 10 home wins are the most at home since the 1996-97 season when the Lady Dons posted a 13-3 record in the house that Russell built. When USF hosts USC in the first round of the 2002 WNIT, it will mark the first time the Lady Dons have hosted a game in the post season.

HEAD COACH MARY HILE-NEPFEL: USF women's basketball legend Mary Hile-Nepfel enters her second season as sole head coach of the Lady Dons and her 15th season at the controls of the women's basketball fortunes on the Hilltop. Hile-Nepfel was named sole head coach of the University of San Francisco following the 1999-2000 season, taking charge of a program she directed to national prominence with her husband Bill Nepfel for 13 seasons. Last season was the 25th Anniversary of Lady Dons basketball and Hile-Nepfel also reached several impressive milestones of her own during the silver anniversary year. With a convincing 105-51 pasting of UC Riverside in the 2000-2001 season opener, Hile-Nepfel became the all-time winningest coach in program history with her 197th victory. When the Lady Dons downed Cal Poly, Hile-Nepfel became just the third coach in USF athletics history to surpass 200 career wins. An 88-60 West Coast Conference win against Gonzaga was the 100th league win for Hile-Nepfel, who became just the fourth coach in league history to eclipse the century mark. The 2001-2002 campaign proved memorable for Hile-Nepfel as she guided USF to an 18-11 record and a berth in the 2002 WNIT Tournament. The post season berth is the first for the Lady Dons since winning their third consecutive West Coast Conference Tournament title en route to the NCAA Tournament. This season Hile Nepfel recorded the 225th victory of her career with a 52-49 victory at Portland on Feb. 21.

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-9 from long range in a WCC Tournament win against Loyola Marymount, Huff now has tallied 145 3-pointers in her career. 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 393. Former USF assistant coach Tami Adkins (1989-93) is third with 501. 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 (10.9) and has converted on .413 (43-104) from downtown. Huff has led the Lady Dons in scoring nine times this season and twice paced the team in rebounds.

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 enjoyed a scoring surge in mid-January and scored 70 or more points in five consecutive contests, holding a 4-1 record in them, before falling at Santa Clara. In the final week of WCC play, USF defeated Portland 52-49, winning with their second-lowest scoring output of the season. In the opening round of the 2002 WCC Tournament, the Lady Dons won in the 60's once again with a 65-63 victory against Loyola Marymount to advance to the semifinals.

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. Nine USF wins this season were decided by five points or less (Washington, California, Fresno State, Cal Poly, Syracuse, San Diego, at Portland and at Gonzaga. During WCC play, USF's wins were determined by a wider margin, with the Lady Dons averaging a 9.2 ppg cushion. USF recorded three double-digit victories in league action, but the final three games of the regular season were decided by a combined eight points. The trend continued in the opening round of the 2002 WCC Tournament where the Lady Dons squeaked by Loyola Marymount by two, 65-63 and lost a heartbreaker to Pepperdine in the semifinals 82-77.

SCORING BALANCE: USF does not have the luxury of a pure scorer on the current roster and only two Lady Dons - Carey Sauer (11.6) and Lindsey Huff (10.9) average double-digits in scoring. USF counteracts this as seven players average better than 5.0 points per contest.

RUSSELL = FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Freshman guard Toni Russell has made an impact for USF at both ends of the floor and coaches throughout the West Coast noticed, tabbing her WCC Freshman of the Year. 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 both Washington and Portland 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 5.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and leads USF in assists (3.1) and steals (2.4).

HERNANDEZ WARMING UP: Junior guard Alicia Hernandez continues to make contributions for USF and shows signs of heating up for the postseason tournament like she did last season, earning All-West Coast Conference Honorable Mention. Hernandez scored a season-high 19 points to lead USF past Gonzaga in the WCC regular season finale and added seven rebounds against the Bulldogs. In the Lady Dons' upset win against Washington, Hernandez scored 12 points, 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. 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. Hernandez enjoyed a strong showing in the 2002 WCC Tournament and scored a team-high 18 points in USF's opening round win against Loyola Marymount and added 16 against Pepperdine. Hernandez ranks third on the team in scoring (9.9), fourth in assists (2.6) and rebounds (4.3). The 2000 Junior College All-American has led the Lady Dons in scoring six times, rebounding four times and paced the team in assists eight times.

FARMER HELPS TAME LIONS: 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. In a loss to UNLV, Farmer recorded her first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Farmer played well against Loyola Marymount in the opening round of the WCC Tournament, scoring 12 points on 5-for-5 shooting. On the season, Farmer averages 5.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game and has led the Lady Dons in scoring once and rebounding four times.

TURNER TURNS IT UP: Senior guard Melanie Turner has quietly contributed much to the success of USF this season, helping the Lady Dons to their best record since the 1996-97 season. Turner has scored in double-digits seven times this season and scored a season-high 14 points in a home loss to Pepperdine. In USF's memorable win against Santa Clara, Turner was terrific, scoring eight big points and dished out a pair of assists as the Lady Dons defeated the Broncos for the first time in five years. A deadly 3-point shooter, Turner rates fourth in career threes with 91, 24 coming this season. On the year, Turner averages 5.8 points 1.6 rebounds and converts on .343 (24-70) from long distance. Turner has led the Lady Dons in assists three times this season.

BERGER MAKING AN IMPACT IN THE PAINT: Freshman forward Corry Berger turned in a couple of solid performances for San Francisco in the final week of West Coast Conference play as the Lady Dons swept Portland and Gonzaga on the road. Berger scored nine points and a team-high nine rebounds against the Pilots and scored five points and added a pair of rebounds against the Bulldogs. Berger enjoyed a big day against Syracuse, scoring 12 points to go along with five rebounds as USF downed the Orangewomen 61-56. Berger scored a career-high with 19 points and added seven rebounds in a win against Cal State Northridge. Berger enjoyed a solid outing against Pepperdine in the West Coast Conference Tournament semifinals, scoring 13 points on 5-of-6 from the floor and added five rebounds. On the season, Berger averages 5.0 points and 2.9 rebounds, while averaging 15 minutes per contest.

PAINTING BY NUMBERS: USF may have the youngest front line in the nation, but they are holding up well in the early going of the 2001-2002 season. USF has four freshmen playing significant minutes in the paint - RS freshman Leeane Jensen with two Division I games was most experienced member of the bunch following the season-ending injuries to sophomore Mary Jane Krueger and freshman Angela Gibson. Jensen, Corry Berger, Gibson and Celeste Farmer have combined to average 14.7 points per game and 11.1 rebounds per contest to account for 21.5 percent of USF's scoring and 29.9 percent of the team's rebounding.

LADY DONS FINISH STRONG IN NON-CONFERENCE: With an 8-5 non-conference mark this season, USF posted their best preseason record since 1996-97. The Lady Dons were 11-2 prior to league play en route to their third straight NCAA trip. San Francisco posted a 3-1 mark against the so-called power conferences in women's basketball. USF went 2-1 against Pac-10 foes with quality wins against Washington and California, with their only loss coming at the hands of the then #7 Stanford at Maples Pavilion. The Lady Dons also defeated Syracuse of the Big East in a convincing 61-56 road victory.

JENSEN COMES THROUGH AGAINST GAELS: Freshman forward Leeane Jensen came through with another solid outing for USF in a big West Coast Conference win against Saint Mary's. Jensen scored eight points and added four rebounds to help the Lady Dons negate a huge Gaels's size advantage. Jensen scored a career-high 11 points to go along with six rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench. Jensen's previous career-high was seven points and five rebounds in the Lady Dons' upset win against Washington. Jensen has made 14 starts for the Lady Dons this season and averages 3.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.

SHANLEY SHINES DEFENSIVELY: Senior forward Molly Shanley has made big contributions for USF this season, helping the Lady Dons to their best season since 1996-97. An early injury slowed her progress at the beginning of the season, but Shanley has been a defensive boost for USF off the bench, averaging 21 minutes per game. Shanley erupted for a season-high 10 points in an emotional win against Santa Clara.

USF RISING IN THE RPI POLL: San Francisco's success against a tough schedule has gained national attention. Following the 2002 West Coast Conference Tournament, the Lady Dons were ranked 76th in the nation based on strength of schedule. USF has posted a 5-8 record against teams ranked in the top-100 in the RPI poll and in the latest rankings were tabbed as the 100th ranked team in the nation. The West Coast Conference also has been recognized in the RPI as the seventh-ranked conference, in front of the Pac-10, rated eighth.

VILMA FILLS IT UP FROM LONG RANGE: Junior guard Vilma Tamuleviciute continues to impress after suddenly finding herself in the starting rotation prior to USF's home game against Pepperdine. Since her insertion into the first string the Lady Dons are 5-1 with their only loss coming to 2002 West Coast Conference regular season champion Pepperdine. The 2001 Junior College All-American has showcased her solid all-around game averaging 6.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Tamuleviciute scored nine points in back-to-back victories in the Pacific Northwest last week and connected on 5-of-7 3-pointers and made three consecutive on back-to-back-to-back possessions against the Pilots. Tamuleviciute turned in a career day in a win against Loyola Marymount, scoring 12 points to go along with six rebounds and five assists.

LADY DONS DIALED IN FROM LONG DISTANCE: After struggling earlier in the season from 3-point range, USF has heated up considerably. Entering the 2002 WNIT, the Lady Dons have connected on .367 (163-444) of their attempts from beyond the 3-point arc this season which could rate as the third best team single season total in program history. San Francisco also appears well on their way to establishing a new team single-season record for most threes made per game for the third consecutive season, currently averaging 5.6 per game. The 2000-2001 edition holds the best season average of 5.24 per contest. During the WCC regular season USF elevated their accuracy to .392 (85-217) to lead the league. So far this season, the Lady Dons are 13-4 when they shoot better than opponents from long range. Three USF players shoot better than .400 from 3-point land: junior forward Carey Sauer, .511 (24-47), senior guard Lindsey Huff, .425 (43-104), and junior forward Vilma Tamuleviciute, .440 (11-25).

GIBSON A BOARD WARRIOR: Freshman forward Angela Gibson made her presence felt for USF on the boards during the non-conference season before being sidelined with a back injury prior to West Coast Conference play. Gibson made the first start of her collegiate career at #7 Stanford and scored five points and pulled down five rebounds against the Cardinal. In USF's come-from-behind win against Cal, the Oakland product made her fourth straight start and scored six points and pulled down seven rebounds. Gibson grabbed a team-high nine rebounds off the bench at Nevada-Reno. In a win against Cal State Northridge, Gibson scored 15 points on 7-of-8 from the floor and added eight rebounds. Gibson turned in a career-high with 11 rebounds against Long Beach State. Gibson led USF in rebounds four times this season and pulled down 59 boards in just nine games for a 6.6 average.

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.

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.

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, seven 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 227-191 record.