Women's Basketball Hosts Final Exhibition Wednesday

Nov. 9, 2009

ON TAP: Wednesday evening, the USF Women's basketball program will play its second and final exhibition game of the 2009-10 when it hosts Sonoma State. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. at War Memorial Gym.

LAST TIME ON THE FLOOR: Last week the Dons hosted Vanguard in the first of two exhibitions this season. USF dropped the 81-78 decision to the No. 2 team in NAIA. Down by as many as 23 in the second half, the Dons surged back to come within one with 58 seconds remaining in the game. San Francisco was led by freshman Mel Khlok and Rheina Ale, each who recorded double-doubles. Khlok registered 23 points and 11 rebounds, while Ale posted 21 and 11.

KHLOK ERUPTS IN SECOND HALF: Freshman Mel Khlok came off the bench against Vanguard and made a push for a starting spot with the Dons. In the opening 20 minutes, Khlok recorded eight points, six rebounds, before exploding for 15 points, five rebounds in the second half. The rookie also dished out four assists and two steals to combine with her 23 total points and 11 boards.

ALL-TIME AGAINST SONOMA STATE: All-time, USF is 4-0 against Sonoma State. The Dons won the last meeting, in 2005, 71-59 at War Memorial Gym in an exhibition contest.

2008-09 REVIEW: Last season, the Dons finished the 2008-09 campaign with a 7-22 record, 3-11 in West Coast Conference play. The season included some notable accomplishments, including hitting 13 3-pointers in a single game (@ Cal Poly, 12/7/08), setting a program record. San Francisco also earned a season-series sweep of Loyola Marymount for the first time since the 2002-03 season. The Dons defeated the Lions in Los Angeles 58-56 (1/31/09) and at home 65-62 (2/26/09).

DONS' VIKING VOYAGE: San Francisco took its game overseas in May, embarking on an 11-day, five game tour of Scandinavia. During the trip, the Dons visited Stockholm, Sweden, Oslo, Norway and Copenhagen, Denmark, facing off against some of the top's women's basketball programs in the region. USF finished the trip with a 3-2 record, including a victory against the top team in Norway and two victories against the Danish National Team.

2009 O'BRIEN SCRIMMAGE: The USF women's basketball kicked off festivities for the up-coming season two weeks ago, hosting the annual O'Brien Scrimmage. In the women's scrimmage, the Green up-ended the Gold squad 34-20 in the 20 minute scrimmage. The two teams played to an 11-11 tie in the first half, before the Green exploded in the second frame, outscoring the Gold 23-9. Vania Singleterry led the Green team with 11 points and five rebounds. The sophomore went 4-for-9 from the field while also adding an assist and a steal. Sophomore Rheina Ale added nine points, four assists and three steals. Freshman Ashey Boggs led the Gold team with nine points, while freshman Bailey Barbour pulled down five rebounds. This season the USF roster features six newcomers to the program - two junior college transfers and four freshmen. Bolstered by Boggs' nine points, the newcomers on the USF team combined for 22 points and 13 rebounds.

TRIO OF STARTERS SET TO PACE THE DONS: Junior Donnisha Taylor and sophomores Rheina Ale and Vania Singleterry return to the Hilltop this season to pace USF into the Don of a New Era. Ale returns as the Dons' top scoring threat from a year ago, when she averaged 10.1 points per game. As a freshman, Ale scored in double-digits in 16 contests. Singleterry returns for her second season in the Green and Gold, after posting three double-doubles a year ago. Taylor enters her junior campaign as a rebounding threat for the Dons, ranking in the WCC top-10 in the category last season.

NEWCOMERS LOOK TO MAKE IMMEDIATE IMPACT: This season USF welcomes six newcomers - a pair of junior college transfers and four freshmen - to the 2009-10 roster. Juniors Brittany Brumfield and Tawny Drexler come to the Hilltop from Trinity Valley CC and Western Nebraska CC, respectively. Brumfield signed with USF as a top-5 ranked point guard, while Drexler averaged 10 points, 7.0 rpg during her junior college career. Ashley Boggs, Whitney Daniels, Bailey Barbour and Mel Khlok make up the 2009-10 freshman class. Boggs led Sacred Heart Cathedral to three Division III State Championships during her prep career. Daniels was a two-time defensive player of the year at Mira Costa High as a forward. Barbour was a highly recruited post player, who garnered interest from BCS schools such as Pittsburgh and Oregon State. Khlok joins the Dons from Sacramento, where she was a two-time First Team All-Metro and Delta Valley selection.