USF (8-2) vs. San Jose State (5-4)
Saturday, Dec. 20 | 2 p.m. | War Memorial Gym
Watch: theW.tv/live | Live Stats: usfstats.com
Complete game notes (PDF)

Tale of the Tape

---

USF (8-2, 0-0 WCC)		San Jose State (5-4, 0-0 Mountain West)
68.1	Points/G	92.3
.399	FG%	.383
42.1	Rebounds/G	43.4
11.7	Assists/G	16.9
8.7	Steals/G	13.0
2.7	Blocks/G	3.0

The Buzz

---

USF continues to roll through the season, and looks to cap the non-conference slate with an undefeated home record. The Dons, 8-2 on the year, are seeking to extend their home streak to seven games. The last time USF opened the year with an 8-2 mark was the 1996-97 season when the Dons earned their third straight bid into the March Madness field.

#WeAreSF

---

The Dons have three women averaging double-digit scoring in the non-conference portion of the season. Taylor Proctor posts a team-leading 13.7 points and 8.1 rebounds a night on .456 shooting. Rachel Howard adds 10.2  points a game to the offense, and Zhane Dikes is averaging 10.1 points and 6.4 rebounds for the Dons. 

With a renewed intensity on defense, the Dons stand in first in field goal percentage defense (.346) and scoring defense (55.7 ppg) and second in scoring margin (+12.4) in the WCC. USF's field goal percentage defense figure ranks 35th in the nation.

Know the Foe

---

San Jose State leads the nation in scoring offense, averaging 92.3 points per game. Ta'Rea Cunnigan leads the charge with 16.4 points a night. The senior has amassed 1,643 career points, fourth on San Jose State's all-time scoring list and stands in seventh in the NCAA among all active players.

The Spartans also get a boost of offense from Rebecca Woodberry, who adds 14.4 points and a team-high 7.9  rebounds a night. Jasmine Smith's 11 points per game rounds out San Jose State's double-digit performers. The team has scored over 100 points twice on the season, going for 119 against Columbia and 110 against Southern Oregon, both Spartans victories.

USF and San Jose State - The Series

---

San Jose State holds the 23-16 advantage in the all-time series, but the Dons have the slight edge at War Memorial Gym. USF is 10-9 at home against the Spartans and the Dons have won the last three contests on the Hilltop.

Current streak: L1 • Last 5: 3-2 • Last 10: 6-4 • At WMG: 10-9

Strong Start

---

USF's early season start matches some streaks that have been on the books for decades. USF's 3-0 mark was just the fourth in program history (since 1976).

The Last Time ...
USF was 8-2: December 28, 1996
The Dons posted non-conference wins vs. St. John's, Pacific, Ohio State, Cal, Colorado, UNLV, Marquette and Texas A&M. USF went on to finish the year 25-6 overall, and 11-3 in the WCC. The team earned their third straight NCAA tournament bid after winning the league tournament.

The Dons opened the year 3-0: 1983-84
When Doves Cry by Prince topped the Billboard charts, the Los Angeles Raiders won the Superbowl, Ronald Reagan was president, and Dynasty was must-watch TV.

The Dons opened the year 6-1:1994-95
Everyone wanted to live in Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise, Braveheart took home the Oscar's hardware and a gallon of gas cost $1.15.

Last Time Out

---

The Dons cruised to a 60-42 win over North Texas Wednesday night to move to 8-2 on the year. Taylor Proctor's line of 15 points, eight rebounds, six assists and four blocks stood out on the stats sheet, each number a game high. The Dons have now held four opponents to under 50 points on the year, and USF's scoring defense is rated first in the WCC, and 40th in the NCAA.

USF's wire-to-wire win was its second straight, as the team also never trailed at Seattle.

Jump Around

---

As was the trend last season, USF has been solid on the opening tip, with the combination of Paige Spietz and Taylor Proctor winning 9-of-10 - 90 percent - of jumps from the circle thus far. Spietz

Hustle Up

---

The Dons have been hustling and bustling this year, holding solid margins in points in the paint, points off turnovers, and fast break points. 50.2 percent of USF's overall points on the season have been scored in the paint, and 31.3 percent of the Dons' scoring come off opponent's turnovers. 

USF averages 34.2 points in the paint, 21.3 points off turnovers, the bench produces 18.6 points a game, and 11.0 points come from second chance tries. In contrast, last season the Dons posted 27.5 points a game in the lane and just 14.8 points off turnovers.

On the Air

---

Listen to longtime voice of the Dons, George Devine, behind the mic all season long. Devine is in his 19th season as the play-by-play voice of USF women's basketball.

Watch all home games on theW.tv/live, in partnership with Silver Chalice/Campus Insiders. Catch the action for both home and away contests at usfdons.com/LIVE.

On the Horizon

---

After the holiday break, USF opens conference play against Pacific Saturday, Dec. 27 at 2 p.m. Then the Dons and Bay Area foe Saint Mary's tangle Monday, Dec. 29 at 7 p.m.

Get Connected

---

Fans can keep up on the latest in USF Athletics in a variety of ways.
Follow USF Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @ DonsAthletics
Follow USF women's basketball on Facebook at www.facebook.com/San FranciscoWBB, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/USFDonsWBB, or via Instagram at www.instagram.com/USFBasketball
Check out video of the Dons in action at www.youtube.com/usfdonsathletics and tune in to Comcast SportsNet California for USF's monthly cable feature series, "Behind the Mask". Check local listings for air times and dates.