SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco women's basketball team started the night with a ceremony to honor last year's run to the WNIT, hungry to get back to the postseason in consecutive years since the 1990s. And against Holy Names, the squad channeled a different post-season Dons' squad, routing the Hawks 77-31 on Tuesday night at War Memorial Gym.

The 31-point tally recorded by Holy Names is the lowest for a USF opponent since the Dons took care of Columbia, 70-25, on Jan. 3, 1996. The 1995-96 season marked USF's first-ever NCAA tournament appearance, and the first of three consecutive.

"It was good to be able to play our bench, and play a lot of players tonight," noted head coach Jennifer Azzi. "I thought our defensive energy was very good. We held Holy Names to 31 points, and it was a very, very good defensive effort.

"I think this year we've established ourselves as more of a defensive-minded team which I'm very happy about. I think we could do a much better job taking care of the ball, but on the contrary, we were able to get a ton of turnovers tonight and score off of their turnovers."
The Dons were able to play 12 women in the game, led by a near triple-double for senior Taylor Proctor. The forward from Colorado Springs, Colo., compiled 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting, 12 rebounds and a career-best seven steals in 26 minutes on the court. Junior Claudia Price added a career-high 15 points on a 7-of-9 effort from the floor in 19 minutes of action and Zhane Dikes rounded out the double-digit scoring with 11 points and four steals in the victory.
 
USF's defense wreaked havoc on the opponents straight out of the gate, as the Hawks committed seven turnovers in the first five minutes of the contest, missing its first seven attempts from the field. During that span, USF was able to build a 15-0 lead, and held the 24-4 advantage after the first quarter of the game.

The Dons grew the lead to 24-4 after Rachel Howard laid it in with 5:42 to play in the half. However, the Hawks would close the period strong, and their 10-2 run in the final 2:25 made it 30-17 at the break.

In the third frame, USF's defense was again at the ready, opening with a 12-3 run to extend the advantage after Anna Seilund banked in a 3-pointer with 5:43 on the clock. USF went into the final 10 minutes of action with the 54-31 lead, and the Dons defense clamped down to keep Holy Names scoreless in the fourth quarter.

The Hawks shot 0-for-10 in the final period, and 23.8 percent for the game, while USF finished shooting 50.8 percent on the night, despite a 2-for-12 effort from 3-point range. The Dons' sweltering defense forced Holy Names into 33 turnovers, which resulted in 30 points for USF. Showing a fierce inside presence, USF outscored the Hawks 54 to 4 in the paint. The Dons finished with 22 assists on 32 made baskets, illustrating the synergy of the offense.

"You've got to keep working and grinding and that's the only way we can get better," said Price. "Every game, you can't take for granted.

"Don't focus on the little things, just focus on what I can do for the team, and I think that's the mindset that I have to have each game. I'm just playing my hardest and giving my all, no matter if I'm scoring or not. Just giving my all to my teammates."
 
With the win over Holy Names, USF moves to 2-0 on the season. This contest serves as the first in a string of five games in the next 12 days. Up next, the Dons take on Cal Poly at War Memorial Gym on Friday at 7 p.m.