Game 14: USF (10-4, 0-2 WCC) at Gonzaga (10-4, 2-0 WCC)
Thursday, Dec. 31 | 5 p.m. | McCarthey Athletic Complex (6,000)
Watch/stats/social: WCC Gamecenter | USF Audio Broadcast
Complete game notes (PDF)

#OneTeam

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San Francisco rings in the New Year on the road for the third straight season, facing off with Gonzaga on Dec. 31. This is the first Pacific Northwest trip that begins in Spokane since the 2011-12 season, and six of the last eight treks north for the Dons have begun in Portland.

By the Numbers (NCAA rank in parentheses)

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• When the Dons have the ball •
USF Scoring Offense - 74.5 (56) | Gonzaga Scoring Defense - 54.4 (26)
USF Field Goal Pct. - .453 (31) | Gonzaga FG Pct. Defense - .353 (46)
USF 3FG Pct. - .357 (44) | Gonzaga 3FG Pct. Defense - .274 (62)
USF Free Throw Pct. - .736 (46)

• When the Bulldogs have the ball •
Gonzaga Scoring Offense - 65.4 (167) | USF Scoring Defense - 66.2 (220)
Gonzaga Field Goal Pct. - .404 (142) | USF FG Pct. Defense - .386 (158)
Gonzaga 3FG Pct. - .328 (113) | USF 3FG Pct. Defense - .366 (332)
Gonzaga Free Throw Pct - .667 (223)

Comparison (USF/GON)
Scoring Margin: +8.3/+11.0
Rebounds/Game: 39.2/42.6
Assists/Game: 17.6/13.4
Turnovers/Game: 17.6/16.8
Assist/Turnover Ratio: 1.0/0.8
Steals/Game: 9.2/8.9
Blocks/Game: 3.1/4.5

Between the Baselines

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The USF offense has been explosive and operating with teamwork and synergy at the forefront.The Dons rank second in the league and 31st in NCAA Division I in shooting percentage, hitting 45.3 percent of their attempts from the floor. Coupled with a league-leading 17.6 assists per game, good for 46th in the nation, the collaborative nature of the offense has been a focus point. 

The Dons are led by senior Taylor Proctor's 21.2 points on .528 shooting and 9.0 rebounds per game. Zhane Dikes adds 14.7 points and 7.5 rebounds, and Rachel Howard contributes 13.4 points on a WCC-best .436 shooting from beyond the arc. 

Know the Foe

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Gonzaga, preseason favorites to take the WCC crown, have won at least a share of the last 11 WCC regular season championships. The team enters the weekend sporting a 10-4 record, and riding a four-game winning streak after opening conference play with wins at Pepperdine (74-57) and Loyola Marymount (66-59).

Statistically, the Bulldogs are led by senior Shelby Cheslek (10.6 ppg, .545 fg%, 9.1 rpg, 2.1 bpg). She stands in first in the WCC in blocks, second in rebounding and third in field goal percentage. Elle Tinkle (10.5 ppg) and Jill Barta (10.3 ppg) round out the double-digit scorers for the defensive-minded squad.

What 2 Watch 4

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Thursday's showdown features a powerful offense versus a stout defense as the Dons and the Bulldogs tussle. USF is second in the WCC in scoring, averaging 74.5 points on 45.3 percent shooting. Conversely, Gonzaga holds opponents to 54.4 points per game, 26th in the NCAA and first in the league.

Series Snippits

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The Bulldogs hold a 36-24 advantage in the all-time series, and Gonzaga is riding a 20-game winning streak over USF. The last win over the Bulldogs came March 2, 2006, a 75-67 over the WCC Championship hosts in a #2 vs. #7 seed matchup. The last regular season victory occurred Feb. 15, 2004. Also in Spokane, the Dons posted a 59-53 win.

Despite the lengthy string of victories in favor of the Gonzaga, USF nearly upended the Bulldogs last season in Spokane, pushing the game to four overtimes - the longest game in NCAA Division I in the 2014-15 season, and the longest women's basketball game in WCC history.

Last Time Out

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A stagnant second quarter sunk the San Francisco women's basketball team as the Dons fell 70-57 at Pacific on Dec. 23.

The Dons were led by a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double to go along with five steals for senior Zhane Dikes, her second in the last three contests for USF. Taylor Proctor added 10 points and nine rebounds, and Claudia Price chipped in 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the floor in the loss.  

During the fetid second period, USF was outscored 22-8 and the Dons committed nine turnovers. Pacific went into the break up 32-20, after the Tiger duo of Hailie Eackles and Desire Finnie scored 15 points apiece, going a combined 9-for-9 from the line in the first 20 minutes, accounting for all but one basket in the half.

The Dons battled back to tie the contest at 49 before the Tigers roared back with an 18-4 run en route to victory.

Paint the Floor Green and Gold

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The Dons hold the wide margin in points in the paint, feeding the posts or driving in for the score for 30.9 points per game. Twice this season, USF has scored at least 50 points in the paint (54 vs. Holy Names, 50 vs. UC Riverside). Their opponents only make it to the lane for the basket for 18.6 points per game.

Playing the Percentages

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Shooting a very effective 45.3 percent from the floor, the Dons have five women over the .500-mark in true shooting percentage, which takes into account field goals, 3-pointers and free throws. Claudia Price (.615 ts%) and Taylor Prictor (.606 ts%) lead the way, followed by Rachel Howard (.569 ts%), Zhane Dikes (.558 ts%) and Raushan Gultekin (.541 ts%).

NCAA Active Career Leaders

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Taylor Proctor currently ranks 35th among active Division I scoring leaders (1,454 points). She also ranks in the top-40 among active players in field goals (544/29th) and double-doubles (21/36th). Fellow senior Zhane Dikes rates 17th in NCAA Division I in career free throw attempts (497) and 21st in makes (363).

On the Offensive

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Under the tutelage of one of the best point guards to play the game, the Dons have improved their offensive output and team mentality of sharing the ball and assisting the shooter. 

In the year previous to Jennifer Azzi's arrival on the Hilltop, the Dons shot .338 from the field, .308 from 3-point range and averaged 9.8 assists per game. Currently, the Dons are connecting on 45.3 percent of their attempts, and hitting threes at a rate of 35.7 percent. USF is leading the WCC in assists per game with 17.6.

On the Air

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Listen to longtime voice of the Dons, George Devine, behind the mic all season long. Devine is in his 20th 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. Get in on the action for both home and away contests at usfdons.com/LIVE. Catch all the action, any time, anywhere at theW.tv!

Jumping Ahead

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After ringing in the New Year at Gonzaga, the Dons take on Portland on Jan. 2. Then, USF returns home to host San Diego (Jan. 7) and BYU (Jan. 9) at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.

Get Connected

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Fans can follow the Dons in a variety of ways:
- Via the departmental Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat with the username donsathletics.
- Through the USF women's basketball team-specific Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
- On YouTube at USFDonsAthletics, where fans can view video segments online
- On Comcast SportsNet California in USF Athletics' monthly show, "Behind the Mask"
- With previews, recaps, videos, features and more as seen on USFDons.com