SPOKANE, Wash. – The 5 o'clock tipoff between Gonzaga and San Francisco made it the last NCAA Division I contest to be played in the 2015 calendar year, and now the Dons look to turn the page and change their luck as 2016 begins. An off night from the field plagued USF as Gonzaga earned the 68-47 victory at the McCarthey Athletic Center on New Year's Eve.

The Dons, second in the West Coast Conference and 31st in the NCAA in field goal percentage, managed just 28.8 percent shooting on the night, its worst shooting effort of the season. Conversely, the Bulldogs were firing on all cylinders, hitting on 54.2 percent of its attempts from the field and going 10-of-19 from 3-point range in the Thursday night tussle.

The Dons were led by the senior duo of Zhane Dikes and Taylor Proctor, who combined for 26 of USF's 47 points. Rachel Howard and Michaela Rakova added eight apiece for the USF offense. Dikes finished as the Dons leading rebounder with seven boards.
USF started slow as Gonzaga scored the first five points of the game. The lead grew to 15-7 after back-to-back buckets for Bulldogs player Jill Barta to close the first period. By the halftime break, the Dons found themselves down by 12 with the score at 32-20, its lowest point total in a half this season.

The Dons opened the third with an aggressive attack as Rakova's three-point play after the back to the basket effort and converted free throw started the USF scoring in the period. USF rallied to close the gap to eight with 4:04 to play in the third quarter. Proctor dished to Dikes for the layup to set the score at 36-28 in favor of Gonzaga, and the Dons could get no closer.

Along with outshooting the Dons, Gonzaga won the battle of the boards 35-29, and the Bulldogs finished with the 16-7 edge in assists. The home team was paced by a 20-point outing for freshman Laura Stockton, daughter of 10-time NBA All-Star and Basketball Hall of Famer John.
With the loss, USF moves to 9-5 on the season, still seeking its first victory in WCC action. Preseason favorites and winners of 11-consecutive regular season conference crowns, Gonzaga now stands at 11-4 on the year, with a perfect 3-0 record in its WCC games.

Next up, USF travels to Portland to take on the Pilots, also looking for its first victory over a conference opponent. Saturday's tip from the Chiles Center is slated for 2 p.m.