Game 9: USF (6-2, 0-0 WCC) at San Jose State (1-4, 0-0 Mountain West)
Sunday, Dec. 6 | 2 p.m. | The Event Center
Watch: sjsuspartans.com/video | Listen: usfdons.com/LIVE | Gametracker
Complete notes (PDF)

#OneTeam

---

The Dons play two on the road before Finals Week, starting with a trip to take on one of the top scoring teams in the country. USF takes on the 15th-best scoring team in NCAA Division 1, San Jose State, on Saturday at 2 p.m.

By the Numbers

---

• When the Dons have the ball •
USF Scoring Offense - 77.8 (38) | San Jose State Scoring Defense - 91.6 (344)
USF Field Goal Pct. - .474 (16) | San Jose State FG Pct. Defense - .466 (329)
USF 3FG Pct. - .338 (86) | San Jose State 3FG Pct. Defense - .328 (379)
USF Free Throw Pct. - .737 (47)

• When the Spartans have the ball •
San Jose State Scoring Offense - 83.0 (15) | USF Scoring Defense - 67.1 (228)
San Jose State Field Goal Pct. - .367 (260) | USF FG Pct. Defense - .398 (212)
San Jose State 3FG Pct. - .302 (182) | USF 3FG Pct. Defense - .385 (332)
San Jose State Free Throw Pct. - .714 (89)
(NCAA rank in parentheses)

Comparison (USF/SJSU)
Scoring Margin: +10.6/-8.6
Rebounds/Game: 39.2/41.4
Assists/Game: 17.8/15.4
Turnovers/Game: 18.0/17.8
Assist/Turnover Ratio: 1.0/0.9
Steals/Game: 9.3/13.4
Blocks/Game: 3.0/2.2

Between the Baselines

---

The Dons are led by senior Taylor Proctor's 24.4 points on .549 shooting and 10.1 rebounds per game. Proctor's point tally currently rates 5th in the NCAA, and with four double-doubles on the year she stands tied for 10th, nationally. Zhane Dikes adds 13.6 points and a team-high 2.3 steals per night. Rachel Howard averages 13.4 points, hitting 41.5 percent of her attempts from beyond the arc, and 3.8 assists a game. 

As a team, USF is leading the WCC in assists with Howard, Proctor, Dikes and Anna Seilund landing in the league top 15, and the Dons rate 28th in the country. USF's .474 shooting percentage stands in 16th nationally, and second in the league.

Know the Foe

---

San Jose State enters the game sporting a 1-4 record, playing its last four contests on the road at Saint Mary's, CSU Bakersfield, Washington State and Oregon - all losses. 

The Spartans are led by a trio of double-digit scorers paced by preseason Mountain West Newcomer of the Year Dezz Ramos's 17 points per game. Along with its impressive average of 83.0 points per game, 15th in the NCAA, San Jose State rates ninth in the country in steals per game, with 13.4 thefts a contest. The defense forces their opponents into an impressive 25.4 turnovers a night.

What 2 Watch 4

---

Along with the potent offensive output for the Spartans, the Dons are also enjoying a high-scoring non-conference season. USF is averaging 77.8 points per game, 38th nationally. The two teams combine for nearly 161 points per game, and both squads have registered 90-point games this season.

Series Snippits

---

San Jose State leads the all-time series against the Dons, 23-17, but USF has taken 4-of-5 in the Jennifer Azzi era. In the last meeting between the two the Dons clamped down on the then-NCAA leading scorers to hold San Jose State to 62 points while the Dons scored 77 in the win.

USF was led by a foursome of double-digit scorers, headed by senior Paige Spietz' effective 20 points on 6-of-7 shooting and a 7-of-9 effort from the free throw line. Taylor Proctor finished with her fourth double-double of the season, adding 17 points and 10 rebounds in the victory. Zhane Dikes finished with 16 points, seven boards and a team-high four assists and Taj Winston contributed 11 points and three steals for the Dons.

Last Time Out

---

It looked like the San Francisco women's basketball team might not be able to combat the hot-handed UC Riverside offense after falling behind by as many as 14 points in the first half from War Memorial at the Sobrato Center. But the Dons went into overdrive in the final quarter of the game to earn the hard-fought 88-76 victory over the Highlanders in a Friday night tilt on the Hilltop.

A trio of Dons led the stat sheet, headlined by senior Taylor Proctor's 32 points on .500 shooting, 10 rebounds, five assists and four blocks. The double-double is her fourth of the season, and 20th of her career.

Fellow senior Zhane Dikes added 22 points, nine rebounds and a game-high four steals in the contest, and Hashima Carothers notched a career-high 15 points and five rebounds in the victory. The junior from Las Vegas was 9-of-10 from the free throw line, including an 8-of-8 effort in the second half. In the final three minutes of the contest, she provided 10 of her points, along with a steal and a rebound in the gutty performance from the bench.

On the Offensive

---

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 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 47.4 percent of their attempts, and hitting threes at a rate of 33.8 percent. USF is leading the WCC in assists per game with 17.8.

Let's Get it Started

---

The Dons open the season with a 6-2 record for the second straight season, and boast the solid start for just the fifth time in program history. USF also reached the 6-2 mark in NCAA tournament seasons 1994-95 and 96-97, along with the 1980-81 and 82-83 seasons.

30-for-32

---

Taylor Proctor has been on a scoring tear to start the season, with two 30-point games thus far. Against Utah Valley on Nov. 23, she recorded a career-high 39 points. Her tally stands tied as the second-best single game performance in school history even with USF Hall of Famer Mary Hile-Nepfel's mark against Pepperdine in 1979, and three points shy of Teri Hunt's 42 points against San Diego on Jan. 31, 1987.

On Dec. 4 in the Dons' victory against UC Riverside, she went off for 32 points to lead the squad. In USF's 1,116 games played in the history of the program, the 30-point mark has only been eclipsed 36 times, and Proctor is one of seven women to record multiple 30-point games.

Other multi-game 30-point scorers:
Mary Hile (9), Dominique Carter (4), Valerie Gillon (2), Teri Hunt (4), Linda Walsh (2), Margaret Walsh (2)

Multi-game 30-point scorers in a single season:
Mary Hile (5 in 87-89), Mary Hile (3 in 77-78), Teri Hunt (3 in 85-86), Dominique Carter (2 in 07-08),  Linda Walsh (2 in 82-83), Margaret Walsh (2 in 85-86)

NCAA Active Career Leaders

---

Taylor Proctor currently ranks 35th among active Division I scoring leaders (1,374 points). She also ranks in the top-40 among active players in field goals (512/30th) and double-doubles (20/T-34th). Fellow senior Zhane Dikes rates 19th in NCAA Division I in career free throw attempts (458) and 25th in makes (333).

USF Record-Setters

---

The duo both grace USF's 1,000-point scoring list of 21 women, and Proctor is also a member of the 500-rebound club. Dikes needs 18 more boards to join her. Currently, Proctor is eighth in all-time scoring and sixth in rebounds, and she is one of five women to rate in the top-10 in both categories.

On the Air

---

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

---

The squad travels to Long Beach State for a Tuesday night contest at the Pyramid, as USF caps a stretch of four games in eight days heading into Finals Week. The Dons will have more than a week off before closing the non-conference slate against San Francisco State on Dec. 19 at 2 p.m.

Get Connected

---

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