Video highlightsPORTLAND, Ore. - The Dons got back to its winning ways on Saturday at the Chiles Center, turning in a total team performance to earn the 82-63 victory over Portland.
The Dons shot 51.7 percent from the field and finished with 19 assists in the game. Four women finished with double-digit scoring efforts, paced by game-highs of 19 points and 10 rebounds for
Zhane Dikes. The senior from Las Vegas also led the Dons with four assists in the contest.
"Tonight, we were really moving the ball and we were passing up good shots for better shots," noted Dikes. "I think when we do that we are a great basketball team, and I think that was the big difference tonight."
Taylor Proctor added 16 points, seven rebounds and two blocks, and the duo of
Michaela Rakova and
Rachel Howard each finished with 11 points in the game. Rakova, a sophomore from Ivanka pri Dunaja, Slovakia, earned her first career start against the Pilots as the Dons employed a new-look starting five.
"We played much more our style of basketball which is ball movement, player movement, working for the best shot," said head coach
Jennifer Azzi. "I was proud of the team for executing the game plan and I thought we played very unselfishly. We had 19 assists tonight, and that's kind of been a mark of our team this year.
"I think each of our players played within their role. Michaela really gives us a big presence in the paint and she can score from the short corner, she can score high post and on the block, so it makes her a real threat. When teams are doubling and tripling Taylor then we have somebody to play off of it. I think
Claudia Price does a great job of playing off of Michaela and Taylor as well, and getting some good inside scoring is important for us. I thought
Hashima Carothers gave us great defensive energy and
Kalyn Simon had nine rebounds, and all those little things made a big difference."
The Dons opened with the 8-1 lead, hitting four of its first five attempts of the game with three layups to open the contest. USF extended the advantage to 13 points after
Anna Seilund swished from distance with 1:31 to play in the first quarter.
USF led 29-20 after Proctor fed the post and Rakova got the basket with 7:33 to play in the second quarter. Then, the Pilots went to work with an 11-0 run to jump to the 31-29 lead. During the three minute dry spell, the Dons committed six turnovers while Portland's Holly Blades scored seven of the Pilots' 11 points.
By the halftime break, the Dons had edged back out to the 44-38 advantage, and USF opened second half with a 3-pointer for Dikes, a jumper for Simon and a successful trip to the line for Proctor. The Pilots sliced the lead back to seven after Darian Slaga connected from beyond the arc. Her 3-pointer with 7:02 to play got a friendly bounce off the iron and in to put the score at 51-44 in favor of the Dons.
USF extended the advantage to double-digits after Proctor's pass to Price led to the score. The Dons ratcheted up the defensive pressure late in the period, scoring seven unanswered. After Simon nabbed the loose ball at halfcourt and Proctor swooped in for an offensive rebounds and putback, the Dons were ahead 64-49 with 12:58 remaining in the game.
USF went on to win 83-63 and pick up its 10th victory of the season. The Dons sit at 10-5 after earning its first West Coast Conference win of the year while Portland slides to 2-13 (0-4 WCC).
USF outshot the Pilots 51.7 to 38.9 percent, and finished with the 43 to 23 rebounding edge. Effective by the basket, USF scored 32 of its points from the paint. Portland was paced by Blades, who finished with 15 points - all of which came in the first half.
"Success isn't linear - Coach talked about that before the game," remarked Dikes. "There might be a bump in the road but it's how you respond. After being down and out after a few losses, we've really stayed locked in and stayed bought in as a team, and we're on the road to success now. I think this win really helped us out."
Now, the Dons return to the Hilltop after being on the road for the previous three contests. The Dons host San Diego at War Memorial Gym at the Sobrato Center on Thursday at 7 p.m.
"It's been a very challenging schedule this fall and early winter with being gone so much in the preseason and then starting conference this way with three away games," said Azzi. "I think we're all excited to be home for about 12 days and I think that's good for us to get back to work, get back in the weight room, and back at USF."
