1979 Northern California Athletic Conference Champions
Record: 18-10 | NCAC Record: 9-3
Head Coach: Walt Bugler
Record: 18-10 NCAC Record: 9-3
All-NCAC Team: Mary Hile
Top Scorer: Mary Hile (21.1) Top Rebounder: Mary Hile (14.7)
USF Hall-of-Famers: Mary Hile
The 1978-79 USF women’s basketball team captured the Northern California Athletic Conference with a 9-3 record, and then won three straight postseason games to capture first place in the Small College Region 8 Playoffs held inside the Campus Events Center on the UC Santa Barbara campus.
The Dons then flew to Fargo, North Dakota to face Niagara for the AIAW Small College Finals. The game was back and forth the whole way, but Niagara managed to hold off a late USF charge for a 56-52 win, as Mary Hile led the Dons with 27 points and 12 rebounds. The Dons fell in the consolation game 99-64 at the hands of Southeast Louisiana.
The Dons non-conference schedule included wins over UC Davis and UC Irvine and losses to Southern California powers UCLA and USC. The Dons also lost a 55-54 nail biter to Oregon in late February. USF opened up conference play with an 80-61 rout of Stanford, then later in league play swept Santa Clara and Pacific, and gained a 1-1 split with California, winning 54-51 at home over the Bears, as Hile poured in 26 points and hauled down 14 rebounds.
The Dons faced Occidental in the opening round of the Small College Region 8 Playoffs and rolled to a 70-65 win, followed by an 83-67 rout of Azusa Pacific. The Dons captured the Region 8 title with a 63-59 victory over Pepperdine as Hile threw down a season high 39 points. Over the three game postseason tournament, Hile scored 87 points and yanked down 50 rebounds.
Hile was the team’s leading scorer over the course of the campaign, averaging just over 21 points per contest and Kim Bachman added 9.8 points per game. Guard Gloria Smith handed out 95 assists.
Did You Know? Mary Hile is one of only six USF basketball players – and only two women’s players – to have their jersey number retired. Hile’s number 15 jersey can be seen hanging from the rafters inside War Memorial Gym, alongside the jerseys of Bill Cartwright, Mike Farmer, K.C. Jones, Brittany Lindhe and the immortal Bill Russell. Over the course of her four-year USF career, Hile scored 2,324 points, an all-time record for men or women. She was the first female inducted into the USF Hall of Fame, and a two time All-American.
They Said It: “Roles and rules. Know what role you play on the team and never leave that role, and know and play by the rules. Use common sense and common courtesy and you will always get the job done,” USF Head Coach Walt Bugler.
