Jan. 16, 2005

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USF TRAVELS TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST: USF continues its three-game West Coast Conference road trip when they travel to the Pacific Northwest to take on league-leading Gonzaga Thursday and Portland Saturday. The Dons enter the weekend after suffering a tough loss at San Diego (53-62) at the Jenny Craig Pavilion in their only contest last week. Winners of their last 11, the Bulldogs are off to a great start to the season and look to be the favorites to win their second WCC regular season title. Portland enters the third week of league play searching for their first conference victory. Last season San Francisco handed Gonzaga their only home loss in the final game played in the Martin Centre to salvage the series split, while the Pilots swept the Dons for the first time since 1999.

Toni Russell EXTENDS WCC CAREER SWIPES RECORD WITH 326: Senior guard Toni Russell made a permanent mark on the West Coast Conference record books against Pepperdine (1/8/05) and after a four steal outing at San Diego has 326 in her career. Russell tied the previous mark of 318 held by Portland's Deana Lansing (1993-97) in the WCC opener against Loyola Marymount and now has at least 12 more games to possibly put the mark out of reach. Earlier this season, Russell passed Tami Adkins (1989-93) as the most prolific thief in USF women's basketball history. For perspective, USF men's basketball stars Gerald Walker (344) and Orlando Smart (279) rank first and second respectively in WCC history in steals. Russell needs 19 steals to be the most prolific thief in USF basketball history. The San Francisco native leads the WCC in steals and has posted five or more steals in six games. Russell ranks in the top-20 nationally among Division I leaders in steals (3.9).

KRUEGER CLIMBS TO THIRD PLACE ON USF REBOUND LEADER BOARD: With her ninth rebound in a win against Pepperdine (1/8/05), sixth-year senior center Mary Jane Krueger moved into third place on the USF career rebound list with 755, passing former standout Joy Boyenga (1988-92), who pulled down 752 during her career on the Hilltop. Melinda Harrison (1985-89) is next up on the list with 808, while current USF head coach Mary Hile-Nepfel (1977-81) is the all-time leader with 1,602. Krueger enters Thursday's game against Gonzaga with 760 boards. On the season, Krueger ranks second in the West Coast Conference in rebounding, has recorded 10 or more boards in six games and has led the team 15 times.

CARTER ON PACE: Freshman guard Dominique Carter continues to lead USF in scoring (14.3) and is on pace to be one of the better freshmen scorers in program history. So far, Carter has scored 228 points in 16 games. Joy Hollingsworth (2002-2004) tallied 309 (10.7 ppg) during her West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year campaign in the highest frosh tally since current Dons assistant coach Brittany Lindhe poured in 447 (15.4 ppg) as a freshman in 1994-95.

USF ON THE RADIO AND THE NET: USF women's basketball returns to the airwaves and cyberspace for the 2004-2005 season and all games will be available live at USFDons.com and at KUSF 90.3 FM. Join George Devine for the play-by-play of all 28 games of the 2004-2005 schedule. USF women's basketball is in its ninth season on the radio and in cyberspace. Other features include GameTracker, courtesy of College Sports with live scoring and play-by-play. New for the 2004-2005 season is live streaming video of non televised home contests, courtesy of YahooSports.

GAME #17 - SCOUTING GONZAGA: The Bulldogs continue to roll and have won their last 11 straight games after pulling off a Southern California road sweep at Loyola Marymount (67-59) and won at Pepperdine (71-54) for the first time since 1994. During league action, Gonzaga's average margin of victory is at a remarkable +21.0. The Bulldogs connect at a .454 clip from the field, including a .345 (82-238) pace from 3-point range and have held opponents to a stingy .344 clip from the floor. Gonzaga does it with balance as six players average at least 8.0 points per game, led by senior forward Ashley Burke at 12.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per night. Senior guard Shannon Mathews adds 10.9 points and a league best 6.2 assists per night, while senior guard Raenna Jewell chips in 8.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per night. Head coach Kelly Graves is in his fifth season at the Bulldogs helm and guided his team to only the second postseason berth in program history last year (WNIT). Graves owns a 67-67 overall record in Spokane and a career mark of 133-96 in his eighth season.

LAST MEETINGS: Gonzaga 72, at USF 61 (ot) (1/15/04); USF 59, at Gonzaga 53 (2/15/04)

SERIES RECORD/STREAK: USF leads 24-11/USF won 1

LAST TIME AGAINST USF: USF spoiled Gonzaga's senior night with a 59-53 victory in the final women's game ever played at the Martin Centre in front of a Fox Sports audience. The Dons shot at a .416 (23-55) clip for the game, despite going 0-for-10 from 3-point range and forced 21 Zags turnovers. Junior guard Toni Russell scored a game-high 19 points on 8-of-14 from the field, while senior guard Merisa Leatherman added 12 points off the bench for San Francisco.

GAME #18 - SCOUTING PORTLAND: The Pilots enter the third week of West Coast Conference action with a 5-12 overall record and are searching for their first league victory after an 0-4 start. Portland suffered a road sweep in Southern California last weekend, falling at Pepperdine (85-52) and Loyola Marymount (70-61). Portland averages 60.1 points per game on .384 shooting from the floor, but opponents connect at a .411 pace averaging 67.9 points per night. Senior center Ashlee Orndorff leads the way for the Pilots, averaging 12.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, while senior guard Amy Botto adds 9.9 points and 3.6 rebounds. Jim Sollars is in his 19th season on The Bluff and owns a 270-263 record and an overall mark of 447-346 in 29 seasons. During his tenure at Portland, Sollars has guided his squad to four consecutive NCAA berths (1994-97) and a WNIT appearance (1999).

BEFORE USF: San Diego at Portland (1/20/05)

LAST MEETINGS: Portland 76, at USF 64 (1/17/04); at Porltand 67, USF 63 (2/12/04)

SERIES RECORD/STREAK: USF leads 21-17/UP won 2

LAST TIME AGAINST USF: Portland completed their first season series sweep against USF since the 1999 campaign with a 67-63 victory at the Chiles Center, sending the Dons to their fourth straight loss. San Francisco held a 24-21 lead at the intermission, but the Pilots hit .500 (14-28) from the field and outscored USF 46-39 in the second half. USF committed 21 turnovers offsetting a 47-32 rebound lead. Junior center Mary Jane Krueger scored a team-high 14 points and pulled down 14 rebounds, while senior forward Carey Sauer added 13 points and 11 boards.

Heidi VanDerveer AT THE HELM: With head coach Mary Hile-Nepfel out indefinitely with an illness, top assistant coach Heidi VanDerveer assumed day-to-day coaching duties of the team prior to the Dons road contest at Seton Hall December 20. A professional and collegiate coaching veteran, VanDerveer served as head coach of the Sacramento Monarchs (1997-98) and Minnesota Lynx (2002) of the WNBA, following three seasons as the head coach at Eastern Washington (1995-97). USF's 63-48 victory against Pepperdine (1/8/05) was the first win for VanDerveer as the acting head coach.

SAN FRANCISCO SHARP SHOOTERS: USF enters the third week of the 2005 West Coast Conference season ranked second in field goal percentage, connecting on .419 (366-873) from the field. The Dons have five players converting on .400 of their attempts or better, led by freshman guard Dominique Carter at .479 (91-190). USF also ranks third in free throw percentage at .721 (191-265), but have little success from behind the arc, connecting on just .396 (53-179) from long distance, good for seventh place in the WCC.

DONS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF CHARITY: USF has led the West Coast Conference in free throw percentage in two of the last three seasons and so far early returns look as though the Dons will challenge once again this year. San Francisco has converted on .721 (191-190) at the charity stripe this season. The Dons have shot better than their opponents at the line in 10 of their 16 contests this season. Senior guard Toni Russell leads the way for the Dons at .833 (30-36) and rates second among league leaders at the stripe.

Toni Russell - 2004 WCC DEFENDER OF THE YEAR: Throughout her career, USF senior guard Toni Russell built a reputation as one of the toughest defenders in the West Coast Conference and earned the hardware to prove it, capturing 2004 Defender of the Year honors. The 2002 WCC Freshman of the Year, turned in a career season as a junior, setting new marks in scoring (9.9), rebounds (3.7) and assists (4.1). Russell entered the season in second place on the USF career steals list with 264, needing just seven to surpass Tami Adkins (1989-93) as the all-time leader. Russell passed Adkins mark with her first steal in a win against William and Mary (11/26/03). With her first steal against Pepperdine, Russell passed Portland's Deana Lansing (1993-97/318) as the league's best thief and currently owns 326 swipes. An excellent playmaker, Russell enters Thursday's game at Gonzaga ranked sixth in career assists with 378 and is the first Don to lead the team in assists and steals in three consecutive seasons since Adkins accomplished the feat from 1991-93. Up next on the list is former teammate Lindsey Huff (1997-2002), who dished out 398 A member of the 2003 and 2004 odwalla Classic All-Tournament Team, Russell scored a career-high 28 points in a win at San Diego (1/24/04). On the season, Russell averages 10.4 points, 3.6 rebounds 3.9 assists and 3.9 steals per game.

Mary Jane Krueger BACK FOR MORE: Sixth-year senior center Mary Jane Krueger makes a welcome return to the lineup for the 2004-05 season. One of the most relentless rebounders in the West Coast Conference, Krueger enters her final season on the Hilltop ranked fourth in program history in rebounds per game (7.64). After posting 136 rebounds in her first 15 games, including a 16-rebound effort at Denver (11/20/04). Krueger currently has 760, good for third place on the career board charts. Melinda Harrison (1985-89) is next up on the list with 808. Krueger owns seventh place on the blocked shots list with 72 after passing former teammate Kim Whisler (1997-2001) at 71 career swats. This season, Krueger averages 9.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game and has recorded three double-doubles, elevating her career tally to 22. On the year, Krueger has led the team in scoring four times and has been the top rebounder 13 times.

Dominique Carter - WCC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Freshman guard Dominique Carter made an immediate impact for USF in her first two games in the Green and Gold and was selected as West Coast Conference Player of the Week in the process after averaging 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Carter poured in a game-high 22 points to go along with 11 rebounds for her first career double-double in only her second collegiate contest at Denver (11/21/04). Carter earned all-tournament honors at the 2004 odwalla Classic, scoring 37 points to go along with six rebounds and a pair of steals against William and Mary and Oakland. Carter turned in her second double-dip of the season at Cal Poly (12/5/04) with 17 points and 13 boards and scored a career-high 23 points against Loyola Marymount. So far this season, Carter averages a team-high 14.3 points on .479 (91-190) shooting to go along with 4.5 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game. Carter has recorded 11 double-digit scoring nights and has led the team in scoring in nine games this season.

KATSUYAMA STEPPING UP: Sophomore guard Jennifer Katsuyama started the West Coast Conference campaign on a strong note, which is a good sign for USF. Katsuyama scored 10 points and dished out seven assists in San Francisco's win against Pepperdine (1/8/05) and added three points, four rebounds and four assists in the WCC opener against defending league champion Loyola Marymount. On the season, Katsuyama has appeared in every game with 11 starts and averages 5.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and rates second on the team with 2.5 assists per game. During WCC play, Katsuyama adds 7.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists.

JENSEN PICKING UP WHERE SHE LEFT OFF: Senior center Leeane Jensen showed little signs of rust for USF in the opening weekend of the 2004-2005 season. After missing all of 2003-2004 with an illness, Jensen averaged 8.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals against Colorado State and Denver. A West Coast Conference Player of the Week selection in 2003, Jensen averaged 7.5 points and 5.3 rebounds as a junior. Jensen enjoyed a strong effort off the bench against UC Davis (11/30/04), tallying eight points and five rebounds in 22 minutes. Playing in front of family and friends at Cal Poly, Jensen, from nearby Morro Bay, scored six points, three rebounds and a pair of assists in 22 minutes of playing time. Jensen scored a season-high 13 points in 13 minutes against Marist (12/28/04). So far this season, Jensen chips in 6.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game for the Dons. In WCC play Jensen averages 10.0 points and 5.7 rebounds.

Lisa Olden CONTRIBUTING AS A STARTER: Freshman center Lisa Olden has shown a lot of promise for USF during the start of the 2004-2005 season and made her first career start against UC Davis (11/30/04). Olden scored a career-high 12 points to go along with six rebounds and five steals against San Jose State (12/2/04) and followed with eight points and five rebounds in a road win at Cal Poly (12/5/04). Olden scored 10 points and pulled down seven rebounds in a win against Sonoma State (12/17/04). On the year, Olden averages 4.7 points to go along with 3.8 rebounds per game.