Dec. 18, 2004

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USF TRAVELS EAST TO TAKE ON THE PIRATES: San Francisco departs the Bay Area Saturday afternoon for the east coast where they will take on the Pirates of Seton Hall Monday evening in the final game before Christmas break. The Dons take on their first Big East opponent since hosting both Seton Hall and Syracuse during the 2002-2003 season. USF collected a split, dispatching the Pirates (62-44) after suffering a loss to the Orangewomen (77-56). The Dons collected their sixth win of the non-conference season with a 64-53 victory against Division II Sonoma State Friday night. Seton Hall is off to a 4-3 start to the season and host Miami (OH) Saturday afternoon. After the Dons take on the Pirates, they will play just two more non-conference games, hosting Marist Tuesday, Dec. 29 before traveling to Albuquerque to face New Mexico on New Year's Eve. San Francisco opens the 2005 West Coast Conference campaign Thursday, January 6 when they host defending league champion Loyola Marymount at War Memorial Gym.

Toni Russell SECOND ON WCC CAREER STEALS CHARTS: With her first steal against William and Mary, senior guard Toni Russell passed Tami Adkins (1989-93) as the most prolific thief in USF women's basketball history, entering Monday's contest at Seton Hall with 295 career steals. Russell needs 24 to pass Portland's Deana Lansing (1993-97) for the top spot on the West Coast Conference career steals list and currently sits alone in second place. 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 50 steals to be the most prolific thief in USF basketball history.

KRUEGER CLIMBS TO FIFTH PLACE ON USF REBOUND LEADER BOARD: Sixth-year senior center Mary Jane Krueger has already pulled down 97 rebounds in just 10 games this season and has moved into fifth place on the USF career rebound list with 716. After a nine rebound performance against Sonoma State Friday, Krueger passed USF Hall-of-Famer Teri Hunt (1984-87), who recorded 711 in just three seasons on the Hilltop. Linda Walsh (1980-84) is next on the list in fourth place with 735 caroms. USF head coach Mary Hile-Nepfel (1977-81) is the all-time leader with 1,602.

WHO'S HOT FOR THE DONS: USF has posted a 3-2 record over its last five games led by freshman guard Dominique Carter, who continues to impress during the early going of the 2004-2005 season, averaging a team-high 11.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in her last five outings. Senior center Mary Jane Krueger adds 10.6 points and 10.2 rebounds. Senior guard Toni Russell has chipped in with 9.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.4 steals. Freshman center Lisa Olden has also enjoyed a solid stretch, averaging 7.0 points and 5.8 rebounds to go along with 2.4 steals.

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. A new feature for the 2004-2005 season is live streaming video of non televised home contests, courtesy of YahooSports.

GAME #11 - SCOUTING SETON HALL: The Pirates enter the week with a 4-3 overall record and are on a modest two-game winning streak after defeating Saint Joseph's (57-36) at home before taking a road victory at Iona (58-51) in their last contest before finals week on December 8. The Pirates average 56.1 points per game on .418 shooting from the field and connect at a .318 clip from 3-point range. Seton Hall does a nice job on the boards, averaging 37.1 rebounds per game. Senior guard Ashley Bush paces the Pirates on offense, averaging 14.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, while sophomore forward Monique Blake adds 11.1 points and 5.4 rebounds. Sophomore forward Heta Korpivaara chips in with 11.0 points and pulls down 4.6 rebounds per night. Head coach Phyllis Mangina is in her 20th season as head coach at her alma mater and owns a career record of 278-274 and has guided the Pirates to back-to-back second round appearances in the WNIT Postseason Tournament.

LAST MEETING: at USF 62, Seton Hall 44 (11/29/02)

SERIES RECORD/STREAK: USF leads 1-0/USF won one

BEFORE USF: Seton Hall hosts Miami (OH) Sat. Dec. 21

TEAM COMPARISONS - 2004-2005 SEASON - ALL GAMES:
Team	PPG	Margin	FG%	3-FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	TOPG	SPG	BPG
USF	63.5	+1.9	.432	.297	.723	37.2	15.6	19.1		11.3	2.6
SHU	56.1	-2.3	.418	.318	.720	37.1	10.6	17.4		7.1	5.6

THE LAST TIME AGAINST THE PIRATES: USF broke through for a huge second half and cruised to a 62-44 victory against Seton Hall in the first meeting between the two teams. The Dons broke open a 21-21 intermission score and poured in 41 points in the second frame and held the Pirates to just 23. Junior forward Carey Sauer scored a game-high 18 points and pulled down eight rebounds, while sophomore center Mary Jane Krueger added a double-double with 11 points and 12 boards.

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). Russell currently ranks second on the career WCC steals chart with 295 and needs 24 to pass Portland's Deana Lansing (1993-97) as the league's best thief. An excellent playmaker, Russell enters Monday's game at Seton Hall ranked seventh in career assists with 360 and is the first Don to lead the team in assists and steals in three consecutive seasons since Adkins accomplished the feat 1991-93. Up next on the list is Renee Demirdjian (1993-97), who dished out 365. 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). In the early going of the 2004-2005 season, Russell averages 9.6 points, 3.4 rebounds 4.5 assists and 3.1 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 97 rebounds in her first 10 games, including a 16-rebound effort at Denver (11/20/04), Krueger moved past USF Hall-of-Famer Teri Hunt (1984-87) into fifth place with 716. Up next is Linda Walsh (1980-84) who pulled down 735. Krueger also ranks eighth in blocked shots with 65 and needs seven more to surpass former teammate Kim Whisler (1997-2001), who sits in seventh place with 71 career swats. This season, Krueger averages 11.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game and has recorded two double-doubles, elevating her career tally to 21.

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 on 8-for-15 from the floor 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. So far this season, Carter averages a team-high 14.1 points on .475 (56-118) shooting to go along with 5.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. Carter has recorded seven double-digit scoring nights.

USF AGAINST THE EAST COAST: USF has enjoyed quite a bit of success against East Coast opponents the last five years, compiling a 11-1 record. The Dons began their dominance of east coast foes with wins against UMass (80-37) and Maryland (72-59) during the 2000-01 season and then registered back-to-back road victories at Syracuse (61-56) and Cornell (68-56) during the 2001-2002 campaign. The Dons downed Seton Hall 62-44 (11/29/02) but lost their only game against an east coast team to Syracuse (77-56) the same season. Last year USF dispatched South Carolina State (72-46), Davidson (58-41), Canisius (84-51) and Iona (54-40). The Dons are 1-0 in three games against the right coast this season after a 79-48 win against William and Mary (11/26/04). USF has Seton Hall (12/20) and Marist (12/28) remaining in 2004.

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. So far this season, Jensen chips in 5.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game for the Dons.

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 5.6 points to go along with 4.5 rebounds per game. Olden ranks second on the team from the field at .500 (19-38) and is third at the free throw line at .818 (18-22).

Mary Hile-Nepfel COLLECTS WIN #250: USF's 62-59 road victory at Denver (11/21/04) gave USF head coach Mary Hile-Nepfel her 250th career victory, all coming at her alma mater. In her 18th season on the Hilltop, Hile-Nepfel is one of just three coaches in USF athletic history to reach the milestone, joining Steve Negoesco (544) of men's soccer and baseball's Dante Benedetti (373).

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 .723 (133-184) at the charity stripe this season. The Dons have shot better than their opponents at the line in eight of their 10 contests this season. Three players are connecting at .800 or better, led by senior guard Toni Russell at .880 (22-25).

DONS READY FOR THEIR CLOSEUP: USF's 2004-2005 home opener against William and Mary in the 2004 odwalla Classic marks the debut of live streaming video, courtesy of Yahoo Sports. Dons fans with a high speed internet connection can access the stream by clicking on the live video link under the upcoming events menu. All 14 of USF's home games will be broadcast live via video streaming with the exception of the February 19 contest against Portland, which will be televised by Fox Sports Net.

Mary Hile-Nepfel: USF women's basketball legend Mary Hile-Nepfel prepares for her 18th season as the head coach at the University of San Francisco and her fifth season as sole head coach of the Dons. Hile-Nepfel was named sole head coach following the 1999-2000 season, taking charge of a program she directed to national prominence with her husband Bill Nepfel for 13 seasons. Entering her 22nd season associated with the university, Hile-Nepfel is energized for the upcoming 2004-2005 season and believes the talented recruiting class and solid core of returning players can challenge in the West Coast Conference this year. Senior guard Toni Russell, the WCC Defender of the Year in 2004 and sixth-year senior center Mary Jane Krueger look for a strong finish to their collegiate careers and headline a solid batch of veteran players. The incoming crop of freshmen boast no fewer than four players nominated for McDonald's High School All-American honors. Hile-Nepfel entered the season needing just one win to reach 250 career victories, all coming at USF and with a 62-59 win at Denver (11/21/04) became one of just three coaches in the history of the USF athletic department to reach the milestone, joining Steve Negoesco (544) of men's soccer and baseball's Dante Benedetti (373). One thing the three coaching legends share in common is all graduated from USF.