Box Score
(San Francisco) - The University of San Francisco women's basketball team combined for 11 3-pointers, including four from Rheina Ale, but it wasn't enough as the Dons dropped an 85-69 decision to visiting Pepperdine Thursday at War Memorial Gym. The game was the first game of the 2011-12 West Coast Conference season.
San Francisco's (2-12, 0-1) 11 baskets from 3-point territory marked the highest total since the Dons sank a school-record 13 at Cal Poly in 2010. Prior to Thursday's game, USF had hit nine 3-pointers three times this season.
The Dons and Waves (6-6, 1-0) played evenly in the opening 20 minutes of action. Pepperdine held a slight 36-35 advantage at halftime. Both teams shot 41 percent or better in the opening stanza, including a .483 clip from the Green and Gold.
Pepperdine came out on a tear in the second half, going on a 16-0 run to take a 52-35 lead at 16:08. The Waves maintained the lead throughout the half, going up by as many as 23.
Three Dons, headlined by Ale, scored in double-digits on the evening. Ale paced the Green and Gold with 23 points and five steals. The senior guard hit 4-of-4 from deep to lead the Dons' brigade from deep.
Junior Mel Khlok added 14 points off the bench for the Dons, while freshman Taj Winston added 11. Defensively, Vania Singleterry pulled down six rebounds, while Katy Keating and Whitney Daniels added five.
Jazmine Jackson led Pepperdine with 15 points. Jackson was one of four Waves to score 10-plus points.
San Francisco returns to the court Saturday as they close out the 2011 calendar year with a New Years Eve matinee at Loyola Marymount. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Gersten Pavilion.
