SEASIDE, Calif. — Julia Nielacna scored 13 points in the fourth quarter Sunday – including the eventual game-winning shot with just 25 seconds left – to lead the San Francisco women's basketball team to a thrilling 65-62 non-conference victory over Cal Poly at the Kelp Bed on the campus of Cal State Monterey Bay.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• San Francisco (2-1) and Cal Poly (1-4) met in Seaside on Cal State Monterey Bay's campus Sunday as a move to get away from poor air quality in The City. San Francisco's air quality has been in the "unhealthy" to "very unhealthy" range all week, so the game was moved farther south to clearer air in order to get the game in.
   
• In a back-and-forth game that featured six ties and six lead changes, it all came down to the final minute. With less than 60 seconds to go and the Dons leading by two at 61-59, Cal Poly got two chances at a go-ahead 3-pointer thanks to an offensive rebound by leading scorer and rebounder on the night, Katie Nunnelley (21 points, 10 points). Maddie Willett missed the first, but Malia Holt knocked down the second to give the Mustangs a one-point, 62-61 lead with 30 seconds left.
   
• That would be the last time Cal Poly would score. Already with nine of the Dons' previous 11 points, Nielacna hit a 17-foot jumper on the other end to put the Dons back ahead for good at 63-62. Cal Poly missed their answer– a layup from the left side by Devin Stanback. Nielacna gave USF some breathing room with two free throws with just six seconds left, and Willett missed a game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer, giving San Francisco the victory.
   
• Nielacna subbed back into the game at the 7 minutes, 17 seconds mark of the fourth quarter with the game tied at 50-50. In less than a minute after entering the game, she scored four points and grabbed an offensive board to put the Dons up 54-50. But Cal Poly would not go away. Nielacna was the Dons' go-to weapon in the waning minutes of the final period, scoring 13 of USF's final 15 points in the game. But all of her baskets could not put San Francisco ahead by more than four points.
   
• San Francisco fell behind by six two minutes before halftime, but went on a 6-0 run to tie the game at 30-30 heading into the locker rooms. The Mustangs went 0 for 6 during that stretch, and that was after they had started the second quarter on a 10-0 run that turned a six-point deficit into a four-point lead halfway through the quarter.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• 8: Eight different players scored Sunday for San Francisco. Five of them scored at least six points, and two of them (Nielacna, Shannon Powell) were in double figures.
• 24: Nielacna led all players Sunday with a season-best 24 points. It marked her first career 20-point game and the first by a San Francisco player this season.
• 85.7%: Nielacna went 12 for 14 from the free-throw line for an 85.7 percent clip. Half of her points Sunday came from the charity stripe.

COMING UP

• San Francisco hosts Northern Colorado of the Big Sky Conference and UT Arlington of the Western Athletic Conference on Friday and Sunday next week following Thanksgiving. Fans can purchase tickets and find all live coverage links on USFDons.com.