THE RUNDOWN
LAS VEGAS - In the semifinals round of the West Coast Conference Championships, the University of San Francisco women's basketball team was defeated by Gonzaga, 53-65, Monday afternoon at The Orleans Arena. It was the second-consecutive year the Dons were defeated by Gonzaga in the semifinals of the tournament. The game also marked the sixth-consecutive time the Dons had made it past the first round and the first time since 1997 that both men's and women's basketball programs from USF advanced to the semifinals. 

The first half was a hard fought battle against the one-seeded team out of Washington. Each teams struggled in the first quarter, scoring six and nine points, respectively, in favor of Gonzaga. They paced each other in the second frame, both squads shooting above 50.0 percent. Although the Dons outscored the Bulldogs in the second frame, they trailed by two at the half. 

Gonzaga dialed up the heat a bit in the third, but the Dons were able to stunt a 6-0 run to stay within range of the Bulldogs headed into the final quarter. USF entered the fourth frame down 39-45, and would never be able to close that gap. The Bulldogs knocked down four huge 3-pointers, while the Dons went 0-for-4 from downtown. Shooting 53.8 percent from field-goal range, 80.0 percent from 3-point range and 66.7 percent from the line, Gonzaga was able to hold off Coach Goodenbour's team. 

ICYMI

FINAL | 53 - @ZagWBB 65

??Stats
» Simon - 14 p / 1 r / 2 a
» Seilund - 9 p / 3 r / 2 a
» Rakova - 11 p / 9
» Powell - 12 p / 8 r / 4 a
» Lundqvist - 6 p / 12 r / 1 a
» Preciado - 1 p#USFDons #Changemakers #WCCHoops pic.twitter.com/mg8WlX1wQy

— USF Women's Basketball (@USFDonsWBB) March 6, 2018

Coach Goodenbour and senior Kalyn Simon in the post-game press conference


GAME NOTES

• Senior Kalyn Simon led the Dons with 14 points. She also had one rebound, two assists, one block and one steal in her 39 minutes of play. 
• Two other Dons contributed 10-plus points including Shannon Powell (12) and Michaela Rakova (11). 
• Rakova also added nine boards, one block and one steal. 
• Moa Lundqvist recorded 12 rebounds to lead all rebounders in the contest. 
• The score was tied six times and the lead changed nine times. 
• USF was out rebounded 53-65. 
• Gonzaga had 25 points off turnovers to the Dons 12. 
• This marks the Dons second-consecutive loss to the Bulldogs, and they are now 0-3 to Gonzaga on the year. 
• In the WCC Championships in Vegas, USF is 0-3 against Gonzaga. Their overall record against the Bulldogs in the WCC Championships is 1-4.

WHAT'S NEXT
The loss against Gonzaga concludes the 2017-18 campaign. The Dons season in review will be produced shortly. Look for that in the next week! It will include an updated version of the USF women's basketball program record book. In the meantime, catch the men's game today, March 5 at 6 p.m. PT. Information streaming, audio links, and tickets can be found on their schedule. 

If you'd like to leave a message for the Dons at the conclusion of the year, tweet at us or go to our Facebook page!