SANTA CLARA, Calif. — It finally all came together.
Its best shooting performance in more than a year, clutch shots late, and defensive lockdown when it mattered in overtime all carried the University of San Francisco women's basketball team to its first West Coast Conference win of the season Saturday, a 72-66 triumph on the road at Santa Clara in the Leavey Center.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The game was getting away from the Dons (8-14, 1-9 WCC), who held a six-point lead with four minutes left, but seven consecutive points off turnovers and a free throw for the Broncos (8-13, 2-8 WCC) gave them a two-point edge at 59-57 with only 19 seconds to go.
That's when Mikayla Williams stepped in.
- Not that she hadn't stepped up before that, already scoring 19 points and pulling down nine rebounds to that point. San Francisco needed two to tie or a 3 to go ahead, and it went to Williams. She put the Dons up by one, 60-59, with only her second 3-point attempt of the afternoon, knocking it down from the right wing with 10.9 seconds to play.
- Now the Dons needed a defensive stance on the other end. They did just that, preventing a field goal, but committing a foul to send Naomi Jimenez to the line. Jimenez made the first to tie the game at 60-60, but missed the second, giving the Dons a chance to win.
- With 4.7 seconds to play, the ball was inbounded to Kia Vaalavirta at the top of the arc. She drove right and had a decent look at the basket for a driving layup with two Santa Clara defenders on either side of the key. But her layup came off the front of the rim, sending the game into overtime.
- There, Williams continued the momentum she had given the Dons at the end of the fourth with another 3-pointer to open the extra period. She scored the Dons' first five points in overtime as they got out to a five-point, 67-62 lead. The defense shut down Santa Clara, only allowing one basket (1 for 8) and forcing a turnover. As they had done all game, the Dons outrebounded the Broncos, 7-3, in OT. Three different Dons went to the free-throw line in the final 32 seconds and came through, going a combined 5 for 6 to hold off the Broncos.
- Williams matched her season high with 29 points, and Leilah Vigil set a new season high with 19. Both of them tallied double-doubles, giving USF 19 as a team this season – its most in at least the past 10 years. San Francisco shot 52.7% on the day, its best shooting performance since Dec. 19, 2018, versus North Dakota State in Deland, Fla. And that came after it shot 33.3% in the first quarter. An impressive 66.7% (8 for 12) clip in the second and again in the third (10 for 15) boosted that number.
NOTABLE NUMBERS
- 8: Kia Vaalavirta set a new career high for assists in a game for the second time this season, doling out eight helpers Saturday. The Dons finished with a season-high 21 assists as a team.
- 9: Leilah Vigil logged her WCC-leading ninth double-double of the season Saturday. She scored a season-high 19 points and pulled down 14 rebounds – her 11th game this year with at least 10 boards.
- 43: San Francisco outrebounded Santa Clara, 43-31, including 33-20 on the defensive end. It marked the 11th time this year the Dons have gone over the 40-rebounds mark.
COMING UP
- San Francisco returns home next week to host Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. Fans can purchase tickets and find all live coverage links on USFDons.com.
Please mark your calendars for the Hall of Fame Dinner on February 21st at 6:30 PM in the McClaren Conference Center on USF's campus. We will honor our Dons of the Year, Kevin and Susan Hanley, as well as our inductees that include Dior Lowhorn (men's basketball, 2010), Joy Boyenga (women's basketball, 1992), and Kyle Zimmer (baseball, 2012). Tickets are available now at
usfdons.com/halloffame.
