LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Getting off to a fast start and never giving up their lead, the USF Dons women's basketball team (17-14) took care of business defeating the sixth-seeded Santa Clara Broncos (16-15) 72-63 on Saturday afternoon at Orleans Arena in the WCC Tournament.

The victory moves USF into the semifinals as they await the two-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs on Monday afternoon. Saturday's win for USF gives the Dons the season series win over the Broncos taking two of the three games played and puts USF at three games over .500 for the season.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

• The Dons played with their fresh legs early to jump on the Broncos with a quick 10-2 run to establish themselves from the get go and lead 22-17 after the first quarter. 
• Both offenses slowed down in the second quarter as each side had trouble scoring with the Dons outscoring SCU by three points as they lead 34-26 heading into halftime.
• USF went into turbocharge late in the third quarter building a 12-point lead towards the end of the quarter to lead 58-47 with 10 minutes left in the game.
• Santa Clara charged back in the early moments of the fourth, cutting their deficit down to one point. USF regathered their momentum and came up with key defensive stops late in the game and knocked down clutch free throws for the 72-63 win to advance to the next round.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• Ioanna Krimili led both teams by scoring 18 points as the Broncos did everything they could to limit her production but she still manage to lead both sides and knocked down 8-of-10 free throws to help guide the Dons to victory.
• Claudia Langarita had a phenomenal game off the bench after being selected to the All-WCC Freshman team as she scored 16 points on a highly efficient 7-for-12 shooting from the field.
• Kennedy Dickie had a nice, efficient afternoon in the win over the Broncos scoring 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting to go along with seven rebounds and a block and an assist.
• Amalie Langer got off to a fast start with six quick points in the first quarter to finish with 11 points and forced a steal as she played hounding defense throughout the game. 

CATCHING UP WITH COACH GOODENBOUR:
"Santa Clara demonstrated tremendous grit, determination and resilience throughout this tournament. We knew this would be a tough game and we were fortunate to come out on top. I thought we were a little tight and playing not to lose instead of playing to win. But despite that we found ways to get enough baskets and stops when we needed them. Again it was a team effort to get this done, that's how we've been for most of the season. I know the team is excited for the rematch against Gonzaga on Monday." 

UP NEXT:
The Dons now look ahead to their third meeting with the Gonzaga Bulldogs (24-6) at 2:00 p.m. PT on Monday afternoon. The Bulldogs won both previous meetings by a combined five points in a low-scoring struggle in Spokane and a high-scoring affair on the Hilltop. Live streaming and live statistics can be found through the team's schedule page. 

TICKETS AND MERCHANDISE:
Single-game tickets for West Coast Conference basketball games are currently on sale at www.usfdons.com/tickets. 

Want to dress like the Dons? Rep USF today by visiting the all-new USF Dons online store at www.usfdons.com/shop.

FOLLOW US:
For updates and more information on the USF women's basketball program, follow the Dons @USFDonsWBB on Twitter, @USFDonsWBB on Instagram and @USFDonsWBB on Facebook.