PORTLAND, Ore. – Propelled by career highs from Luana Leite and Debora dos Santos, the University of San Francisco women's basketball team (3-7) powered past Portland State (5-4), 74-63, Saturday afternoon at Viking Pavilion.
 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

• San Francisco recorded the first points of the game when dos Santos scored a turnaround jump hook in the lane for a 2-0 advantage with just 10 seconds off the clock.
• The Dons continued to shoot the ball efficiently during the opening minutes of the quarter, scoring on four of their first six field-goal attempts, capped off with a Freja Werth second-chance layup to give the team an 8-6 lead at the 7:37 mark of the first quarter.
• The two teams continued to trade baskets throughout the first quarter, with neither side holding more than a two-point lead. The Vikings pulled ahead late and had a four-point advantage, 18-14, after the first 10 minutes of action.
• After Portland State extended its lead to six, 20-14, at the start of the second quarter, San Francisco bombarded its opponent with a 15-0 run, giving the Dons a 29-20 advantage at the 2:27 mark of the period.
• Six players scored for the Dons throughout the scoring run, with a balanced attack led by dos Santos' four points. Leite, Werth, Lorena Barbosa, Jasmine Gayles, and Paula Tirado also helped guide the Dons to their largest lead of the first half.
• The green and gold continued to hold their advantage during the final two minutes of the first half, despite the Vikings trimming the lead to six, 33-27, at the break.
• San Francisco increased its advantage at the start of the third quarter, using a 15-6 run to push the lead to 15, 48-33, midway through the period. Leite and dos Santos dominated during the scoring run, as dos Santos scored the first six points while Leite added four straight points. Toward the end of the run, Mia Vukšic connected on the team's lone three-point basket, while Gayles finished the onslaught with a fast break layup.
• The Vikings began to chip away at its deficit throughout the remainder of the third quarter, cutting the Dons' lead to seven, 58-51 at the end of the period.
• The Dons quickly increased their lead to double-digits again in the final quarter of play after Werth recorded a layup to give the team a 62-51 advantage at the 8:44 mark.
• Never relinquishing their advantage in the fourth quarter, the Dons pressured the Vikings, held them to just 37.5 percent (six-for-16) shooting, and kept them off the three-point line.
• In the final three minutes of action, San Francisco scored seven of the game's final 11 points to secure the 11-point victory, 74-63.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• Leite recorded a career-high 23 points while shooting an efficient 64.3 percent (nine-for-14) from the field. Scoring in double figures for the second contest in a row, Leite increased her scoring average to 8.0 points per game, ranking third-best on the team. The transfer from Porto Feliz, Brazil, also led the team with four assists, three steals, and five made free throws.
• Dos Santos recorded her second consecutive double-double as she posted 19 points and a career-high 17 rebounds in 27 minutes. Shooting 61.5 percent (eight-for-13) from the floor, dos Santos also added three made free throws and a season-high three blocks.
• Gayles and Werth contributed to the offensive efforts as Gayles add 12 points while Werth scored nine and grabbed seven rebounds.
• As a team, San Francisco shot 46.9 percent (30-for-64) from the field, as three players shot 45 percent or better for the game. The Dons also excelled on the glass, winning the rebounding battle 40-29 while collecting a season-high 19 offensive rebounds.
• The green and gold led the Vikings in multiple categories, including points in the paint (48-24), second-chance points (17-13), fast break points (8-3), and points off the bench (11-1). 

UP NEXT:
San Francisco travels south for its final non-conference road game when it takes on Long Beach State at (insert time) on Tuesday, Dec. 19, at Walter Pyramid.
 
FOLLOW US:
For updates and more information on the San Francisco men's basketball program, follow the Dons @USFDonsWBB on Twitter, @USFDonsWBB on Instagram and @USFDonsWBB on Facebook.
 
MERCHANDISE:
Want to dress like the Dons? Get your official San Francisco Dons gear from the University of San Francisco bookstore today! Click here to purchase.

SPONSOR THE DONS:
The University of San Francisco Athletics Department would like to acknowledge and thank our primary sponsor - Coca-Cola - for their continued support of USF Athletics. Interested in sponsoring the Dons? Please contact Frank Allocco, the Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director of External Relations, at fallocco@usfca.edu or at (415) 422-4561.