SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The University of San Francisco women's basketball team (8-11, 4-2), led by a second-half surge, earned a 61-48 come-from-behind victory over Loyola Marymount (8-11, 3-4) Thursday evening at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- In a low-scoring first quarter, Debora dos Santos put San Francisco on the board first with two made free throws with 90 seconds off the game clock.
- The two teams continued to trade baskets in the early goings as the contest was tied at eight at the 2:27 mark of the opening period after Luana Leite connected on a driving layup.
- After LMU jumped ahead 10-8, just 20 seconds later, Aya Kéita responded with a long three-pointer to give the Dons an 11-10 advantage with under two minutes remaining. The Lions, however, answered with a put-back layup off an offensive rebound and led 12-11 after the first 10 minutes of play.
- Loyola Marymount built on its lead at the start of the second quarter, using a 6-2 run to push the advantage to 18-13 at the 7:48 mark. The Lions continued to control the pace of play throughout the following four minutes, holding the Dons to just one field goal while holding a 22-15 advantage with 3:56 remaining in the half.
- San Francisco recovered late in the second quarter, ending the period on a 7-2 run. Jasmine Gayles and dos Santos led the charge as Gayles cut the Lions' lead to four, 22-18, with a three-pointer from the corner. Dos Santos added two baskets, including a turnaround layup with 51 seconds left to make it 24-22 at the break.
- The Dons exploded offensively and clamped down defensively in the third quarter, holding the Lions to nine points.
- With two minutes off the third-quarter clock, Gayles knocked down a three-pointer from the top of the key, giving the Dons a 29-28 advantage, their first lead since the 1:54 mark of the first quarter. The green and gold continued to score, using a 9-0 run, capped off with a Kéita three-pointer, to push the lead to double-digits, 38-28, at the 3:45 mark of the third.
- After LMU cut the deficit to five, 38-33, the Dons scored the final seven points as the lead ballooned to 12, 45-33, at the end of the period. Seynabou Thiam, Leite, and Gayles propelled the Dons throughout the final two minutes, highlighted by a Gayles' layup that resulted in and-one with four-tenths of a second remaining.
- In an evenly-matched fourth quarter, San Francisco continued to hold its advantage as Loyola Marymount could not get back into the game. The Dons outscored the Lions 16-15 in the final 10 minutes, leading to the 13-point victory, 61-48.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
- Gayles led San Francisco with a game-high 17 points, finishing the game in double figures for the 10th consecutive game. Shooting an efficient 43.8 percent (seven-for-16) from the field, Gayles added five rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
- Leading the team in rebounding, dos Santos nearly recorded a double-double with 16 points and nine boards in 30 minutes of work. Dos Santos was near perfect from the floor, connecting on seven of her nine field-goal attempts while contributing defensively with two steals.
- Leite scored in double figures for the first time in conference play as she posted 12 points on 46.2 percent (six-for-13) shooting. Leite passed the rock with ease throughout the contests, tallying seven assists, her fifth game this season with at least five assists in a game.
- As a team, San Francisco earned its first conference sweep of the season, defeating LMU twice while holding the Lions to 43 points per game.
POSTGAME WITH THE DONS:
UP NEXT:
San Francisco continues its homestand at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 27, when it hosts No. 17 Gonzaga at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
FOLLOW US:
For updates and more information on the San Francisco women'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 – Planet Orange - 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.
