LOS ANGELES/SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The University of San Francisco women's basketball team (4-9), coming off a win in its final non-conference contest, begins West Coast Conference play on the road when it takes on LMU (5-7) at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 4, at Gersten Pavilion. The Dons return home shortly after when it competes in the conference home opener against Portland (8-6) at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 6, at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
 
GAME 14 DETAILS:
Date: January 4, 2024
Time: 4 p.m.
Opponent: LMU
Site: Gersten Pavilion
Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Dons Radio Network
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
 
GAME 15 DETAILS:
Date: January 6, 2024
Time: 2 p.m.
Opponent: Portland
Site: War Memorial at the Sobrato Center
Location: San Francisco, Calif.
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
Tickets: Purchase Here
 
DONS AT A GLANCE:

• San Francisco enters WCC play on a high note after concluding the non-conference slate with a 75-70 win over Brown last Monday.
• Freja Werth produced her second career double-double in the victory over the Bears, becoming the second player to record a double-double this season with 13 points and 12 rebounds in 29 minutes. Her double-double comes after she scored a career-high 20 points against Columbia and is averaging 16.5 and eight rebounds in the last two games. Werth continues to be a valuable asset offensively for the Dons, ranking third on the team in scoring at 9.2 points per game.
• Nearly continuing her double-double streak in the win over Brown, Debora dos Santos scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds. The team's second-leading scorer, averaging 13.8 points per game, dos Santos, has scored in double figures in five straight games while shooting 57.8 percent from the field during that stretch.
• Jasmine Gayles scored a team-high 21 points last time out, reaching double figures for the 10th time this season. Gayles successfully got to the free throw line in the win over Brown, knocking down six of her eight attempts. In 13 games, Gayles has totaled 83 free-throw attempts, ranking tied for 13th nationally while connecting on 77.1 percent (64-for-83).
• As a team, San Francisco ranks second in the WCC in free-throw attempts per game (17.9) and free-throws made per game (12.5). The Dons also rank high in rebounding, ranking second in the conference in rebounds per game (39.3), defensive rebounds per game (26.9), and fifth in offensive rebounds per game (12.4). 

SCOUTING THE LIONS:

• LMU enters Thursday's matchup in sixth place in the conference standings after posting five wins throughout its non-conference schedule. The Lions won three of their last four games but dropped the final non-conference contest on the road at Lamar, 61-58 last Saturday.
• The Lions have plenty of offensive options this season, with five players averaging seven points or more per game. Alexis Mark leads the team in scoring, averaging 11.3 points per game. The lone player in double figures for the Lions, Mark has recorded two 20-point performances this season, dropping 24 in a win over Denver on November 30, followed by 20 points in an overtime loss against South Dakota on December 3.
• Amaya Oliver leads the team defensively, averaging 7.9 rebounds per game while adding 15 blocks. Oliver has also shown the ability to score, averaging 9.7 points per game while scoring in double figures in six games.

SCOUTING THE PILOTS:

• Before making the trip to the Bay, Portland faces off against No. 18 Gonzaga in its conference opener on Thursday at home.
• The Pilots, the defending WCC Tournament champions, totaled eight wins during non-conference play and are in fourth place in the league standings. Winners in five of its last seven contests, highlighted by a 31-point victory at home over Oregon. The win over the Ducks marked the first time the Pilots have defeated a Pac-12 opponent since 2013.
• Offensively, Maisie Burnham and Emme Shearer lead the team, averaging 11.1 and 10.4 points per game, respectively. Burnham, the Pilots' primary offensive weapon, has reached double figures 10 times this season and is coming off a season-high 19 points in a 67-54 win over Portland State.
• Shearer, the team's second-leading scorer, is also a staple on the defensive end, guiding the Pilots with 28 steals.
• Lucy Cochrane, leading the nation in blocks, has totaled 52 through 14 games. The 6-6 forward, averaging four blocks per game, has recorded five or more blocks in five games, including a season-high eight at California Baptist.

SERIES HISTORY:

• San Francisco has faced off against LMU 88 times in program history, coming out victorious in 48 of those matchups. The two teams split the season series during the 2022-23 campaign with the Dons earning 61-51 win over the Lions in Los Angeles on February 25, 2023.
• Portland holds a narrow 39-38 advantage over San Francisco throughout the history of the two programs. The Pilots swept the season series over the Dons during the 2022-23 campaign, including holding on for an 83-80 overtime win at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center on February 2, 2023. 

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:
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SPONSOR THE DONS:
The University of San Francisco Athletics Department would like to acknowledge and thank our primary sponsor – Provident Credit Union - 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.