LOS ANGELES, Calif. –
Debora dos Santos and
Jasmine Gayles reached double figures as the University of San Francisco women's basketball team (5-9, 1-0) opened West Coast Conference play with a win, defeating Loyola Marymount (5-8, 0-1), 63-38, Thursday afternoon at Gersten Pavilion.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- In a tightly contest opening quarter, San Francisco and Loyola Marymount traded baskets in the early goings. With the game tied at five at the 7:27 mark of the first, the Lions used a 7-2 run to gain a 12-7 advantage with 4:27 remaining.
- The Dons responded and cut the lead to four at the end of the first quarter, with dos Santos recording two layups in the final 1:34 to trim the Lions' lead to 15-11.
- San Francisco exploded offensively in the following 10 minutes, opening the second quarter with an 11-2 run to take its first lead of the game, 22-17. Dos Santos propelled the Dons throughout the run, scoring eight of the team's 11 points. Gayles and Luana Leite also contributed, with Gayles knocking down a three-pointer and Leite adding a free throw.
- The lead continued to grow throughout the second quarter, reaching double-digits at the 1:52 mark, 31-21, after dos Santos scored another layup. Gayles finished the quarter in style, knocking down a three-point basket with 46 seconds remaining, giving the Dons a 13-point advantage, 34-21, at the halftime break.
- The Dons continued the offensive onslaught at the start of the third quarter, with Gayles getting the team going with a layup, with nine seconds off the clock.
- The lead quickly ballooned to 20 midway through the third quarter when Aya Kéita knocked down a three-point basket from the corner, extending the Dons' advantage to 48-28.
- Leading 52-32 at the start of the fourth, San Francisco cruised to the finish, never relinquishing its 20-point advantage. Scoring eight of the final 12 points of the game, the Dons held the Lions to just four points in the last 6:46, ending with a 25-point victory, 63-38.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
- Recording her eighth double-double of the season, dos Santos scored 14 points and secured a career-high 18 rebounds in 31 minutes. Her career-setting game on the boards marks the ninth time she has recorded double-digit rebounds.
- Gayles finished the game with a game-high 20 points, marking the third time in the last four games that she has reached the 20-point threshold.
- Freja Werth scored nine points on 40 percent (four-for-10) shooting, while Kéita led the second unit with seven points off the bench.
- As a team, San Francisco held Loyola Marymount to just 23.6 percent (13-for-55) shooting, the lowest by an opponent of the season. The Dons also shut the Lions down from distance, holding the Lions to just 17.4 percent (four-for-23) from three.
POSTGAME WITH THE DONS:
UP NEXT:
San Francisco returns home and to face off against defending WCC champions Portland at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 6, at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
FOLLOW US:
For updates and more information on the San Francisco men's basketball program, follow the Dons
@USFDonsWBB on Twitter,
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@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 -
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.
