Dons Defeat Loyola Marymount on the Road in Conference Opener

Thursday, January 4

Los Angeles, Calif.

4:00 p.m.

University of San Francisco

5-9,1-0WCC

Loyola Marymount

5-8,0-1WCC

Team	1	2	3	4	F
San Francisco	11	23	18	11	63
LMU (CA)	15	6	11	6	38

Photo by: Christina Leung

Dons Defeat Loyola Marymount on the Road in Conference Opener

1/4/2024 9:42:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

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:

To view the full postgame press conference with Associate Head Coach Janell Jones please click here.
To view the full postgame press conference with Debora dos Santos and Aya Kéita please click here.

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, @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.