SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Led by Debora dos Santos's near double-double and a solid contribution from the bench, the University of San Francisco women's basketball team (2-1) edged Portland State (0-2) 62-56 Tuesday evening at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

• Following a Portland State three-point basket to open the scoring in the first quarter, San Francisco responded with a 9-0 scoring run, giving the Dons a 9-3 advantage, as Sol Castro served as the driving force with four points while Freja Werth added a three-pointer.
• Despite Alaya Fitzgerald adding a three-point basket for the Vikings, cutting the lead to three, 9-6, back-to-back layups from dos Santos and Elle Papahronis bolstered the Dons' lead to seven, 13-6, at 3:25.
• Portland State narrowly outscored San Francisco in the final minutes of the opening period as Rhema Ogele recorded a layup with nine seconds left to trim the Vikings' deficit to five, 15-10.
• In a tightly contested second quarter, San Francisco held its five-point advantage midway through, 20-14, as Castro completed a three-point play with a layup and a free throw at 5:12.
• The Vikings kept the game close, getting to within one, 26-25 late on, following a 4-0 scoring run. The Dons, however, scored the last basket before the break, with dos Santos connecting on a last-second layup to put the green and gold up 28-25 at halftime.
• Papahronis and dos Santos led the team offensively at the start of the third quarter, combining for eight points to extend the advantage to 36-28. Papahronis scored the runs' final four points, recording two free throws and a contested layup to guide the Dons.
• The Dons grew the lead to as much as nine, 41-32, after two free throws from Freja Werth at 3:11, but the Vikings began to chip away, scoring 10 of the quarter's final 12 points to get within one, 42-41 heading into the fourth.
• Portland State gained its first lead since the game's first minute to open the final period, as Lana Wenger scored four straight points to give the Vikings a 46-45 lead.
• Six lead changes ensued in the following minutes as both teams traded baskets. With the Vikings leading 54-52, Papahronis provided the green and gold with a three-pointer to regain the lead, 55-54, at the 5:16 mark of the fourth.
• The Dons' defense highlighted the final minutes, holding the Vikings to just two points to secure the victory, 62-56. 

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• Dos Santos scored a season-high 17 points, shooting 44.4 percent (eight-for-18) from the field, and grabbed eight rebounds.
• Castro and Papahronis led the Dons off the bench, combining for 25 points and 10 rebounds. Castro posted a season-best 13 points in 15 minutes while shooting 85.7 percent (six-for-seven) from the field. Papahronis reached double figures for the second straight game, with 12 points while leading the team in free throws with five.
• Luana Leite recorded eight of the team's 15 assists, posting eight or more assists in a game for the sixth time in her career.
• As a team, San Francisco held Portland State to 32.8 percent (21-for-64) shooting, and in the third straight game, the Dons held an opponent to under 35 percent shooting.

POSTGAME WITH THE DONS:

• To view the full highlights of tonight's game, please click here.
• To view the full postgame interview with Head Coach Molly Goodenbour, please click here. 
• To view the full postgame interview with Debora dos Santos and Sol Castro, please click here. 

UP NEXT:
San Francisco returns to action when it travels to face off against San Diego State at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16, at Viejas Arena.
 
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 – 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.