SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Winning its fourth straight game and remaining undefeated at the start of conference play, the University of San Francisco women's basketball team (6-6, 3-0 WCC) defeated Santa Clara (7-7, 1-3 WCC) 65-53 Monday evening at Leavey Center.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

• San Francisco fired on all cylinders at the start of the first quarter, embarking on a 12-0 scoring run before Santa Clara called a timeout at the 6:37 mark. Debora dos Santos and Emma Trawally Porta highlighted the Dons' early success, combining for four made field goals and 10 points.
• After a handful of Bronco free throws, the Dons continued to score as back-to-back three-point baskets from Angeliki Ziaka and Trawally Porta expanded the lead to 15, 18-3, at 5:19.
• With 3:30 remaining in the first quarter, Santa Clara connected on its first field goal when Mia Curtis knocked down a corner three-pointer. The Broncos closed the opening 10 minutes on a 7-3 scoring run and trailed by 15, 25-10, at the end of the first.
• In a low-scoring second quarter, the Broncos knocked down the opening basket at 8:43, a mid-range jumper from Curtis, trimming the Dons' lead to 11, 25-12.
• The Dons struggled to score the ball, but Freja Werth completed a three-point play at the free-throw line at 6:33 to push the lead back up to 14, 28-14.
• San Francisco ballooned its advantage to 20, 36-16, with 2:16 remaining in the half after Werth connected on back-to-back three-pointers. The Dons held onto their 20-point advantage at the end of the quarter, leading 38-18, with Cami Fulcher knocking down a jumper for the final field goal before the halftime break.
• Santa Clara began the second half on an 8-0 run, forcing San Francisco into a timeout at the 6:56 mark. The Dons swiftly pushed the lead back to 15, 41-26, in the following possession on a Werth three-pointer from the corner.
• In the later stages of the quarter, the Broncos got within nine, 47-38, after Irena Korolenko connected on a three-ball at 1:14. Werth, however, was fouled on a three-point attempt with three seconds left, connecting on all three to give the Dons a 50-38 advantage heading into the final quarter.
• The Dons' advantage was extended back to 18 midway through the fourth quarter as Trawally Porta scored on a driving layup to make it 60-42 at 6:57. The two teams continued back and forth in the back half of the game, but the green and gold survived and secured the 12-point victory, 65-53.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• Werth reached the 20-point threshold for the third time this season as she posted 22 points while adding eight rebounds, two assists, three steals, and one block. Werth was also a perfect six-for-six at the free-throw line, increasing her conference-leading percentage to 96.7 percent.
• Scoring in double figures for the seventh consecutive game, Trawally Porta scored 17 points on 50 percent (seven-for-14) shooting.
• Dos Santos posted her second double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. She also set a new career-high in blocks, totaling five in 32 minutes of action.
• As a team, San Francisco led wire-to-wire for the second time during WCC play and earned its third straight double-digit victory.

UP NEXT:
San Francisco returns to the Hilltop at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 2, when it takes on Saint Mary's in the first game of 2025 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 – 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.