SPOKANE, Wash./PORTLAND, Ore. – The University of San Francisco women's basketball team (11-14, 7-5 WCC) begins its final road trip of the final season when it travels to the Pacific Northwest to take on No. 16 Gonzaga (26-2, 13-0 WCC) at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 22, at the McCarthy Athletic Center and Portland (17-10, 9-4 WCC) at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24, at Chile Center.
 
GAME 25 DETAILS:
Date: February 22, 2024
Time: 6 p.m.
Opponent: No. 16 Gonzaga
Site: McCarth Athletic Center
Location: Spokane, Wash.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Dons Radio Network
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
 
GAME 26 DETAILS:
Date: February 24, 2024
Time: 2 p.m.
Opponent: Portland
Site: Chiles Center
Location: Portland, Ore.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Dons Radio Network
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
 
DONS AT A GLANCE:

• San Francisco enters Thursday's matchup at Gonzaga in sole possession of fourth place in the WCC standings after falling to Santa Clara, 73-65, last Thursday, Feb. 15, on the Hilltop.
• Four players reached double figures for the Dons, led by Jasmine Gayles' and Debora dos Santos' 16 points, while Luana Leite (14 points) and Cami Fulcher (10 points) also propelled the team offensively.
• Along with her 16 points, dos Santos led the team in rebounding against the Broncos, totaling 13 boards for her league-leading 14th double-double of the season. In 24 games, dos Santos is averaging 14.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, remaining the lone player in the WCC averaging a double-double.
• Gayles continues to lead the team in scoring through 24 games this season, averaging 17.6 points per game. Gayles has reached double figures in all 12 WCC contests and ranks third in the league, averaging 19.8 points per game.
• Fulcher posted back-to-back double-digit scoring games for the first time this season, recording 10 points against Santa Clara after her 15-point performance in the win over Pacific on Saturday, Feb. 10. In the last three conference contests, Fulcher is averaging 10 points per game and shooting 41.7 percent from the three-point line.
• Leite has shown off her passing ability throughout conference play, as she ranks sixth in the WCC in total assists (48) and assists per game (4.0). In her first season with the green and gold, Leite has posted 96 assists and is looking to become the fourth player to record 100 or more assists in a single season since 2017-18.
• As a team, San Francisco ranks fifth in the WCC in scoring offense, totaling 67.2 points per game. The Dons have become a solid rebounding team throughout the 2023-24 campaign, ranking second in the WCC with 38.0 rebounds per game.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS:

• Nationally ranked Gonzaga enters the week on a 20-game winning streak after dominating Pacific in Stockton last Saturday, Feb. 17, 91-78. With the victory, the Bulldogs clinched the WCC regular season title for the second straight season and 19th time in program history.
• Currently in first place in the WCC standings with a 13-0 record, the Zags are seeking their first undefeated conference season since going a perfect 14-0 in 2010-11. In the same season, the team finished with a 31-5 overall record and earned a berth to the Elite Eight before falling to No. 2/2 Stanford in the Spokane Regional.
• Led by Yvonne Ejim's 20.2 points per game, Gonzaga has five double-digit scorers through 28 games this season. Ejim leads the conference in total points (525) and field-goal percentage, shooting at a 63.4 percent clip while ranking third in rebounding at 8.4 per game.
• Brynna Maxwell and Kaylynne Truong rank among the best three-point shooters in the WCC, with Truong leading the conference at 46.6 percent, while Maxwell is third at 44.3 percent.
• Truong also leads the league in assists, totaling 167 on the season while accumulating 6.0 per game.
• As a team, the Bulldogs rank ninth in Division I in points per game (82.2) and scoring margin (20.7). The Zags also produce 20.8 assists per game, fourth best in the nation, while ranking second in three-point percentage (40.8 percent). 

SCOUTING THE PILOTS:

• Portland dropped two consecutive games for the second time this season after falling at Pacific and Santa Clara last week. The Pilots came up short against the Tigers in Stockton, 80-74, on Thursday, Feb. 15, before falling flat in a 66-58 loss to the Broncos in the South Bay on Saturday, Feb. 17.
• Offensively, Emme Shearer and Maisie Burnham lead the team, averaging 12.0 and 11.6 points per game, respectively. Burnham, the Pilots' primary offensive weapon, has reached double figures in 11 of the 13 conference games while posting 17 twice in wins over San Diego and Saint Mary's.
• Shearer, the team's leading scorer, is also a staple on the defensive end, guiding the Pilots with 64 steals.
• Lucy Cochrane, ranking second in the nation in blocks, has totaled 82 through 27 games. The 6-6 forward, averaging just over three blocks per game, has recorded five or more blocks in five games, including a season-high eight at California Baptist. 

SERIES HISTORY:

• In 80 all-time meetings, Gonzaga holds a 54-26 record over San Francisco and earned a 73-54 win on the Hilltop on Saturday, Jan. 27, in the first meeting this season. The Dons last defeated the Bulldogs on March 3, 2017, earning a 77-72 win at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
• Portland holds a narrow 40-38 advantage over San Francisco throughout the history of the two programs. The Pilots pulled out the victory last time out, earning a narrow 67-60 win over the Dons on Saturday, Jan. 6, 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 - Corona - 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.