Dons Dominate Portland on the Road, Earn Crucial WCC Victory

Saturday, February 24

Portland, Ore.

5:00 p.m.

University of San Francisco

12-15,8-6WCC

Portland

17-11,9-5WCC

Team	1	2	3	4	F
San Francisco	17	11	20	11	59
Portland	10	18	10	9	47

Photo by: Christina Leung

Dons Dominate Portland on the Road, Earn Crucial WCC Victory

2/24/2024 10:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

PORTLAND, Ore. – Led by a balanced defensive effort and Debora dos Santos' 15th double-double of the season, the University of San Francisco women's basketball team (12-15, 8-6 WCC) earned a 59-47 win at Portland (17-11, 9-5 WCC) Saturday evening at the Chiles Center.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

San Francisco set the tone early when Jasmine Gayles intercepted an errant Portland pass at midcourt and raced for a fastbreak layup 44 seconds in.
Solid defense remained crucial for the Dons in the following minutes, forcing the Pilots into three turnovers while holding a 6-2 advantage at 6:01.
The Dons scored nine straight points after the Pilots cut the deficit to two, 6-4, to push their advantage to 15-4 with 2:43 remaining in the opening period. Gayles led the squad throughout the scoring run, tallying five of the team's nine points, while dos Santos and Cami Fulcher added two-point baskets.
The Pilots responded with a 6-0 run, trimming the deficit to five, 15-10, with just over a minute to play.
A driving layup from dos Santos with 13 seconds remaining gave the Dons a slight cushion heading into the second quarter, leading 17-10 at the end of the opening 10 minutes.
Portland took charge at the start of the second quarter, using a 7-0 run capped off with an Emme Shearer layup at 8:26 to tie the contest at 17.
Dos Santos and Aya Kéita propelled the Dons back into the lead with back-to-back buckets, while Gayles later added a three-pointer to give the green and gold a five-point advantage, 24-19.
Portland outscored San Francisco throughout the final six minutes of the quarter, using a 9-4 run to tie the game at 28 heading into the break.
Freja Werth, who was held scoreless in the first half, guided the Dons early in the third quarter, scoring five of the team's first seven points of the period. After dos Santos regained the lead, 30-28, Werth recorded a layup and a three-pointer to push the Dons' lead to seven, 35-28 at 8:16.
Werth continued to help the green and gold throughout the third, finishing with 14 points in the quarter, including a turnaround jumper with three seconds left to give the Dons a 10-point lead, 48-38.
San Francisco built on its double-digit lead in the fourth quarter, pushing it to 14, 54-41, after Gayles finished off a three-point play with a free throw at 4:34.
Luana Leite completed the scoring with a free throw at 1:44, giving the Dons a 16-point advantage, 59-43, their largest lead of the game.
Portland ended the game on a 4-0 run to get to within 12, 59-47 when Maisie Burnham recorded a three-point basket with 45 seconds left.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

Recording her team-leading 15th double-double of the season, dos Santos finished the game with 16 points and 15 rebounds in 32 minutes of action.
Gayles added 15 points for the green and gold on 50 percent (six-for-12) shooting while knocking down one three-pointer.
Werth nearly recorded a double-double with 16 points and seven rebounds in a game-high 38 minutes. Werth, scoring all her points in the second half, shot 58.3 percent (seven-for-12) from the field and led the team with two three-pointers.
Defensively, San Francisco forced Portland into 14 turnovers while totaling a season-high 12 steals. Gayles and dos Santos led the Dons with four apiece, while Leite (three) and Paula Tirado (one) also contributed.

POSTGAME WITH THE DONS:

To watch the full postgame interview with head coach Molly Goodenbour, please click here.
To watch the full postgame interview with Debora dos Santos and Freja Werth, please click here.

UP NEXT:
San Francisco concludes its final road trip of the season when it takes on Saint Mary's at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 29, at University Credit Union Pavilion.

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 - 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.