SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The University of San Francisco women's basketball team (8-6, 5-0 WCC) overpowered Pepperdine (6-8, 1-4 WCC) 76-60, extending its winning streak to six games, Saturday afternoon at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- San Francisco opened the first quarter with six straight points as Debora dos Santos and Emma Trawally Porta scored to give the Dons an early advantage at the 7:34 mark. Following a Pepperdine free throw, the green and gold added four more points, with Freja Werth and Trawally Porta connecting on easy layups for a 10-1 lead at 5:42.
- Pepperdine answered, cutting its deficit to three, 12-9, with an 8-2 run in the following two minutes. Chloe Sotell shined during the run, scoring five of the Waves' eight points to regain momentum.
- Leading 14-11 at 3:15, the Dons expanded their lead with back-to-back baskets, a layup from dos Santos, and a Lorena Barbosa three-pointer to push the margin to eight, 19-11, at the end of the opening 10 minutes.
- The Dons' advantage quickly ballooned to 17 at the start of the second quarter, 28-11, following a 9-0 scoring run with the tandem of Trawally Porta, dos Santos, and Werth led the charge.
- Continuing to score, San Francisco pushed its lead to 21, 37-16, after Aya Kéita knocked down a three-pointer for her first basket at 4:48.
- Holding the double-digit edge in the final four minutes, the Dons led by 19, 42-23, at the halftime break. Dos Santos finished the half with a layup and a three-point opportunity after getting fouled underneath the basket.
- Pepperdine trimmed San Francisco's advantage to single digits, 42-33, at the 7:18 mark of the third quarter, scoring 10 unanswered points to begin the second half.
- Shortly after, points from Werth and dos Santos helped guide the green and gold to a 14-point lead, 47-33, two minutes later.
- Trading baskets throughout the rest of the quarter, San Francisco held a 56-43 lead after Pepperdine's Ornela Muca knocked down two free throws with two seconds remaining.
- Coming out fast in the fourth quarter, Angeliki Ziaka scored five straight points to help push the lead to 18, 68-50, at 4:50. After a Makena Mastora three-pointer, dos Santos guided the program on a 6-2 run, scoring in three-straight possessions for a 74-55 advantage.
- Ziaka scored the Dons' final basket on a layup at 1:23 before the Waves recorded three free throws to close out the game.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
- Dos Santos totaled a season-best 26 points on 62.5 percent (10-for-16) shooting in 30 minutes of action. Her 10 made field goals also matched a season-high while guiding the Dons defensively with eight rebounds and four blocks.
- Recording her best shooting performance of the season, Werth scored 22 points, connecting on seven of her 10 field-goal attempts. She also added seven rebounds, second-best on the team, and two steals.
- As a team, San Francisco dominated Pepperdine in points in the paint (42-20), rebounds (37-29), and second-chance points (14-4).
- The double-digit win also marks the first time in program history San Francisco has defeated five-straight WCC opponents by 10 or more points in a single season.
POSTGAME WITH THE DONS:
UP NEXT:
San Francisco returns to the road, traveling to the Pacific Northwest to take on Oregon State at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9, at Gill Coliseum.
FOLLOW US:
For updates and more information on the San Francisco women's basketball program, follow the Dons
@USFDonsWBB on Twitter,
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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 –
Catholic Charities – 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.
