TEMPE, Ariz. – Balanced offensive and defensive performances from Noelia Mouriño and Candy Edokpaigbe guided the University of San Francisco women's basketball team (6-2) to a 68-45 victory over Nevada (4-5) Friday afternoon at Mullett Arena.
Edokpaigbe led San Francisco in scoring, posting a game-high 16 points, while Mouriño added eight points and 10 rebounds, including three offensive boards. Edokpaigbe helped on the defensive end of the floor, totaling two blocks and five rebounds.
Crashing the glass well, the green and gold registered 21 offensive rebounds, with four players posting two or more. The Dons' offensive rebounding effort led to 18 second-chance points.
The San Francisco defense forced 21 turnovers and turned those takeaways in 24 points on the other end of the floor. Mara Neira and Aina Cargol led the Dons with two steals apiece.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- After falling behind 12-11, San Francisco went on a 7-0 run in the final two minutes of the first quarter, kick-started by a three from Nataša Taušová, to take an 18-12 lead.
- Nevada battled back in the second quarter, tying the game at 25 at the 5:27 mark of the period. San Francisco, however, scored six straight points, highlighted by back-to-back layups from Mouriño and Meghan McIntyre to regain the lead at 31-25. The programs traded baskets in the final three minutes of the quarter as the Dons held a 33-27 advantage at the halftime break.
- With the game tied at 33 at 6:08 in the third quarter, San Francisco concluded the final minutes on a 17-0 scoring run and led 50-33 through 30 minutes of play. Five players scored throughout the run, with McIntyre recording the final five points, including a three-pointer with one second left on the clock to extend the margin.
- San Francisco pushed its lead to as much as 25 points in the fourth quarter, with two free throws from Olivia Williams, giving the team a 62-37 edge with 4:10 remaining. Trading baskets in the final four minutes, McIntyre capped off the contest with a driving layup to put the green and gold up 23, 68-45, with 20 seconds left.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
- For the fourth time in the last five contests, Edokpaigbe led the team in scoring, with a game-high 16 points on an efficient 58.3 percent (seven-of-12) shooting.
- Mouriño recorded a near double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds. Her 10 rebound performance marks the second time she has recorded double-digit boards in a game this season.
- McIntyre recorded double-digit points for the second straight game with 11 in 27 minutes off the bench.
- As a team, San Francisco held Nevada to just 33.3 percent shooting, the third-lowest shooting performance by an opponent. The green and gold also outpaced the Wolf Pack in bench points (24-16), fast-break points (19-2), rebounds (50-41), points in the paint (42-36), and second-chance points (18-8).
POSTGAME WITH THE DONS:
UP NEXT:
San Francisco returns to Mullett Arena to conclude the Briann January Classic when it takes on host Arizona State at 1:30 p.m. PT on Saturday, Dec. 6.
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 US:
The University of San Francisco Athletics Department would like to acknowledge and thank our sponsor – ABM – 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.
*This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive*
