MORAGA, Calif. – The University of San Francisco women's basketball team (11-13, 8-7 WCC) dropped highly defensive 52-49 decision on the road to Saint Mary's (12-11, 8-6 WCC) Saturday evening at University Credit Union Pavilion.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- In a low-scoring, defensive first quarter of play, Emma Trawally Porta opened the scoring with a straight-away three-pointer to put San Francisco up 3-0 at 8:33.
- Following Zeryhia Aokuso's mid-range jumper to get Saint Mary's on the board, the Dons scored six straight points, highlighted by a Freja Werth three-pointer, giving the green and gold a 9-2 advantage at 5:47.
- The Gaels trimmed into the Dons' lead shortly after, recording back-to-back two-point field goals to get within three, 9-6, with 3:56 remaining.
- Holding the Gaels scoreless in the final minutes, Elle Papahronis and Cami Fulcher combined for three late free throws for a 12-6 edge at the end of the first quarter.
- Trawally Porta and Werth began the scoring for San Francisco at the start of the second, with back-t0-back layups for a 10-point advantage, 16-6, at 7:45.
- Saint Mary's cut its deficit in half with five consecutive points, bringing the score to within 16-11 near the period's midway point.
- Trading field goals throughout the back half of the quarter, the Gaels concluded on a 5-1 scoring run, recording a three-pointer with under a minute left to cut the Dons' margin to one, 24-23.
- Regaining the lead at the start of the third quarter, the Gaels scored five straight to jump ahead, 28-24.
- The Dons quickly battled back, answering with eight of the next 10 points to take a 32-30 advantage at the 5:44 mark. Trawally Porta and Werth served as the team's primary offensive weapons, with Trawally Porta scoring five of the eight tallies.
- Trailing by four, 40-36, at 1:59, Trawally Porta and Angeliki Ziaka knocked down two late long balls to give the Dons a 42-40 edge at the end of the third quarter.
- Saint Mary's regained momentum in the fourth, capping off a 6-0 scoring with a Kennedy Johnson driving layup to take a 46-42 lead. The Gaels' defensive effort guided the way throughout the start of the final quarter, holding San Francisco scoreless for the opening three minutes.
- Despite two late free throws from Cami Fulcher with 44 seconds left, trimming the Gaels' lead to 52-49, the Dons failed to score on their final possession to drop the three-point decision.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
- For the second straight game, Trawally Porta led San Francisco in scoring, recording 17 points on 43.8 percent (seven-for-16) shooting. Lethal from beyond the arc, she knocked down half of her three-point attempts, leading the team with three.
- Werth and Ziaka posted six boards apiece in a balanced rebounding effort, while Trawally Porta added five. As a team, San Francisco finished the game with 37 rebounds while grabbing 15 offensive boards.
POSTGAME WITH THE DONS:
UP NEXT:
San Francisco returns to the Hilltop at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15, when it hosts Pacific 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 –
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.
