SPOKANE, Wash. – In the final West Coast Conference contest in Spokane, the University of San Francisco women's basketball team (10-7, 3-3) dropped an 82-69 decision to Gonzaga (13-6, 5-1) Thursday evening at the McCarthy Athletic Center.
San Francisco had three players score in double figures, led by Candy Edokpaigbe's team-high 24 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Aina Cargol tacked on 13 points and six assists while Mara Neira contributed with 12 points and two steals.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- Trailing 16-10 at the 2:52 mark of the first quarter, San Francisco used a 9-1 scoring run to take its first lead of the game, 19-17, with 21 seconds remaining. Nataša Taušová carried the Dons through the final two minutes of play, scoring seven of the team's final nine points.
- Despite the narrow advantage, Gonzaga's Julia Wilson knocked down a corner three-pointer with three seconds left to give the Bulldogs a 20-19 lead at the end of the period.
- Gonzaga kept adding to its advantage, building a 25-21 lead at the 8:52 mark of the second quarter. San Francisco, however, responded with an 8-0 run, capped off with a driving layup from Olivia Williams, to take a 29-25 lead midway through the quarter.
- Going back and forth throughout the remainder of the first half, the Bulldogs emerged on top with a slight 39-35 edge heading into halftime.
- Clicking in the opening minutes of the third quarter, San Francisco scored six straight points to regain the lead at 41-39 at 8:19. Three players scored for the green and gold, with Noelia Mouriño concluding the run with a fastbreak layup.
- Neither team led by more than six points during the third as Gonzaga connected on a long three-pointer with under a minute to go to take a 57-54 lead heading into the final quarter of play.
- The Bulldogs asserted control in the final period, outscoring the Dons 25-15 to secure the 82-69 victory.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
- Edokpaigbe reached the 20-point threshold for the fifth time this season as she recorded 24 points on 47.4 percent (nine-for-19) shooting. She also added eight rebounds, including four offensive boards, to help the green and gold total eight second-chance points.
- Cargol added 13 points and six assists, her fifth straight game with at least five assists.
- Scoring nine of her 12 points in the fourth quarter, Neira connected on four of her seven attempts from the field in the final 10 minutes, including a three-pointer.
- As a team, San Francisco forced Gonzaga into 19 turnovers while recording 13 steals. Taušová led the Dons as she matched a career-high in steals with four, while Edokpaigbe added three.
POSTGAME WITH THE DONS:
UP NEXT:
San Francisco concludes its road trip when it travels to Washington State for a 6:00 p.m. contest on Saturday, Jan. 17, at Bohler Gym.
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*
