SAN FRANCISCO — Huge runs swung Saturday's game between San Francisco and Pacific back and forth for much of the first three quarters, but a huge effort by the Tigers on the offensive glass in the final period helped give them the edge to pull away for an 85-75 West Coast Conference women's basketball victory at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.


 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Both teams had already posted huge runs in the game when they entered the fourth quarter separated by just three points. And even though the Dons (5-12, 1-6 WCC) would own the boards on the day, 36-34, the Tigers (12-5, 5-2 WCC) grabbed a huge advantage on the offensive glass in the final 10 minutes. They pulled down 11 offensive rebounds to just four from USF, giving them second chance after second chance and not allowing the Dons an opportunity to get back into the game. Pacific was just 4 for 20 from the floor in the fourth, but they grabbed 11 of their 16 misses.
   
• Pacific started hot immediately to open the game, making six of its first eight shots to jump out to a 14-4 lead. The Tigers grabbed four steals in the first few minutes of the game to tally seven points off of USF turnovers. That forced two early timeouts by the Dons, which turned out to be game-changing.
   
• Still trailing by eight at 20-12 with less than three minutes to play in the opening period, the Dons rattled off a 10-2 run that tied the game at 22-22 at quarter's end. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Julia Nielacna and Shannon Powell powered the run. Down 22-20 with a chance for the last shot, the Dons whittled down the clock before Powell dished a bounce pass to Marta Galic on the baseline for a quick layup before the buzzer and a tie score. Powell already had seven assists at halftime.
   
• San Francisco's comeback from being down 14-4 continued in the second quarter, as they scored the first 10 points of the period to go up 32-22. Kia Vaalavirta and Galic each hit 3-pointers in the second quarter's portion of what would amount to a 19-0 run that spanned both of the first two stanzas, turning what had been a 22-15 Pacific lead into a 10-point USF advantage.
   
• The teams exchanged baskets back and forth for the rest of the second and much of the third periods, with USF's lead varying anywhere between two and eight points. It was at the end of the third that the game swung again, this time in Pacific's favor. The Tigers went on a 12-1 run in the final 3 1/2 minutes of the third, erasing a five-point USF lead. The Dons went 0 for 3 from the floor and turned the ball over twice during the Tigers' run.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• 12: Pacific, the WCC's leading steals team, grabbed 12 more on Saturday. Four different Tigers had multiple steals, led by Valerie Higgins' four.
• 20: Shannon Powell scored a team-high 20 points for her second straight 20-point contest. She flirted with a triple-double, grabbing nine rebounds and dishing eight assists. She also had three steals.
• 21: Pacific had two players score 21 points each. Brooklyn McDavid went 9 for 14 from the field and had three free throws, and Higgins scored 12 points from the charity stripe to go with her four field goals (including a 3-pointer). Higgins logged a double-double with a game-high 13 rebounds.

COMING UP

• San Francisco travels to the Pacific Northwest to wrap up the first half of WCC play next week. The Dons face No. 13/14 Gonzaga on Thursday, then take on Portland on Saturday. Fans can find all live coverage links on USFDons.com.