WBB | Pilots Navigate Past Dons' Comeback Effort - University of San Francisco Athletics

Thursday, February 21

San Francisco

7 p.m.

University of San Francisco

6-20, 2-13WCC

Portland

12-14, 4-11WCC

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Portland	19	22	13	15	69
San Francisco	18	15	10	23	66

Moa Lundqvist was one of four Dons in double figures Thursday with 10 points. She also had five rebounds and three assists.

Photo by: Christina Leung

WBB | Pilots Navigate Past Dons' Comeback Effort

2/21/2019 10:37:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

SAN FRANCISCO — An energetic second half charge brought the San Francisco women's basketball team right back into Thursday's West Coast Conference contest, but visiting Portland was able to survive the Dons' comeback with two key buckets in the final two minutes of the game to hold on for a 69-66 victory at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.

HOW IT HAPPENED

After Portland's Darian Slaga missed one of her two free throws with just three seconds left in the game, the Dons (6-20, 2-13 WCC) had a chance to complete their 13-point second-half comeback with a half-court heave. Leading scorer Shannon Powell took that toss guarded from the left side of the court, but it hit off the left side of the rim and out as the buzzer sounded, sealing Portland's (12-14, 4-11 WCC) win.
San Francisco trailed by as much as 13 late in the third quarter and started the fourth behind by 11. An 11-2 run did the trick to get USF back into it, with points from five different players. Powell converted a three-point play during the run and Nia Alexander's basket two minutes into the fourth made it just a four-point game at 56-52.
USF wasn't done after climbing back into the game. The Dons would go on another 10-4 run in the fourth quarter to close the gap and tie the game at 62-62 with 3 1/2 minutes to play. An offensive rebound, layup and subsequent completion of a three-point play by Abby Rathbun cut it to a three-point contest. And 22 seconds later, her 3-pointer from the far right corner tied it up at 62.
The teams traded baskets to keep it tied at 64, but that was the start of three straight baskets for Portland that would give it a 68-64 advantage with only 66 seconds left. San Francisco would go 1 for 3 from the floor with a turnover in the final 90 seconds of the game. Alexander grabbed a clutch steal along the sideline with 21 seconds left, but the Dons missed a 3-pointer at their end that would've made it a one-point contest.
San Francisco led by four midway through the second period after Marianna Klavina broke away for a layup and completed a three-point play, giving the Dons a 28-24 lead. But Portland answered with five straight points to regain the lead. And when the Dons took their last lead at 33-32, the Pilots went on a 9-0 run that spanned just 56 seconds with two three-point plays and a trey.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

4: San Francisco had four double-digit scorers on Thursday, led by Powell's 16 points. The last time USF had four players score in double figures was also against Portland, on Jan. 26 at the Chiles Center. It was the same four players both times – Powell, Alexander, Lucija Kostic and Moa Lundqvist.
20-5: Portland's Julie Spencer led all scorers with 20 points after she scored just seven in the teams' first meeting on Jan. 26. Conversely, Slaga scored 25 points in that Jan. 26 game, but managed only five on Thursday.
41: The Dons had their second 40-rebound performance in their last four games. The Dons had 41 boards against the Pilots, including 15 offensive rebounds. It was the fifth time this season they have gone for 40-plus rebounds.

COMING UP

Saturday marks Senior Day for Powell, Lundqvist and Veronica Preciado. The Dons will hold a pregame Senior Day ceremony for their three outgoing players before playing host to No. 15/16 Gonzaga at 2 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets and find all live coverage links on USFDons.com.