MALIBU/SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The University of San Francisco women's basketball team (8-12, 4-3), coming off a split last week, returns to Southern California for two-game stretch when it takes on Pepperdine (5-15, 1-6) at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 1, at Firestone Fieldhouse and San Diego (4-16, 0-7) at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3, at Jenny Craig Pavilion.
 
GAME 21 DETAILS:
Date: February 1, 2024
Time: 6 p.m.
Opponent: Pepperdine
Site: Firestone Fieldhouse
Location: Malibu, Calif.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Dons Radio Network
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
 
GAME 22 DETAILS:
Date: February 3, 2024
Time: 2 p.m.
Opponent: San Diego
Site: Jenny Craig Pavilion
Location: San Diego, Calif.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Dons Radio Network
Live Stats: SIDEARM
 
DONS AT A GLANCE:

• San Francisco enters the fifth week of WCC action in sole possession of fourth place in the conference standings after splitting two home games last week. The green and gold mounted a second-half comeback and earned a 61-48 win over Loyola Marymount on Thursday, Jan. 25, before falling to No. 17 Gonzaga, 73-54, on Saturday, Jan. 25.
• Jasmine Gayles led the Dons in scoring last week, averaging 15.0 points per game in two contests against LMU and Gonzaga. Gayles, who ranks first on the team in scoring, averaging 17.5 points per game, has reached double figures in 11 straight contests, including recording 17 points in the win over the Lions and 13 against the Bulldogs.
• Gayles ranks tied for first in the WCC in scoring, averaging 21.1 points per game in seven league games.
• Debora dos Santos continues to fill the stat sheet, averaging a double-double on the season with 14.0 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. In the win over LMU, dos Santos nearly recorded her 12th double-double of the season as she posted 16 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes of action.
• Dos Santos, the lone WCC member averaging a double-double this season, has accumulated 11, which ranks first in the WCC and tied for 13th in the nation.
• Luana Leite recorded back-to-back games with double-digit points for the first time during conference play, scoring 12 points in the win over LMU, followed by a 10-point performance against Gonzaga last week.
• Leite has also been a reliable passer, ranking fourth in the WCC in total assists (30) and assists per game (4.3) during league play. In 20 games this season, Leite ranks first on the team and tied for sixth in the WCC with 78 assists.
• As a team, San Francisco ranks fifth in the WCC in scoring, averaging 65.9 points per game, while ranking third in scoring defense, holding opponents to 61.4 points per game during conference play. Overall, the Dons are first in the WCC in combined team rebounds with 38.0 per game and defensive rebounds per game at 26.2.

SCOUTING THE WAVES:

• Pepperdine enters Thursday's contest on a six-game losing streak after falling on the road to LMU, 75-59, last Saturday. The Waves, currently in eighth place in the conference standings, have only posted one WCC win this season, defeating San Diego, 53-52, on Thursday, Jan. 4.
• Jane Nwaba leads the team in scoring, averaging nine points per game while 41.2 percent from the field in 20 games. Nwaba also ranks first in rebounds at 7.8 per game, while being the lone team member with at least 100 total boards.
• Nwaba shined in multiple ways in the first meeting this season against San Francisco as she nearly posted a triple-double with 11 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists in an 83-64 loss to the Dons on the Hilltop on Thursday, Jan. 11.
• Myra Gordon (7.9 points per game), Ella Brubaker (7.3 points per game), and Addi Melone (6.5 points per game) have also propelled the Waves offensively this season.

SCOUTING THE TOREROS:

• San Diego is seeking its first conference win of the season after falling at home to Portland, 64-59, in heartbreaking fashion last Thursday, Jan. 27. The Toreros held strong against the Pilots all game and held a 58-57 advantage with 2:56 remaining in the contest. The Pilots, however, ended the game on a 6-2 run to pull out the victory.
• Veronica Sheffey leads the Toreros in scoring this season, averaging 12.8 points per game. The second-year guard has reached double figures in 15 of the team's 20 games, including tallying a season-high 23 in a narrow 67-63 loss against San Diego State earlier in the season.
• Sheffey ranks ninth in the conference in scoring throughout conference play at 13.6 points per game, as she has scored double-digit points in six of the seven league games.
• Overall, San Diego ranks seventh in the conference in scoring offense (61.4 points per game) and defense (67.1 points per game), fifth in free-throw percentage (71.3 percent), and combined team rebounds (36.3 per game), and fourth in turnover margin (-0.19).

SERIES HISTORY:

• San Francisco and Pepperdine have faced off 88 times in program history, with the Dons holding a narrow 46-42 advantage against the Waves. The Dons won the first meeting this season, defeating the Waves, 83-64, on the Hilltop on January 11. The Dons pulled out the victory over the Waves after trailing 19-13 after the first quarter.
• San Francisco and San Diego have faced off 80 times throughout program history, with the Toreros holding a 45-35 edge over the Dons since the first-ever meeting in 1986. Despite having a losing record against the Toreros, the Dons have won three straight contests, including sweeping the season series during the 2022-23 campaign. 

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 sponsor - Planet Orange - 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.