LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Finishing the regular season with double-digit conference wins for the third time in four seasons, the No. 4-seed University of San Francisco women's basketball team (14-15, 10-6 WCC) enters postseason play when it competes in the Credit Union 1 West Coast Conference Championship quarterfinals, facing off against No. 5-seed Pacific (17-13, 8-8 WCC) at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Mar. 9, at Orleans Arena.
 
GAME 30 INFORMATION:
Date: March 9, 2024
Time: 1 p.m.
Opponent: No. 5-seed Pacific
Site: Orleans Arena
Location: Las Vegas, Nev.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Dons Radio Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Tickets: Single Session Tickets
 
DONS AT A GLANCE:
 

• San Francisco enters postseason play on a three-game winning streak after posting wins over Portland, Saint Mary's, and San Diego. In the final week of the regular season, the Dons slipped past the Gaels in Moraga 78-74 in overtime on Thursday, Feb. 29, before earning a two-point 68-66 victory over the Toreros on Saturday, Mar. 2, on the Hilltop.
• In the win over San Diego last Saturday, Debora dos Santos led all scorers with 25 points, recording back-to-back 20-point performances for the second time this season. In 36 minutes of action, dos Santos shot 58.8 percent (10-for-17) from the field and nearly recorded another double-double, posting eight rebounds along with five assists, two blocks, and one steal.
• Freja Werth helped guide the Dons to victory in the regular-season finale, scoring 16 points, including the game-winning layup with eight seconds remaining. Werth was also spectacular from beyond the three-point line, knocking down four of her eight attempts from distance.
• Luana Leite continues to show her passing ability late into the campaign, accumulating 25 assists in the final three games to finish with 125 in her first Division I season. Leite, one of only eight players in the WCC to surpass 100 assists, ranks sixth in the conference in total assists and assists per game (4.3).
• Dos Santos has led the Dons in multiple statistical categories through 29 games, with 10.6 rebounds per game, 30 blocks, and 45 steals. Within the WCC, she ranks first in rebounding, third in blocks, and sixth in steals.
• Following the end of the regular season, three team members were honored by the WCC, with Werth being named Newcomer of the Year, while dos Santos and Jasmine Gayles earned All-WCC First Team recognition.
• As a team, San Francisco ranks fifth in the WCC in scoring offense (66.7 points per game), second in rebounding (37.7 per game), and second in opponent three-point percentage (28.8).
• With the win in its quarterfinal matchup on Saturday, San Francisco will compete in the WCC Championship semifinals for the third time in the last four seasons. 

SCOUTING THE TIGERS:

• Pacific is coming off a 72-66 win over No-8 seed San Diego in the second round of the tournament on Friday, Mar. 8. The Tigers fended off a valiant comeback effort from the Toreros, keeping their opponent without a field goal in the final 4:30.
• Celica Holmberg nearly recorded a double-double, leading the team with 19 points and seven rebounds. Holmberg continues to be a spark for the Tigers, ranking tied for second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.4 points per game.
• Elizabeth Elliot continues to be Pacific's top player, leading the team in scoring and rebounding at 13.8 points and 5.6 boards per game. In the win over San Diego, Elliot was limited due to foul trouble but finished the game with 10 points and four rebounds.
• Anaya James ranks among the best passers in the WCC, averaging 5.9 per game, which ranks tied for first in the conference.
• As a team, Pacific ranks second in the league in scoring offense (72.1 points per game) while allowing 70.6 points, which is ninth in the WCC.

SERIES HISTORY:
San Francisco holds a 28-22 advantage in the all-time series against Pacific, with 13 wins coming since the Tigers joined the WCC before the 2013-14 season. The Dons swept the regular-season series, defeating the Tigers in two games by an average of 10 points. In the first matchup, Gayles posted a career-high 40 points in Stockton on January 13, leading the Dons to an 81-68 win. The green and gold followed with a wire-to-wire 79-72 win at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center on February 10.
 
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 - Provident Credit Union - 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.