SAN FRANCISCO (Interstat) — In a tense West Coast Conference rematch decided in the final seconds, the San Francisco Dons survived a furious second-half rally from the San Diego Toreros to secure a 69-65 victory in women’s basketball on Thursday night at War Memorial Gymnasium.

The game, played before an intimate crowd of 326, hinged on a critical sequence in the closing moments. With San Francisco clinging to a 67-65 lead and under 10 seconds remaining, San Diego’s Hallie Rhodes missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer. San Francisco’s Meghan McIntyre secured the defensive rebound, was fouled, and calmly sank both free throws with eight seconds left to seal the win for the Dons.

The victory improved San Francisco’s record to 12-7 overall, while San Diego fell to 7-14. The Dons also completed a regular-season sweep of the Toreros, having won the previous meeting 59-55 in San Diego on Jan. 2.

San Francisco appeared poised for a comfortable win early, building a 21-14 lead after the first quarter behind the hot start of Candy Edokpaigbe. The Dons extended their advantage to 32-27 by halftime, but the third quarter belonged to San Diego. The Toreros erupted for 24 points in the period, spearheaded by the scoring duo of Kylie Ray and Hallie Rhodes, to take a 51-50 lead into the final quarter.

The fourth quarter featured six lead changes and two ties as neither team led by more than four points. With the score knotted at 65 and 1:44 remaining, San Francisco’s Olivia Williams stole the ball from San Diego’s Kylie Ray. On the ensuing possession, Williams found Noelia Mourino Freiria for a layup that gave the Dons a 67-65 lead they would not relinquish, setting the stage for the final defensive stop and McIntyre’s clinching free throws.

Edokpaigbe, a guard from Naples, Italy, led all scorers with 24 points for San Francisco, consistently attacking the basket and drawing fouls. Aina Cargol of Olot, Spain, added 16 points and five assists, orchestrating the Dons’ offense for 37 minutes.

San Diego was carried by the prolific scoring of its backcourt. Kylie Ray of La Crescenta, California, poured in 27 points in 38 minutes, while Hallie Rhodes of Keller, Texas, logged a full 40 minutes and contributed 24 points. Their combined efforts nearly offset a challenging shooting night for the Toreros, who finished 22 of 61 from the field.

The statistical battle was remarkably even. Both teams committed 16 turnovers. San Diego held edges in offensive rebounds (13-10), steals (8-6), and blocks (4-3), while San Francisco was more efficient from the floor, shooting 40.4% compared to San Diego’s 36.1%. The Dons’ decisive advantage came at the free-throw line, where they made 21 of 28 attempts, while the Toreros converted 16 of 22.

San Francisco’s ability to execute in the final minute proved the difference in a game where Interstat’s ELO system had given the Dons a 95.1% probability to win. The Toreros, competitive throughout, have now lost five of their last six games.

San Francisco will look to build on the win when it hosts Pacific on Saturday. San Diego, continuing its conference schedule, returns home to face Loyola Marymount, also on Saturday.