LAS VEGAS (Interstat) — A dominant first-quarter performance set the tone, and the San Francisco Dons never relinquished control, defeating the Pepperdine Waves 86-69 in a West Coast Conference women’s basketball game Saturday at Orleans Arena.

The Dons, improving to 18-13 overall, exploded for 28 points in the opening period, capitalizing on a flurry of early Pepperdine turnovers to build a lead they would not surrender. The Waves, who fell to 19-12, were plagued by ball-handling issues throughout, committing 16 turnovers which San Francisco converted into 13 steals and numerous transition opportunities.

San Francisco’s offensive execution was crisp from the start. After Pepperdine’s Meghan Fiso opened the scoring with a layup, the Dons unleashed a 14-0 run. The surge was fueled by defensive pressure, as steals by Candy Edokpaigbe and Natasa Tausova led to easy baskets. Aina Cargol ignited the run with a floating jumper, Edokpaigbe followed with a three-pointer, and Noelia Mourino Freiria scored two quick layups, forcing a Pepperdine timeout just over two minutes into the game with San Francisco leading 9-2.

The Waves struggled to find any offensive rhythm against San Francisco’s active defense. Pepperdine turned the ball over on five of its first six possessions, and the Dons continued to extend their advantage. By the end of the first quarter, San Francisco led 28-14, having made five of its first seven shots from the field while Pepperdine managed just six field goal attempts in the same span due to the turnover disparity.

While Pepperdine’ Elli Guiney, who finished with a game-high 22 points, tried to keep her team within reach, San Francisco’s balanced and efficient attack consistently answered any brief Wave push. The Dons shot 47.8% from the field and 41.9% from three-point range. Their ball movement was superior, tallying 13 assists to Pepperdine’s five.

The most critical stretch of the game came late in the second quarter as Pepperdine attempted to claw back. After a Taija Sta Maria layup cut the San Francisco lead to 30-22, the Dons responded with a decisive 7-0 spurt. Mara Neira connected on a three-pointer, and following a pair of Sta Maria free throws, Sol Castro scored inside and Natasa Tausova sank another three. That sequence pushed the lead back to 15 points and effectively stifled Pepperdine’s momentum heading into halftime, with San Francisco leading 43-30.

The Waves never got closer than 11 points in the second half. Every time Pepperdine strung together a few baskets, San Francisco had a response, often from beyond the arc. The Dons made 13 three-pointers in the game, with Tausova contributing four on her way to 14 points.

Cargol orchestrated the San Francisco offense masterfully, finishing with 13 points and a game-high nine assists. Neira added 15 points, Mourino Freiria had 11, and Edokpaigbe chipped in 10. Michelle Ugwah provided efficient scoring off the bench with nine points in just 11 minutes.

For Pepperdine, Guiney’s 22 points came with four assists. Fiso added 16 points and Sta Maria scored 11. Despite shooting a solid 85.7% from the free-throw line, the Waves were hampered by their overall offensive inefficiency, posting an offensive rating of 92.0 on 75 possessions, compared to San Francisco’s 114.3.

The game was a rematch of a Feb. 14 contest won by San Francisco 81-70, and the Dons employed a similar formula of defensive intensity and perimeter shooting to secure the season sweep. An announced crowd of 1,526 watched as San Francisco led for over 38 minutes of game time.

With the victory, San Francisco secured its second consecutive win following a victory over San Diego on Friday. Pepperdine saw a two-game winning streak snapped. Both teams now look ahead to their respective conference tournament schedules.