Melody Kempton’s buzzer-beater rallies Gonzaga women past San Francisco

From staff reports

SAN FRANCISCO – Melody Kempton kept working until the game’s final second Saturday.

Kempton collected Kaylynne Truong’s inbounds pass and converted a layup as the final horn sounded to lift Gonzaga to an 83-82 victory over San Francisco in a West Coast Conference women’s basketball game.

Gonzaga swiped the win out from under the Dons, who led 82-77 after Ionna Krimili’s free throw with 12 seconds remaining.

Kempton’s offensive rebound and ensuing putback pulled the Zags (20-5, 11-1 WCC) within three. She added a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to 82-81 with 7 seconds left.

A foul by Krimili with 1.1 seconds remaining gave GU the ball out of bounds underneath the Dons’ basket. Kempton powered through a pair of USF defenders to grab Truong’s pass, and she banked a largely uncontested shot off the backboard for the winner.

Gonzaga’s bench spilled on to the court to celebrate.

Truong scored a team-high 21 points, and Cierra Walker added 14 points and four 3-pointers.

Kempton finished with 12 points and nine rebounds, including a game-high six boards on the offensive end. Abby O’Connor also scored 12 points for GU.

USF (13-13, 7-7) built a 52-40 lead at halftime. Amalie Langer’s 3-pointer gave the Dons a 59-47 cushion with 4:08 left in the third quarter. The Zags reeled off the next 14 points, however, and carried a 61-59 lead into the final quarter.

USF led by as many as six three times in the fourth quarter, including 79-73 after Jessica McDowell-White hit two free throws with 49 seconds left.

Krimili paced the Dons with 23 points, and Langer and Claudia Langarita scored 17 apiece. McDowell-White added 11 points and eight assists.

The Zags host Saint Mary’s on Thursday at 6 p.m.