LOS ANGELES – Artis Gant hit a 10-foot runner with 1.5 seconds left on the clock as Cal State L.A. handed the San Francisco State men's basketball team a tough 67-65 loss in California Collegiate Athletic Association play Saturday night at the Eagles Nest in Los Angeles. Gant's shot thwarted a spirited rally by the Gators, who went on a 7-0 run over a 1:29 stretch to tie the game at 65-65, capped by senior Martin Flores' (Woodland, California, Woodland, Solano Junior College) jumper with 33 seconds remaining in the contest.

 

With the defeat, SF State falls to 8-5 on the year and 2-4 in the CCAA, while the Golden Eagles improve to 8-5 overall and 3-3 in league action. 

 

“We made several clutch plays to get the game down to the buzzer and then Gant hit a tough shot,” said Gator head coach Bill Treseler. “Obviously we don't want to dig ourselves a hole in the standings, but we are competing nose-to-nose with good teams in their gyms.”

 

The game was a back-and-forth affair featuring 12 ties and nine lead changes. SF State built a pair of four-point leads in the first half, with the second occurring after a jumper in the paint by senior Will Logan (Apple Valley, California, Apple Valley), which put the visitors up 25-21 with 4:33 left before intermission. However, CSULA went on a 9-2 run to go back in front 30-27.

 

The Gators briefly regained the lead at 31-30 on freshman Daniel Trammel's (Oceanside, California, El Camino) basket and two free throws by sophomore Phoenix O'Rourke (San Mateo, California, Junipero Serra) with 47 seconds left in the half. Shortly thereafter however, the Eagles converted a pair of foul shots of their own to grab a slim 32-31 advantage at intermission.

 

CSULA built a 10-point bulge following the break, as a dunk by Donte Bell put the host team up 42-32 at the 16:28 mark. SF State then clawed its way back, eventually recapturing the lead at 50-48 following a pair of free throws by senior Alex Thomas (Vallejo, California, Hogan, Dominican University) with 8:58 remaining to climax an 18-6 run.

 

The Eagles gradually regained the upper hand, however, fashioning a 17-8 flurry of their own to go back on top 65-58 with 2:02 left to play. The Gators would not go quietly as sophomore Robert Hayes (San Diego, California, St. Augustine) connected on three straight free throws while O'Rourke followed with a lay-up off a steal to make the score 65-63 with 1:11 remaining. 

Hayes came up with another steal on CSULA's next possession and Flores capitalized on the miscue with a bucket that knotted things up at 65-65 with 33 ticks on the clock, setting the stage for Gant's dramatic shot. SF State had one final chance but could not get a shot off as the buzzer sounded.

 

Hayes led all scorers with 19 points, including 9-of-10 from the charity stripe, while Logan and Thomas reached double figures with 12 and 10 points, respectively. The Gators held a 34-31 rebounding advantage and won the turnover battle 19-17, but shot just 34.5 percent from the field, compared to 47.9 for the Eagles.

 

Chris Fields totaled 16 points to pace CSULA.

 

“We rebounded the ball much better tonight and we will be fine moving forward,” coach Treseler added.

 

SF State returns to the court on Thursday, Jan. 15, when it squares off against Cal State Monterey Bay in Seaside, Calif. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.

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