SAN FRANCISCO – Robert Hayes hit two free throws with 25 seconds left to help lift the San Francisco State men's basketball team to a thrilling 69-67 victory over Cal State L.A. on Friday night in the Main Gymnasium. The Gators overcame a 10-point deficit in the second half to raise their record to 13-9 on the year and 7-8 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association, while the Golden Eagles fall to 10-12 and 5-10 in league play.

 

“I am very happy for our team,” said SF State head coach Bill Treseler. “Our guys showed a lot of poise and resolve tonight. Ryan Wessels (Napa, California, Vintage, Napa Valley College), Derek Fletcher (San Jose, California, Branham) and Brad Visman (Placerville, California, El Dorado, UC Riverside)all played strong, and we got good, balanced scoring from our perimeter players.”

 

The Gators were led by

.jpg" />  Visman came up big as well, posting game highs of nine rebounds and four blocks.

 

As a team, the Gators held a 37-29 edge in rebounding and converted 10 Eagle turnovers into 16 points, while the visitors managed just nine points on nine SF State miscues. The Gators also took advantage of more free-throw opportunities, converting 15 of 22 foul shots, while CSULA was 9-for-13 from the charity stripe.

 

The game was a closely contested affair as the first half witnessed 15 lead changes and seven ties. The Gators enjoyed their biggest lead of the period at 8-2 following a Flores jumper at the 16:57 mark. CSULA eventually went ahead by a 34-31 count on a Christofer Hart jumper with 4:26 remaining.   However, the Gators quickly got the equalizer on their next possession as Hayes drilled a 3-pointer to knot the score at 34-34.

 

A jumper by Flores and a pair of Hayes free throws gave the Gators a 42-37 advantage with 1:05 left in the half. However, the Eagles scored the last two baskets before the break on a jumper and a 3-pointer by Dwayne Jones, which evened the score at 42-42 heading into the locker room.

 

The two teams slugged it out in the opening minutes of the second half until CSULA went on a 11-1 run to take a 59-49 lead, capped by Mark Jones' layup at the 10:49 mark. SF State maintained its composure over the next five minutes, however, fashioning a 12-2 spurt of its own to draw even at 61-61 after a Wessels free throw.

 

The Gators regain the upper hand at 65-63 when Flores connected on a fall-away jumper with 4:05 to go in the contest. After a CSULA free throw, Hayes demonstrated his athleticism with a tough layup on the left side, which put the home team up by a 67-64 margin with 1:59 left. 

 

SF State's momentum was temporarily defused on the Eagles' next possession as Artis Gant buried a 3-pointer from the left corner to forge the 12^th tie of the game at 67-67. After an exchange of turnovers, Hayes calmly hit two free throws after being fouled by Hart with 25 ticks left on the clock. The two sides traded miscues once again, but Donte Bell's jumper  with three seconds to go was off the mark, giving the Gators the hard-fought victory.

CSULA was paced by Jones and Chris Mark, who tfinished with 13 points apiece, while Bell added 12 in the defeat.

SF State will look to make it three straight wins on Saturday, Feb. 14, when it welcomes Cal State Dominguez Hills to the Main Gym for another CCAA showdown beginning at 7:30 p.m.

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