SAN FRANCISCO – Nicole Hicks (Santa Clarita, Calif., Saugus HS) sank four crucial free throws in the final eight seconds as the San Francisco State women's basketball team held on for a 55-52 triumph over Cal State Monterey Bay on Wednesday in the Main Gymnasium.
After building a 14-point lead with 11:13 to go in the second half, the Gators (11-13, 7-9 California Collegiate Athletic Association) withstood a furious Otter rally to win their third straight, while CSUMB (14-6, 10-6 CCAA) which entered the contest with a No. 8 ranking in the latest NCAA Division II West Region poll, had its three-game winning streak snapped.
SF State was paced by Donisha Tate (Oakland, Calif., Oakland HS, Las Positas College), who tied for game-high honors with 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including a 6-for-8 clip from the field in the second half. Meanwhile, Dominique Hunter (San Francisco, Calif., Gateway HS)w as a dominant force on the glass, matching her career-best of 15 rebounds, including 12 on the defensive end to go along with a game-high four assists and three blocks. ZaLisha Oliver (Sacramento, Calif., Luther Burbank HS) also got into the act with 10 points, including eight in the first half.
“Any time you can win successive games in this conference you have to be excited,” said Gator head coach Joaquin Wallace. “Monterey Bay is a quality team both offensively and defensively; therefore, our defense had to be solid tonight. Tate and Hunter were solid as usual and Hicks is beginning to blossom into a quality freshman player.”
Julie Heurung notched a double-double to lead the Otters, equaling Tate's effort of 15 points while adding 10 rebounds. Helen Suarez and Veronica Williams also reached double figures in scoring with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Despite shooting 22-of-61 from the floor (36.1 percent), SF State limited CSUMB to just 17-of-57 field goals on the night (29.8 percent) and maintained a slim edge in rebounds (45-43) and points in the paint (22-18). The Gators also benefited from Otter woes at the free-throw line as the visitors sank just 14 of their 27 attempts from the charity stripe (51.9 percent), compared to SF State's 8-for-14 clip (57.1 percent).
Points were at a premium in the first half, with CSUMB leading just 9-6 after a Britnee Lewis jumper at the 11:06 mark. However, the Gators dialed up some instant offense as Juliet Masei (Mojave, Calif., Desert HS, Dickinson State Univ. )drained a pair of 3-pointers from the left corner, while Oliver converted a layup to give the host school a 14-9 advantage with 9:50 remaining in the period. SF State stretched the margin to seven over the next six minutes, with Hunter banking home a jumper at the 3:52 mark to give the hosts a 24-17 cushion.
CSUMB would not go quietly, however, as a Heurung tip-in with 1:10 before intermission capped a 6-0 run, which narrowed the gap to one at 24-23. Sidney Dobner (Newbury Park, Calif., Newbury Park HS)gave the Gators some momentum heading into the break, nailing a 3-pointer with 41 seconds left to provide the contest its 27-23 score at halftime.
SF State kept things rolling with a 14-4 run over the first 8:47 of the second half to stake a commanding 41-27 advantage with 11:13 to go. Tate scored 10 straight points during that stretch, sandwiched around layups by Andrea Ohlssen (Pacifica, Calif, Sacred Heart Cathedral HS, Cal Poly Pomona) and Hunter.
The Gators managed just two field goals and one free throw over the ensuing 8:09 as the Otters crept back into contention, eventually taking a 48-46 lead on triple by Williams at the 3:04 mark. After a Tate layup and an exchange of single free throws left the score all tied at 49-49, SF State came up with a critical steal by Jessica Hout-Freeman (Fremont, Calif., Washington HS), while Hunter established position inside to sink a layup, putting the Gators up for good at 51-49 with 59 seconds to go.
After Heurung made the back end of a two-shot opportunity with nine ticks on the clock, Hicks delivered four free throws of her own in the remaining time to seal the win.
SF State continues its five-game homestand on Friday with a CCAA match-up against Cal State L.A. in the Main Gym. Opening tip is slated for 5:30 p.m.
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