SAN FRANCISCO – Buoyed by Donisha Tate's (Oakland, Calif., Oakland HS, Las Positas College) 11th double-double of the season on game highs of 17 points and 17 rebounds, the San Francisco State women's basketball defeated Cal State L.A., 49-47, in a defensive struggle Friday night in the Main Gymnasium.
The Gators (11-12, 7-9 California Collegiate Athletic Association) also received a season-best 12 points from Nicole Hicks (Santa Clarita, Calif., Saugus HS) for their fourth consecutive victory, but for the second game in row had to hold off a late rally by the opposition, as the Golden Eagles (4-18, 2-15 CCAA) nearly overcame SF State's 28-13 halftime advantage.
“Forty minutes is what we strive for, and tonight we played 30,” said Gator head coach Joaquin Wallace. “Cal State L.A. is the most athletic team in the conference and we did not match their intensity in the last five minutes of the game. However, Donisha (Tate) and Nicole (Hicks) saved us once again tonight.”
SF State shot just 13-43 from the field (30.2 percent), including a 2-for-19 clip in the second half and was out-rebounded 39-34. However, the Gators won the turnover battle 27-22, outscoring the Golden Eagles 18-12 off those miscues, while finishing plus-4 in steals, 15-11. SF State also made 13 more trips to the free-throw line, sinking 23 of their 36 attempts (63.9 percent), compared to CSULA's 11-for-23 effort (47.8 percent).
The Golden Eagles, who connected on 17 of 46 shots from the floor (37 percent), were led by Jazzi Johnson's nine points, while Stacie Whitley contributed eight. In addition, Jordan Kuzma pulled down eight rebounds in the loss.
Trailing 9-7 after a Kuzma jumper with 11:34 to go in the first half, the Gators unleashed a 21-6 blitz to take a 28-13 lead at intermission. A Tate layup and consecutive jumpers by Jessica Hout-Freeman (Fremont, Calif., Washington HS) ignited the rally, while basket by Hicks and Tate capped the run with 58 seconds left in the period. The SF State defense stood out, forcing 17 CSULA turnovers by the break, while holding the visitors scoreless over the final 7:26.
The pace of the game remained unchanged in the second half, as the Gators managed just one field goal and six free throws in the first nine minutes of the period. Still, SF State maintained a 10-point bulge at 36-26 following two Tate foul shots at the 9:00 mark.
Nearly four minutes later, Tate, who finished 9-for-14 from the charity stripe, hit two more free throws to give the Gators a 42-31 cushion with 4:26 remaining in the game.
The Golden Eagles would not go quietly, however, as a Brionna Baker free throw punctuated an 11-3 run with 1:27 left on the clock, which narrowed the gap to 45-42.
After a Hicks jumper and a pair of Johnson foul shots, CSULA forced a turnover, while SF State promptly fouled, sending Sonia Miller to the free-throw line. Miller came up empty on her two-shot opportunity, but a Baker tip-in off a crucial offensive rebound pulled the Golden Eagles to within 47-46 with 40 seconds to go.
Following an exchange of turnovers, ZaLisha Oliver (Sacramento, Calif., Luther Burbank HS) hit two critical free throws with 10 seconds left to put the Gators seemingly in the driver's seat. CSULA hit the second of three free throws after an SF State foul on the Golden Eagles 3-point attempt with three seconds to go. CSULA intentionally missed the third shot, but the Gators gained possession after the ball went out of bounds. SF State then committed an offensive foul on the in-bounds play with 1.6 seconds left, sending the Golden Eagles to the charity stripe once again with a chance to tie. However, both CSULA attempts were off the mark again as the Gators survived the scare.
SF State, which moved into a four-way tie for sixth place in the CCAA, will be aiming for its fifth straight win on Saturday when it takes on Cal State Dominguez Hills in the Main Gym. Opening tip is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
Box Score
