SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco State men's basketball team received double-digit point production from three players Saturday en route to a 69-65 triumph over Cal State East Bay on Senior Night in the Main Gymnasium.
The Gators (17-11, 10-10 California Collegiate Athletic Association) never trailed in the contest as Tim Pratt (Eureka, Calif., College of the Redwoods) scored a team-high 19 points, while Nefi Perdomo (Oakland, Calif., Skyline HS) and Marquel Hoskins (Beloit, Wis., Reedley College) added 13 apiece. Derek Fletcher (San Jose, Calif., Branham HS) also got into the act with a game-best 10 rebounds and two blocks to help SF State clinch a spot in the CCAA playoffs for the third straight season.
“We wanted to send our two seniors Derek (Fletcher) and Jeremy (Francis) out with a win tonight, and it was good to be able to do so,” said Gator head coach Bill Treseler. “East Bay played with great heart and was well-prepared. They are certainly a group to be reckoned with down the road. But, we are looking forward to a great final weekend and postseason play.”
The Pioneers (5-20, 2-18 CCAA) were paced by Mark Samuels, who tossed in a game-high 20 points, while Donavon Jackson added 12, including a 10-for-10 effort from the free-throw line.
Neither team shot the ball particularly well, but SF State drained six more field-goal attempts than CSUEB, connecting on 24 of 62 shots (38.7 percent), compared to the Pioneers' 18-for-46 effort (39.1 percent). The Gators, however, owned a 49-38 edge in rebounds, including a 24-14 margin on the offensive glass, which translated into a 36-26 advantage on points in the paint and a 25-11 edge in second-chance points.
Leading 13-12 in the first half, SF State unleashed a 12-0 flurry, capped by Jeremy Francis' (San Francisco, Calif., Mayville State Univ.) 3-point play with 6:44 remaining to open up a 25-12 bulge. Just over two minutes later, the Pioneers managed to trim the deficit back to five at 28-23 following a jumper by Frankie McWirt at the 4:30 mark.
The Gators promptly reeled off six points on two Perdomo foul shots and consecutive layups by Joshua Hash (Eureka, Calif., College of the Redwoods) and Pratt to restore their double-digit cushion at 34-23 with 2:19 left before halftime. The two teams then traded baskets before a Samuels layup accounted for the 36-27 score at intermission.
The Pioneers snared the momentum in the opening minutes of the second half, orchestrating a 10-3 run to pull within 39-37 after a pair of free throws by Samuels at the 14:48 mark.
That would be as close as CSUEB would get, however, as an old fashioned 3-point play Pratt on the ensuing possession sparked a 17-5 run to give SF State its largest lead of the night at 56-42 with 7:19 left to play.
The Pioneers managed to narrow the gap to five on two occasions, but time was not on their side. After a layup by Samuels made the score 66-61, only 44 seconds remained on the clock. The Gators then added three free throws in closing moments to ice the win.
SF State, which clinched its third straight non-losing season for the first time in 28 years, will wrap up its regular-season schedule with road games at Cal State San Bernardino (Feb. 25) and Cal Poly Pomona (Feb. 26) on consecutive nights next week. Tip-off time is set for 7:30 p.m.
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