SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco State men's basketball team had five players score in double figures Friday to highlight an 81-72 victory over Cal State San Bernardino in a key California Collegiate Athletic Association battle inside the Main Gymnasium.

 

The Gators also enjoyed a perfect night from the free-throw line, draining all 19 of their foul shots to help raise their record to 11-6 on the season and 9-4 in league action, while the Coyotes slip to 10-6 and 8-4 in the CCAA.

 

“We're just trying to get better each game,” said SF State head coach Paul Trevor. “Our guys did an outstanding job, and I was extremely pleased with the way we were able to compete at such a high level against a very tough team. Tonight was a great team effort and it just proved that our guys genuinely care about each other on the court.”

 

The Gators were sparked by Winston Demmin's game-high 21 points as the Reedley College transfer connected on 7 of his 11 shots from the floor and went 6-for-6 at the charity stripe in 25 minutes off the bench. Nefi Perdomo and Tim Pratt also got into the act with 18 points apiece, while Marquel Hoskins came tantalizingly close to a triple-double with 13 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Balancing out the offense was Phoenix O'Rourke who scored 11 points, including a trio of 3-pointers to go along with three assists.

 

Pratt, who shot 6-for-10 from the floor, also pulled down seven caroms as the Purple and Gold maintained a 35-27 advantage on the glass. SF State also fared well from beyond the 3-point arc, sinking 10 of its 24 attempts from downtown, including a 7-for-14 clip in the second half.

 

Despite connecting on 50 percent of its field-goal attempts (24-48) and owning a 34-20 advantage in the paint, CSUSB was undone by a 20-for-34 effort (58.8 pct.) at the foul line and converted just four of 16 tries from 3-point range (25.0 pct.).

 

Individually, the Coyotes were led by Corey Caston and Kwame Alexander, who finished with 13 points apiece, while Theron Laudermill and Ryan Kinney added 11 each in a losing effort.

 

Trailing 13-9 in the first half, O'Rourke and Pratt drilled consecutive treys to ignite a 15-2 blitz over a span of 7:29, giving the Gators a 24-15 bulge with 4:23 left on the clock.

 

Following a pair of Pratt free throws, Kinney nailed a 3-pointer and Hill tipped in an Alexander miss to narrow the gap to 24-20 by the 3:34 mark. Less than a minute later, two Demmin foul shots and a dunk by Pratt restored an eight-point cushion for SF State at 28-20. However, the Coyotes recaptured the momentum by scoring the final seven points of the half, including a layup by Alexander with 16 seconds left, which tightened the score to 28-27 at intermission.

 

The two sides slugged it out in the early stages of the second half, combining for seven lead changes and five ties in the first seven minutes. Trailing 41-40 at the 14:15 mark, the Gators once again came up with a timely run, scoring 14 straight points over a three-minute span to stake a 54-41 lead they would not relinquish. O'Rourke sank two triples during that stretch and Perdomo added another, while Demmin converted a three-pointer the old fashioned way on a jumper and subsequent foul shot.

 

CSUSB was in pursuit mode for the remainder of the game, but managed to claw its way back into contention late as Caston drained a pair of free throws to trim the margin down to three at 71-68 with just 1:30 to go. Disaster nearly struck on SF State's ensuing trip down the court, but Hoskins saved the possession with a key offensive rebound and put-back to thwart the Coyotes' momentum.

 

Leading 73-68 after an errant CSUSB 3-point attempt, the Gators completed their unblemished night at the free-throw line, sinking all eight foul shots in the last 1:02 to seal the win and even the season series at a game apiece.

 

SF State, which now occupies third place in the CCAA, will have little time to savor its victory as Cal Poly Pomona invades “The Swamp” for another important league contest on Saturday, Jan. 29, beginning at 7:30 p.m. The Broncos (10-6, 7-5 CCAA) defeated Cal State Monterey Bay, 74-65, Friday night in Seaside, Calif.