SAN FRANCISCO –The San Francisco State women's basketball team opened the new calendar year on a down note Tuesday, falling to Cal State Monterey Bay, 49-42, in a California Collegiate Athletic Association game at the Main Gymnasium.

 

The Otters (10-0, 6-0 CCAA) overcame a five-point deficit late in the first half, unleashing an 11-0 run over the last 2:28 of the period to build a 24-18 lead they would never relinquish. The Gators (1-9, 1-5 CCAA), meanwhile, were outrebounded by a 53-35 margin, including a 25-13 span on the offensive glass, en route to their sixth straight defeat.

 

“We battled hard tonight against a quality team,” said SF State head coach Joaquin Wallace. “We have to take the positives and learn from this experience as we prepare for two important games this weekend.”

 

The Gators were led by Kaylaa Davis and Angela Van Sickel, who provided a much-needed spark off the bench with eight points apiece, while Lauren Varney and Dominique Hunter tied for team honors with seven rebounds each. In addition, Michaela Booker posted a career-high six steals to go all with four caroms.

 

Julie Heurung was the lone player to break double-digits for both teams during the defensive struggle, as the Otter center finished with 10 points, while teammate Shonetta Crain-Williams pulled down a game-high eight rebounds.

 

Neither side shot the ball particularly well as SF State connected on just 16 of its 56 field-goal attempts (28.6 pct.), while CSUMB was handcuffed by a 3-for-29 performance from beyond the 3-point arc, finishing at a 29.7 percent clip on 19 of 64 total attempts for the evening.

 

The Gators were held without a basket for over five minutes to begin the contest, missing their first four shots until Hunter drained just her second career 3-pointer from the top of the key at the 14:43 mark. 

 

The two sides soon found themselves in an 11-11 deadlock midway through the half when Erica Greer knocked down a trey to put the Purple and Gold up 14-11. Following a Michelle Santizo layup, buckets by Candyce Matthews and Hunter gave SF State its largest lead of the night at 18-13 with just under three minutes left before intermission.

 

The Otters quickly caught fire, however, as Holly Holcomb tipped in an errant shot, Amanda Padilla drained back-to-back triples, while Erika Ward connected on a 3-pointer of her own to give the visitors a 24-18 edge heading into the locker room.

 

With momentum on its side, CSUMB threatened to turn the contest into a blowout as two Santizo foul shots provided the Otters their biggest cushion of the night at 39-25 with 9:31 left on the clock.

 

The Gators flashed their resiliency at this juncture, crafting a 13-2 run over a span of 5:10 to pull within 41-38 with 4:08 remaining. Van Sickel's 3-pointer and Booker's jumper framed the rally; however, the host school was unable to draw any closer the rest of the way.

 

After SF State missed three shots on one possession, CSUMB regained control of the game on a jumper and two free throws by Heurung, sandwiched around a Padilla basket, which put the Otters up 47-38 with only 28 ticks on the clock.

  

The Gators continue their busy stretch this weekend, Jan. 7-8, when they play host to CCAA foes Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal. State L.A. on successive nights in the Main Gym. Opening tip for both games is set for 5:30 p.m.

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