SAN FRANCISCO –The San Francisco State women's basketball team was unable to build on a 16-point lead in the first half on Saturday as visiting Cal State L.A. rallied to claim a 59-49 victory over the Gators in the Main Gymnasium.

 

The Gators (1-11, 1-7 California Collegiate Athletic Association) enjoyed a 21-5 advantage at the 8:39 mark of the opening period and led 27-14 at intermission, before the Golden Eagles (6-6, 3-5 CCAA) came out on fire, connecting on a blistering 16 of 25 field-goal attempts (64 percent) in the second half, including a 5-for-9 clip from beyond the 3-point arc to key their frantic comeback.

 

“This is as frustrating a loss as there is,” said SF State head coach Joaquin Wallace. “We have to understand that there are two halves to a basketball game.”

 

The Gators were led by Nicole Hicks, who fell just shy one point shy of her career high, finishing with 12 for the evening on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and two free throws, while Erica Greer and Lauren Varney chipped in eight apiece. In addition, Varney grabbed a season-best 10 rebounds, a figure matched by Dominique Hunter, who also tied Greer for game-high honors with four assists.

 

Erika Ruiz led all scorers with 18 points for CSULA, while Gretchen Tiernan finished with 16, buoyed by a 4-for-8 effort from 3-point territory. Lacey Ramon, who matched Tiernan with seven rebounds, also reached double digits with 10 points of her own and added a game-best four steals.

 

The Eagles were white-hot from the free-throw line as well, sinking 15 of their 16 attempts from the charity stripe, compared to the SF State's 7-for-15 effort (46.7 percent).

 

The Gators scored the first four baskets of the game, including back-to-back layups by Hicks and eventually increased their bulge to 21-5 on a Varney bucket with 8:39 to go before intermission.

 

However, CSULA began to chip away at the deficit over the next seven-plus minutes, pulling to within eight points at 22-14 on a pair of Ramon foul shots with 1:03 left on the clock.

 

SF State seemingly maintained the momentum as Greer tallied the final five points of the half on a jumper and a 3-pointer to give the host school a 27-14 cushion heading into the locker room.

 

Following the break, the Eagles looked nothing like the team that made only 3 of 25 field goals in the first half as the visitors reeled off 15 straight points over the first 6:02 of the second period to forge a 29-27 lead. The Gators were once again beset by shooting woes during that stretch, misfiring on eight field goal attempts while committing five turnovers.

 

After a pair of SF State free throws, the two sides alternated baskets on the next six possessions, including a jumper by Michaela Booker that knotted the score at 37-37 with 10:09 left in the game. The sequence was also highlighted by an exchange of 3-pointers, including two by Tiernan, one by Greer and another by Angela Van Sickel.

 

Nevertheless, CSULA took the lead for good at 41-37 moments later when Ruiz and Sonia Miller drained consecutive baskets with 9:13 remaining on the clock. Shortly thereafter, the margin swelled to six points at 49-43 when Tiernan and Ruiz drilled 3-pointers sandwiched around a Gator layup by Booker.

 

SF State trimmed the margin down to 51-49 on a Hicks free throw with 1:10 to go, but could not draw any closer. Ruiz nailed four foul shots, while Ramon sank another two down the stretch to squelch any comeback hopes.

 

The Gators will now hit the road for the next four games, beginning with a stop at Sonoma State on Thursday, Jan. 13, in Rohnert Park, Calif. Tip-off is slated for 5:30 p.m.

Box Score