Box Score CHICO--- The SF State Gators men's basketball team used a total team effort in their 2011-12 season opening 93-61 victory over the Academy of Art Urban Knights. In his first start as a Gator,
Thomas Nesbitt scored a game high 22 points as he shot 7 of 8 from the field while going 6 of 7 from three-point land and two-for-two from the charity stripe to lead SF State (1-0).
“I am very pleased on how we played this afternoon,” said SF State Head Coach
Paul Trevor. “This was a total team effort, but we need more interior scoring which will help us down the road.”
Nefi Perdomo, who finished with 20 points, and Nesbitt hit back to back three's to open up the game to give the Gators a 6-0 lead.
Academy of Art (0-1) went on a 10-0 run in the next three minutes capped by Czar Robotham's lay-up to give the Urban Knights a 10-9 lead.
SF State retook the lead on its next possession on a lay-up by
Griffin Reilly, a lead the Gators would not relinquish.
They increased their lead 38-23 with 6:44 to go in the half on another Reilly lay-up. The Urban Knights cut the Gator lead to 7 (39-32),w hen Amoor Shamssud-din connected on 1-of-2 free throws to cap a 9-1 run by Academy of Art.
SF State finished the half outscoring the Urban Knights 9-2 to take a 48-34 lead into the locker room.
The Gators continued their run as they increased their lead to 70-41 on another three by Nesbitt with a little under 12 minutes to go in the game.
“We got great contributions from
Nefi Perdomo and
Thomas Nesbitt this afternoon, but everyone contributed to this victory,” added the second-year head coach.
The Urban Knights could not get any closer than a 21-point deficit as the Gators cruised to a 93-61 victory.
Besides Nesbitt and Perdomo's combined 42 points,
David Love added 12 points off the bench for the Gators.
SF State shot 59% from the field including going 16 of 21 from three-point land. The Gators held the Urban Knights to just 29% shooting from the field while forcing 18 turnovers by their opponent.
The Gators will now face Alaska-Fairbanks, who lost 84-73 to Chico State this afternoon, tomorrow at 12:30pm in Day Two of the Carl's Jr. Mac Martin Tournament in Chico on the campus of Chico State University.
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