Box Score
SAN FRANCISCO – Despite a valiant comeback attempt, the San Francisco State women's basketball team came up on the short end of a 64-56 decision to Cal State Monterey Bay in a California Collegiate Athletic Association game Thursday at The Swamp.
The Gators (2-10, 1-5 CCAA) trailed by as many as 30 points with four minutes elapsed in the second half before cutting the deficit to six at 56-50 with 1:37 remaining. However, the Otters (9-1, 6-0 CCAA) answered with a 5-0 spurt over the next 58 seconds to dash the Purple and Gold's upset bid.
“The game was a tale of two halves,” said SF State head coach Joaquin Wallace. “Despite the outcome, I was encouraged with our intensity on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball, and I am hopeful that we can continue with the same kind of effort on Saturday against Cal State East Bay.”
The Gators had three players finish with double-digit scoring totals, including
Nicole Hicks, who tossed in a game-high 16 points to go along with four assists, while
Farrah Shokoor contributed a season-best 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field.
Angela Van Sickel also got into the act with 13 points of her own, including nine straight at one stretch during SF State's second-half rally, while
Lauren Varney cleaned up the glass with nine rebounds.
CSUMB countered with its own balanced attack as Stefanie Corgel and Brittani Jefferson tallied 14 points each, while Erika Ward (5 assists) and Jessica Fontenette (4 steals) collected 10 apiece in the victory. In addition, Jefferson led all players with 10 caroms to complete her second straight double-double.
Despite holding a slight advantage in field-goal percentage (41.1-34.5), the Gators never led in the game as the Otters made seven more free throws (14-7) and owned a 43-38 edge in rebounds, including a 13-7 spread on the offensive glass. In addition, CSUMB outscored their hosts 15-2 on second chance opportunities and 26-8 on points off turnovers.
Trailing 24-17, the Gators were held scoreless over the final 5:15 of the first half as the Otters unleashed a 15-0 blitz, capped by Fontenette's old-fashioned 3-point play with four-tenths of a second left on the clock to take a commanding 39-17 lead into the locker room. CSUMB connected on 14 of 29 field-goal attempts (48.3 percent) during the period, while SF State was just 7-for-23 (30.4 percent) from the floor.
The Gators' offensive woes continued after intermission as a Hicks basket provided the Purple and Gold's only points in the first four minutes of the second half. Jenna Bandy's 3-pointer gave the Otters a seemingly comfortable 49-19 cushion at the 16:01 mark before SF State mounted a furious rally.
The Gators methodically clawed their way back into contention, outscoring CSUMB 31-7 over the next 14:24, pulling to within 56-50 after Shokoor's 3-point play at the 1:37 mark. The Otters sank just two of 20 shots from the field during that span and committed six turnovers. SF State, meanwhile, began to heat up, scoring 13 consecutive points in a six-and-a-half-minute stretch, including nine straight by Van Sickel herself.
With momentum on their side after narrowing the gap to six, the Gators seemed poised to trim the deficit even further when two CSUMB shots went awry. However, the Gators were unable to corral the loose ball as Brandi Stephens' fed Jefferson for a critical tip-in underneath the basket that gave the Otters a 58-50 lead with 1:04 to go.
A Ward free throw and two additional foul shots by Fontenette soon upped the lead to 61-50, and SF State never threatened again. Van Sickel and Hicks each drained a 3-pointer in the final 30 seconds, but CSUMB countered with a Bandy layup and a free throw by Mykayla Harris to provide for the final outcome.
The Gators will return to the hardwood on Saturday, Jan. 7, when they square off against Cal State East Bay in another home contest beginning at 5:30 p.m. inside The Swamp.
