SAN FRANCISCO – The SF State women's basketball team struggled to shoot from deep and could not contain Cal State L.A. in the paint as the Gators fell to the Golden Eagles 68-35 Saturday night at the main gym at the Don Nasser Family Plaza.
 
The Gators (0-16/0-12 CCAA) shot just 8.7 percent from three point range, going 2-for-23. The Golden Eagles (8-8/7-5 CCAA) countered by scoring 38 points in the paint and 21 points off turnovers.
 
Jayzyl Tauala led the Gators with 12 points, she was the only SF State player in double figures.  Most of her damage came in the second half where she scored nine of her 12 points, and most of that game from the free throw line where she connected on 5-of-6 attempts from the charity stripe.
 
In the opening period things did not start well for the Gators and that's how the half ended.  The Golden Eagles raced out to a 17-0 lead, SF State did not get on the board until Jasmine Flanagan hit a jumper at the 16:09 mark.
 
Cal State L.A. did a majority of their damage in the paint an on quick transitions following turnovers.  The Golden Eagles recorded 22 points in the paint in the opening half, and 15 off turnovers.  On the glass the CSULA had a bid advantage, grabbing 32 first half rebounds, 11 of them on offense that allowed 12 second chance points.
 
The Gators defense stiffened midway through the first half however.  As the Gators offense found their way, they kept the Golden Eagles off the scoreboard.  With 10:51 on the clock CSULA hit a layup to go up 24-7, over the next five and a half minutes the Gators defense kept CSULA to just a pair of free throws, meanwhile the Gators scored seven and the scoreboard read 26-14. 
 
That was as close as the Gators would get, the Golden Eagles wrapped up the first half going on a 17-2 run to go into the locker rooms with a 43-16 lead.  SF State shot 23.3 percent from the floor, going 7-for-30, they were just 1-for-11 from beyond the arc.
 
The Golden Eagles, meanwhile, responded by shooting 41.7 percent from the field, going 15-for-36 from the floor, including 10-for-12 at the free throw line. 
 
In the second half the Gators came out hot early, and jumped out to an 8-5.  Late in the contest the two sides were even in the second half scoring department, with both sides adding 19 points to the scoreboard. 
 
Ultimately the trio of Chiara DiMarco, Kiah Knox and Franeka Powell proved to be too much as all three players were in double figures for the Golden Eagles.  Knox and Powell both finished with double-doubles.  Knox scoring 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds while Powell finished with 10 and 10.
 
The Gators head back on the road traveling to Cousoulis Arena to take on Cal State San Bernardino on Friday, January 29 at 5:30 p.m.

Complete Box Score (HTML)


 --

Gator Athletics has a proud tradition of competitive success within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The department offers 12 intercollegiate sports programs: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Women's Track & Field, Women's Volleyball and Men's Wrestling.

Gator Athletics places great emphasis on academic performance as well as athletic achievement. The program offers student athletes the opportunity to reach their educational goals, as well pursue meaningful athletic accomplishments.  For more information, visit SF State Athletics' website, Twitter and Facebook pages.