SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The SF State women's basketball made the short trip to the South Bay to take on host Santa Clara on Saturday.  The Gators played the Broncos tight for half the game, but ultimately fell 71-42 to the Division I foe.

The Gators shot just 27.1 percent from the floor on Saturday, going 13-for-48, including a 3-for-15 mark from beyond the arc.  Leading the team in scoring was junior Lauryn Catching who had 11 points, going 4-for-8 from the field.  Naila Washington also scored in double figures, she finished the day with 10 points, along with a team-high nine rebounds.

In the opening quarter the Gators fell behind early, with the Broncos opening up the game on a 13-5 run.  But the Gators whittled that lead down.  Laura Lawson closed that gap to two when she was fouled after stealing the ball and hit a pair of free throws to make it 15-13 with 49 seconds left in the quarter.  Lawson finished the day with eight points, going 3-for-5 from the floor and 2-for-3 from the three throw line.

The bright spot on the day for SF State was its free throw shooting.  In the first half the Gators made just five field goals on 26 shots, but went 6-for-8 from the three throw line.  For the game they connected on 13-of-18.

The second quarter was not kind to SF State, after trailing by just three to the Broncos. The Gators made just one field goal, a layup from Washington at the 6:57 mark that cut the Broncos lead to 3, 18-15.  From there, Santa Clara went on a run to close out the half with 31-17 lead.

In the second half the Gators shot much better, connecting on 8-of-22 from the field.  In the third quarter the Gators scored 18 points and was led by Washington's six points.  Catching was 2-for-2 from deep, but the Broncos extend their lead to 18, going up 53-35 heading into the fourth quarter.

Late in the game the Broncos bench proved to be too much for SF State, as they accounted for 24 points in the second half.

The Gators make their 2015 debut next Friday, November 13 when they travel to Ellensburg, Wash., to take on Central Washington.  Tip-off is scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. start. 

Complete Box Score (PDF)

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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.