SAN FRANCISCO – The SF State women's basketball team made its first three attempts from the field and held a 7-0 lead over Division I foe San Francisco, from there the Gators managed to keep the game close through the remainder of the half, ultimately the cross town Dons were able to pull away with a big second half to take the game 73-45 Saturday afternoon at the War Memorial Gym.

With 7:36 in the opening quarter Lauryn Catching made the third consecutive bucket for the Gators (3-6) who took an early 7-0 lead.  The lead wouldn't last long however, by the end of the first quarter, the San Francisco (9-2) held a two point lead, up 11-9.

After the hot start the Gators offense went, shooting 14-for-53 for the game, 11-for-50 after making the first three buckets.  From 3-pt range SF State connected on just 5-of-22 attempts.  Defensively, the Gators did their part, holding the Dons, winners of seven-straight, to 28 points in the opening half.

A 6-0 run to close the second quarter gave USF an 11 point halftime lead, coming out of the intermission they pushed that lead to 22.  USF outscored the Gators 45-28 in the second half, with 1:56 left in the game Jaylin Jones hit a layup to give USF a 34 point lead, their largest of the night.

USF owned the paint on the afternoon, scoring 42 of their 73 points in the paint.  The Gators countered scoring 12 points in the key.  SF State was led by guard Felicia Villarruel, who scored a team-high nine points all coming off the bench.

She was one of five Gators to score seven points or more.  Catching, Tatsiana Dashkevich, and Laura Lawson all finished with seven points each.  Freshman center Kiara Ginwright finished with four points, seven rebounds, five blocks, and five steals in an all-around impressive performance.

The Gators return to action on Friday, January 1^st when they travel to Hayward, Calif. to take on Cal State East Bay in a CCAA clash. 

Complete Box Score (HTML)

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.