CHICO, Calif. – The SF State women's basketball team could not overcome a huge first half by host Chico State, as they fell 69-39 at Art Acker Gymnasium Friday evening in Chico.  The Wildcats opened up the game with 36 first half points.

The Gators (4-10/2-6 CCAA) shot 28.6 percent on the evening, going 16-for-56, most of their offense coming in the second half where they scored 27 of their 39 points, 18 of those coming in the explosive third quarter.  SF State was just 1-for-11 from 3-point range on the evening.

Leading the team in scoring was Tatsiana Dashkevich who scored a team-high 10 points, shooting 4-for-10 from the field.  Lauryn Catching finished with eight points on the night, while Brittaney Allison, Naila Washington and Viktoriia Kotilevskaia all finished with six points each.

Chico State (6-8/2-7 CCAA) countered with three players in double figures, led by Whitney Branham's career-high 20 points.  The Wildcats shot 32.9 percent on the evening, going 25-for-76 from the field.  At the charity stripe they were deadly, going 12-for-13.

In the opening quarter the Gators defense did their job early, holding the Wildcats to a 12.5 shooting percentage, as Wildcats missed their first 12 shots.  Chico State took the lead early however, because they opened the first period a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line.  The Wildcats ended the first quarter on a 9-2 run to take a 17-8 lead into the second quarter.

In the second quarter the Wildcats pulled away, SF State finished with just four points, tallying two field goals.  The Wildcats responded with 19 points of their own to go into the break leading 36-12.  The Gators finished the half shooting 21.7 percent from the floor, going 5-for-23.

Out of the intermission, the Wildcats continued the scoring trend from the opening half.  The Wildcats tallied 22 points in the quarter.  The Gators responded with their best scoring quarter, putting up 18.  Dashkevich went off in the period, scoring all 10 of her points.

The fourth quarter the two teams kept the scoring close, with Chico State taking an 11-9 advantage into the final buzzer.

Freshman center Kiara Ginwright finished the night with a game-high six blocks.  She also grabbed three rebounds and dished out two assists.

The Gators return to action tomorrow night in Turlock, Calif., when they take on Stanislaus State at the Ed & Bertha Fitzpatrick Gymnasium.  The Game is slated for a 5:30 p.m. start time.

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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.