CARSON– The SF State Gators used two runs a 12-1 run to begin the game and a 13-0 run mid-way through the second half to key their 79-71 road conference victory over Cal State Dominguez Hills this evening at the Torodome in Carson, Calif. Sophomore transfer
Warren Jackson paced the Gators with a season high 20 points, going 4-for-8 from the field including connecting on a trey while going 11-for-12 from the charity stripe.
"Once again it was a team effort by our guys this evening," said SF State head coach
Paul Trevor. "We played a lot of guys and came out hot again, but we need to start having more consistency throughout the game. We also need to close out a team."
SF State (11-7, 5-7 CCAA) jumped out to a 12-1 lead in the first four minutes of the game capped by a
Jon McMurry three off an assist from
Floyd Wormley. Two made free throws by
Treaven Duffy mid-way through the first half gave the Gators their largest lead of the game, 26-8. The Toros outscored their guests, 20-6 to cut the deficit to 32-28 on a Darius Butler jumper with 70 seconds left in the first stanza. A made free throw by
AJ Kahlon gave the Gators a 33-28 heading into the locker room at the half.
Cal State Dominguez Hills (9-11, 3-9 CCAA) took a 36-34 lead on two free throws by Ivan Dooley in the first four minutes of the new half. A
Nick Calcaterra trey off an assist from
Coley Apsay capped a 13-0 run by the Gators as they took a 47-36 lead at the 12:01 mark of the second half. The Toros would not go away as they cut the deficit to (57-51) on a trey by Shaquille Hunter at the 4:58 mark.
SF State once again went on a run (10-2 this time) capped by an old-fashioned three-point play by Jackson to increase its lead to 67-53 with just 1:49 left in regulation.
The Toros stayed around though as they chipped away at the Gator lead cutting it to 73-69 on a trey by Vincent Gilson with just 30 ticks on the clock.
SF State sealed the win though as the Gators went a perfect 6-for-6 from the line as Jackson went 4-for-4 and Apsay connected on both of his attempts from the charity stripe as the visitors held on for the 79-71 victory.
Besides Jackson's 20 points, Duffy chipped in 13 points and
Brantley Bynum added 10 points for the victors. SF State's bench outscored the Toros' bench 45-3 while the Gators went 29-for-45 from the line.
"Justin (Howard), Floyd (Wormley) and Treaven (Duffy) played well for us in the first half while Warren (Jackson) and Coley (Apsay) stepped up in the second half," added Trevor.
SF State held the Toros to 33.9% shooting from the field including just 22% from three-point land. The Gators also forced 16 turnovers. Golson paced the hosts with a game high 29 points.
With the win, the Gators are alone in the seventh spot for the CCAA Basketball Championships one game behind sixth place Cal State Monterey Bay. They are two games out of the fourth spot which is held by Humboldt State and Sonoma State. The top eight teams at the end of the regular season will receive a bid to the CCAA Basketball Championships. Cal State San Marcos is not eligible this year for the championships.
SF State will return to the court tomorrow evening in Los Angeles, Calif., for a 7:30pm PST scheduled tip-off at the Eagles Nest as they take on the Cal State L.A. Golden Eagles. The Golden Eagles lost 61-52 to Sonoma State this evening in Los Angeles.
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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.
