BELMONT--- San Francisco State Gators improved to 6-0 with a 61-50 road non-conference win over the Notre Dame de Namur Argonauts in the final game of the NDNU Thanksgiving Classic this evening.
Warren Jackson paced the Gators with his 13 points off the bench for the victors. The junior guard was five-for-nine from the field, including connecting on his one attempt from beyond the arc and going two-for-two from the line.
The Gators scored the first 8 points of the game including four points from
Chiefy Ugbaja in the first four minutes of the game. Notre Dame de Namur finally scored on two made free throws by Brian Ying at the 14:49 mark as the hosts cut the Gator lead to 8-2. A three by
Jase Wickliffe off an assist from
Warren Jackson capped a 23-9 run for the Gators as they increased their lead to 31-11 at the 4:43 mark of the first half. A three by
Ryne Williams off an another assist Jackson mid-way through the second half gave the Gators their largest lead of the game, 51-21.
Notre Dame de Namur (1-4) cut the Gator lead to 61-50, but the buzzer sounded as the visitors remained undefeated on the season.
San Francisco State will open up California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play this Friday, December 2 when the Gators face Cal Poly Pomona. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:35pm local time as the game will be broadcast live on Comcast Hometown Network Channel 104. Friday's evening game will be Purple Out III as the first 500 SFSU students with a valid student ID prior to the women's game at 5:35pm will receive a t-shirt.
GAME NOTES
GATORS: With their win this evening, the Gators improved to 6-0 on the year. This is the first time since 2008-09 that the Gators have won their first six games of the season. That year, the Gators started the season 7-0.
COACH'S QUOTES: "We handled our business this weekend," said San Francisco State head coach
Paul Trevor. "Our guys defended really well this weekend and I am proud of our guys," added Trevor. "Our defense has been our one constant all season."
FIRST W UNDER 70: Tonight's win was the Gators' first win when not scoring over 70 points since they defeated Stanislaus State 59-47 on February 20, 2015. San Francisco State is 21-2 in the last two seasons when scoring over 70 points in a game.
DEFENSE DEFENSE: San Francisco State forced 27 turnovers this evening including 18 by steals. The Gators also held the Argonauts to just 27% shooting from the field. Of the 18 steals, six came from
Nick Calcaterra and four from
Coley Apsay.
Chiefy Ugbaja and
Israel Hakim each had three while
Warren Jackson recorded two steals for the Gators.
BLOCK THAT SHOT: AJ Kahlon had all five of the Gators' blocked shots this evening. He now has 18 on the season.
CCAA STARTS THIS WEEK: The Gators will open up the CCAA season with a pair of home game. They will host Cal Poly Pomona this Friday, December 2 at 7:35pm. Then the next evening, Saturday, December 3, they will host Cal State East Bay at 7:30pm. Friday's game is the Gators' annual Purple Out Night. The first 500 SFSU students with a valid student ID will receive a free t-shirt prior to the women's game on Friday evening
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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.
