Men's Basketball | 2/1/2016 2:20:00 PM
SAN FRANCISCO– The SF State Gators will begin the month of February with a pair of home games this weekend. SF State will host Humboldt State this Friday, February 5 at 7:35pm PST in Spirit Night. Then on Saturday, February 6, the Gators will host No. 13 Cal Poly Pomona with a scheduled tip-off of 7:30pm PST. Friday night's game with Humboldt State will be broadcast live on Comcast Hometown Channel 104 with Joe Castellano and Dan Dibley calling the game. The first 500 students with a valid SF State student ID will receive a t-shirt. Doors open at 5pm PST prior to the women's game, which tips off at 5:35pm PST.
The Gators are 11-8 overall and 5-8 in the CCAA after going 1-1 on the road last weekend. SF State sits in the seventh spot for the CCAA Basketball Championships, two games out of the fifth spot which is held by Sonoma State and Cal State Monterey Bay.
The top eight teams at the end of the regular season will receive a bid to the CCAA Basketball Championships which start on March 1. Cal State San Marcos is ineligible for the CCAA Basketball Championships this season. The First Round of the CCAA Basketball Championships is held at the site of the four highest seeds. The semi-finals and final are set for March 4 and 5 at The Stockton Arena in Stockton, Calif.
SF State split their two road games last weekend in Los Angeles to finish the month of January with a 5-5 record. On Friday in Carson, the Gators defeated Cal State Dominguez Hills 79-71 behind Warren Jackson's season high 20 points. Treaven Duffy scored 13 points while Brantley Bynum added 10 points. The Gators went 29 for 45 from the line with Jackson going 11-for-12 while Duffy was 5-for-6 and Bynum 4-for-4. SF State held the Toros to just 33% shooting from the field including 22% from three-point land.
Then on Saturday night in Los Angeles, the Gators lost 63-49 to Cal State L.A. as Duce Zaid had a career high 28 points to lead the way for the Golden Eagles. Jon McMurry paced the Gators with 12 points while Nick Calcaterra chipped in 8 points and Floyd Wormley had 7 points and 10 rebounds while Duffy chipped in 7 points and dished out 6 assists.
For the season, the Gators are averaging 70.8 points per game while giving up 68.7 points per game. They are being out-rebounded 32.8 to 31.9 rebounds per game, but are forcing 15.1 turnovers per game while recording 7.7 steals per game. SF State is shooting 44.9% from the field, 35.7% from three's and 70.8% from the line while the Gators' opponents are shooting 44.8% from the field, 38.4% from three's and 73.2% from the line.
Coley Apsay leads the team with his 10.3 scoring average, 22 steals and 93.5% shooting from the charity stripe. Jackson is next on the team with his 9.7 scoring average followed by McMurry at 9.1 and Wormley at 8.9. Wormley leads the team with his 5.6 rebounding average, 21 blocked shots, 53 assists and 56.8% shooting from the field. McMurry has connected on a team high 41.8% of his attempts from beyond the arc with a team leading 28 three's made.
In the recent NCAA statistics report that was released this morning, Apsay is now fourth in the nation in free throw percentage while as a team the Gators are 32nd in scoring defense (68.7 ppg) and 39th in turnover margin (+2.7).
In this week's CCAA statistics report, SF State is in the top half in the conference in steals (second), turnover margin (third), blocked shots (fourth), assist/turnover ratio (5th), free throw percentage (5th) and scoring defense (6th). Two Gators are in the top ten in three categories in Apsay and Wormley. Apsay is first in free throw percentage and tied for 7th in steals while Wormley is tied for 5th in blocked shots.
SF State will face Humboldt State this Friday with tip-off scheduled for 7:35pm PST. The Lumberjacks come into Friday's game The Swamp at The Don Nasser Family Plaza with a 14-5 overall record including an 8-5 record in the CCAA. They are in fourth place in the CCAA, one game out of third place which is held by Cal Poly Pomona. They went 1-1 this past weekend at home losing 73-69 to No. 12 UC San Diego on Friday night and defeating Cal State San Bernardino n Saturday 93-92.
Humboldt State is averaging 85.5 points per game while giving up 76.6 points per game. The Lumberjacks are shooting 49% from the field, 37% from three's and 70% from the line. Their opponents are shooting 43% from the field, 33% from three's and 68% from the line.
Rakim Brown, Thomas Witzel and Malik Morgan are leading the Lumberjacks in scoring with their 18.3, 15.7 and 13.2 respective points per game average. Brown also leads the team with his 9.2 rebounding average and 13 blocked shots. Justin Everett is shooting a team high 65.2% from the field while Morgan has dished out a team leading 99 assists and recorded a team high 28 steals. Ethan Dillard is shooting a team high 45% from three's while Witzel has made a team high 44 three's and connected on a team best 81% of his attempts from the stripe.
This is the second time that the Gators and Lumberjacks have faced each other this season with Humboldt State defeating the Gators 85-80 in overtime in Arcata on December 12. Witzel led the way with a game high 29 points for the Lumberjacks with Brown chipping in 21 points and Morgan adding 19 points. Apsay had 23 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Gators with Wormley adding 16 points and 10 rebounds. Jackson also scored in double digits with 15 points.
SF State will host No. 13 Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday evening as the Broncos and Gators will face each other for the only time this season. The Broncos come into their game at Sonoma State on Friday night with a 16-4 overall record and a 9-4 record in the CCAA. They are in third place in the CCAA with UC San Diego leading the league with its 12-2 record followed by Chico State at 10-2.
Cal Poly Pomona went 1-1 last weekend at home defeating Cal State San Bernardino 84-63 on Friday night and losing 41-35 to No. 12 UC San Diego on Saturday night.
The Broncos are averaging 71.3 points per game while giving up 59.4 points per game. They are out-rebounding their opponents 34.1 to 30.5 while holding their opponents to just 38% shooting from the field including 33% from beyond the arc. Cal Poly Pomona is shooting 48% from the field while forcing 14.9 turnovers per game and recording 8.4 steals per game.
Jordan Faison leads the team with his 18.2 scoring average, 7.5 rebounding average, 60% shooting from the field and 24 blocked shots. Jordan Ogundiran is shooting a team leading 39% from three's while connecting on 25 of his attempts from beyond arc. Barry Bell lead the team with his 83 assists and 30 assists.
After this weekend, the Gators will travel to Rohnert Park on Tuesday, February 9 for a 7:30pm scheduled game with Sonoma State. They will then return home on Thursday, February 11 when they host Cal State San Marcos also at 7:30pm.
Game Notes
Coverage on Comcast Hometown Network Channel 104
Link to Live Video and Stats of Friday and Saturday's Game
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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.
