SAN FRANCISCO – The SF State women's basketball team looks to punch its ticket to the CCAA Tournament this weekend, to do so they will have to get past No. 20 UC San Diego and Cal State San Bernardino on the road, while getting some help.
 
SF State enters Friday's contest against No. 20 UC San Diego with an overall record of 9-16 and are 6-12 in the CCAA, which has the Gators currently tied with Cal State L.A. for eighth and final playoff spot.  The Golden Eagles currently own the tiebreaker with SF State for that final playoff spot, so the Gators will need some help from Chico State and Cal State Stanislaus, who travel to CSULA this weekend.
 
The Gators had a setback on Saturday, falling to rival Sonoma State 50-44 on senior night.  In the loss, SF State rallied from 18 down midway through the third quarter to cut the deficit to two points with two minutes left in the game.  Prior to Saturday's loss, the Gators had won five in a row, the first time SF State had done that since the 2009-10 season.
 
As a team, SF Sate is averaging 51.9 points per game while shooting 34.2 percent from the field.  Both of those numbers currently rank 13^th in the CCAA.  Defensively, the Gators have been outstanding.  Limiting their opponents to 59.1 points per game which is 39^th in the nation in scoring defense and second in the CCAA.  They are holding their opponents to 36.7 percent from the field which is also second in the CCAA and 45^th in the country for defensive field goal percentage.  The Gators also rank second in the nation in blocks per game, averaging 6.2
 
Red hot for the Gators right now is junior guard Felicia Villarruel, who was named the Female Gator of the Week.  Last week, she averaged 14 points per game, while shooting 40.9 percent from the field.  In the thrilling game against the Seawolves she scored 14 points and was 4-for-10 from 3-point range and was the catalyst for the Gators furious comeback attempt.
 
Since being inserted into the starting rotation, Villarruel is averaging 12.4 points per game while shooting 38.9 percent from the floor, while dishing out 15 assists.  During that stretch, the Gators are 4-1, averaging 56.2 points per game and shooting 40.4 percent from the floor. 
 
Leading the team in scoring is senior guard Tatsiana Dashkevich, who is averaging 12.1 points per game.  Dashkevich is 12th in the CCAA in scoring, and ninth in free throw percentage.  She is also seventh in 3-point field goals made per game, averaging 1.9 shots from beyond the arc per contest.
 
Freshman center Kiara Ginwright is still leading the nation in blocks, averaging 4.16 rejections per contest.  Her 104 total blocks is also tops in the country.  She is eight blocks shy of tying the conference record of 112 set by UC Riverside's Donna Hammond-Mares, a mark that has stood since the 1982-83 season.
 
The Tritons enter Friday's contest with an overall record of 21-3 and are 16-2 in the CCAA.  They are currently ranked No. 20 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.  The Tritons have won seven in a row and nine of their last 10.  Last week they defeated Cal State San Marcos 84-65 on the road.
 
As a team, UCSD is averaging 75.4 points per game, while shooting 44.2 percent from the field.  Their opponents are averaging 61.5 points per contest, while shooting 38.3 percent from the field.  Leading the team in shooting is senior guard Jamie Katuna who is averaging 17.8 points per contest.  She is one of four Tritons to average 10 or more points.  Second on the team is former Gator, Farrah Shokoor, who averages 15.0 points per game, and leads the conference averaging 12.3 rebounds per game.
 
Friday's contest marks the 29^th time these two teams have faced each other.  The series dates back to Nov. 1987 when the Gators defeated UCSD 67-63.  All-time the Tritons own a 24-4 advantage in the series.  The last time out, UCSD defeated the Gators at home 93-34 on January 8.
 
On Saturday, the Gators wrap up their regular season schedule taking on Cal State San Bernardino at Coussoulis Arena.  The Coyotes enter the week with an overall record of 13-10 and are 10-8 in the CCAA which has them in fifth place.  Last weekend, they went 2-0 taking down Chico State 68-57 before defeating Cal State San Marcos 70-53.
 
As a team, the Coyotes are averaging 64.74 points per game, while shooting 39.7 percent from the floor.  Their opponents are averaging 61.13 points per game, while shooting 37.8 percent from the floor.  The Coyotes are led by Chelsea Barnes who averages 13.4 points per game. 
 
Saturday's contest against Cal State San Bernardino will be the 41st time the two teams have faced each other.  The Coyotes currently hold a 24-17 edge in the series.  The last time these two teams faced each other the Coyotes defeated the Gators 53-47 at The Swamp on January 9.
 
Both games will feature live stats and live video and can be accessed on the women's basketball schedule page.  For in game updates be sure to follow the Gators on twitter @SFState_Gators. 

CCAA Standings
--

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.