Women's Basketball | 2/8/2016 4:02:00 PM

SAN FRANCISCO - The SF State women's basketball team will play a pair of mid-week contests this week, starting with a Tuesday night match up against rival Sonoma State at 5:30 p.m. at the Wolves Den. The Gators will wrap up the week hosting new conference foe Cal State San Marcos on Thursday at The Swamp, it will be the Gators only game against the Cougars this season.

SF State enters this week with an overall record of 6-15, in CCAA play they are 4-11 which has them currently sitting tied for 10^th, two games back of Cal State L.A. and Cal Poly Pomona for the final playoff spot. The top eight teams advance to the CCAA Tournament starting March 1.

Last weekend, the Gators earned a home split, falling to Humboldt State 61-57 on Friday, before wrapping up the weekend with a thrilling 49-44 victory over Cal Poly Pomona. In Friday's contest the Gators were led by Tatsiana Dashkevich and Laura Lawson who both recorded career-highs in the slugfest. Dashkevich finished the night with a game-high 19 points, 11 coming after the intermission. While Lawson tallied her team-leading sixth double-double of the year, scoring 17 points and 11 rebounds.

On Saturday, the Gators leaned heavily on a strong defensive effort, holding the Broncos to a .283 shooting percentage, their second lowest total of the season. SF State countered with one of their best shooting performances of the season, including a red-hot finish from beyond the arc. In the second half the Gators were 7-for-12 from 3-point range helping propel the Gators to the win. Dashkevich once again finished in double figures, she finished with 12 points. Junior guard Felicia Villarruel finished the night with a game-high 18 points, her second-highest point total of the season.

The Gators offense is averaging 50.7 points per contest, which is 13^th in the CCAA, as a team, SF State is shooting .329 from the field which is also 13^th in the conference. Defensively, the Gators are limiting opponents to 61.0 points per game, which is 70^th in the nation out of 300 teams ranked, they are also holding their foes to a .382 shooting percentage which is sixth in the conference.

Dashkevich leads the Gators averaging 11.5 points per contest, in 19 games this season she has scored 218 points, shooting 34.9 percent from the field. Lawson leads the team in rebounding, averaging 9.1 rebounds per contest which is third in the conference, and 60^th in the nation. Her 4.0 offensive rebounds per game is 41^st in the nation.

Freshman center Kiara Ginwright retains her lofty perch as the nation's top shot blocker. Last weekend, the Riverside, Calif., native broke a 31 year school record when she recorded her 78^th block in the opening minutes of the Humboldt State game. Ginwright's 87 total blocks this season already has her sitting fifth all-time on SF State's career blocks list. She is on pace to tie the CCAA single-season record of 112 blocks set by UC Riverside's Donna Hammond-Mares set in 1982-83.

Sonoma State enters Tuesday's contest with an overall record of 8-16. They are currently in 12^th in the CCAA with a conference record of 3-12. Last weekend, the Seawolves went 0-2 falling to CPP and Humboldt State and are currently mired in a five-game losing streak. As a team, the Seawolves are averaging 58.4 points per game, while shooting .360 percent from the field. Their leading scorer is sophomore guard Madison Burroughs who is averaging 8.6 points per game.

Tuesday's contest marks the 68^th time these two teams have met. All-time the Gators are 33-34 against the Seawolves. The first time these two teams faced each other was in the 1977 season when the Gators defeated Sonoma State 99-22. Last time out, the Gators fell to the host Seawolves 70-64 at the Wolves Den on Dec. 12, 2014.

Thursday's opponent, Cal State San Marcos, is in its inaugural year in the CCAA. They are currently 5-14 overall with a conference record of 3-14. This marks the Cougars first season in Division II, last season they were members of the NAIA. As a team, the Cougars are averaging 56.3 points per game, and shooting .363 from the field. The Cougars leading scorer is former Gator Savannah Camp who is averaging 15.2 points per game in her sophomore campaign. Thursday's contest against CSUSM is the first time these two teams have played each other.

Both games this week will feature live stats and video, to access both options simply click on the link at the women's basketball schedule page. For in game updates be sure to follow the Gators on twitter @SFState_Gators.

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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.