SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – Israel Hakim drained a pair of clutch free throws to give the San Francisco State men's basketball team a brief 68-67 advantage. Unfortunately, the Gator defense could not get that final stop and Cal State San Bernardino was able to score the winning basket with three tenths of a second left to win 69-68.
The Gators (14-3/7-3 CCAA) had four players finish in double figures,
Warren Jackson led SF State with a game-high 22 points. Joining Jackson with 10 or more tonight was
Nick Calcaterra who had 13, while Hakim and
Ryne Williams scored 12 and 10 coming off the bench for SF State.
Cal State San Bernardino (7-7/3-6 CCAA) had three players finish with 10 or more, however it was Khleem Perkins 15
th point on a layup just before the buzzer that proved to be the dagger.
Offensively, SF State just could not get into a steady rhythm all evening. Their largest lead came midway in the first half, up 27-25. SFSU opened the game shooting 37 percent, going 10-for-27 in the first half.
Out of the break, the Gators offense played better, shooting 40.0 percent from the field. A big factor in that was the scoring of Hakim and Williams who scored all 22 of their points after the break. Hakim scored the Gators final six points with less than a minute remaining.
Down the stretch, the Gators mounted a furious comeback, trailing by 13 with 3:53 seconds, the Gators went on a massive 10-2 run over the final minute and 24 seconds to take a brief lead.
On the glass, the Gators were led by senior center
AJ Kahlon who grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. He also had a block and scored two points.
GAME NOTES
Coaches Quote
"Tonight was a disappointing loss," said head coach
Paul Trevor. "We started really slow tonight, we just dug ourselves too big of a hole. I was really proud of
Israel Hakim and
Ryne Williams for helping dig us out of that hole. In the end it was just too much for us to overcome."
Cleaning The Glass
Tonight marked the first time all season that the Gators came away with the loss, but finished in the plus in the rebound margin. The Gators who own a plus 2.3 advantage over their opponents in rebounds finished tonight's contest with 46, while the Coyotes tallied 42.
Turnover Battle
A big factor for the game ended up being the turnover battle. The Coyotes forced 17 turnovers by the Gators tonight, 13 in the opening half. Those 17 turnovers led to 17 points for CSUSB.
Next Up
The Gators return to the friendly confines of The Swamp at the Don Nasser Family Plaza on Saturday when they host rival Sonoma State. The game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. tip.
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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.
