SAN FRANCISCO – The twentieth ranked San Francisco State men's basketball team jumped all over rival Sonoma State, outscoring the Seawolves 44-28 before the intermission, the Gators would survive a late run by the Seawolves to win 80-65 on Saturday night at The Swamp.
The Gators (15-3/8-3 CCAA) had it all working early on offense. In the first half, SF State shot 65.4 percent from the field, going 17-for-26 from the floor. For the evening, the Gators shot a very respectable 54.2 percent from the floor, going 26-for-48. SFSU led for almost the entire game, their largest lead was 26 points with 8:02 in the second half.
Four players finished in double figures on Saturday night, a testament to the way the Gators were moving the ball. Seven players recorded an assist for SFSU on the evening.
Warren Jackson scored a career-high 25 points on the evening to lead all scorers.
AJ Kahlon was second on the team with 13 points. Also scoring in the double digits was
Coley Apsay with 11 and
Israel Hakim with 10.
Sonoma State (11-5/7-3 CCAA) shot 36.8 percent from the field, and had three players in double figures. Leading the team in scoring was Ronnie Harris who had 13.
The Seawolves went on a 15-0 run late in the second half to cut into a massive Gator lead, in the end, SF State's shooting from the free throw line proved to be more than enough to seal the win. The Gators were 20-for-24 from the charity stripe.
With the win, the Gators snapped a five-game winning streak by their rivals, and have taken the season series from Sonoma State for the second consecutive year.
GAME NOTES
Coaches Quote
"Our backcourt carried us tonight," said head coach
Paul Trevor. "
Warren Jackson,
Coley Apsay showed great leadership tonight. I was proud of the way we competed on the glass, led by
Chiefy Ugbaja Josh and
AJ Kahlon. We shared the ball well tonight, attacking a tough match-up zone. I was proud of how we defended, we played with great passion tonight."
Jackson's Heating Up
Junior guard
Warren Jackson is starting to get hot for the Gators. He has posted back-to-back 20-point performances. Tonight his 25 points set a new career-high. He scored 22 against Cal State San Bernardino last Wednesday.
Apsay Moves Into Single Season Top-10 In Steals
Senior guard
Coley Apsay recorded three steals on the night, in doing so he now has 52 on the year which makes him seventh all-time. The single season leader is DeKeithi Walton who recorded 74 steals in the 2000-01 season.
The Magic Number
With the 80-65 win over the Seawolves on Saturday night, the Gators improve to 28-3 since the start of the 2015-16 season when they score 70 or more points. They are a perfect 12-0 this season when they eclipse the 70-point barrier.
Next Up
The Gators return to action on Thursday when they travel south again, this time they will be taking on CCAA newcomer Cal State San Marcos. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
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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.
