SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco State men's basketball team pulled away late in an 85-76 victory at Cal State San Marcos on Thursday night in a key CCAA matchup.
With the win, the Gators (16-3/9-3 CCAA) move a half game from first place behind No. 23 Chico State and UC San Diego, both of which are 9-2.
SF State used a blistering 58-point second half that saw SF State shoot 54.3 percent (19-of-35) over the final 20 minutes.
Coley Apsay was one of three SF State players in double digits with a team-high 19 points. The senior guard also reeled in five rebounds and dished out three assists. Fellow guards Nick Calcaterra and
Warren Jackson added 17 points and 14 points, respectively, and both dished out four assists. As a team, the Gators made 14 assists and limited their turnovers to seven total.
SF State overcame a slow start that saw the Cougars (13-7/8-5 CCAA) lead by six in the first six minutes. A pair of Aspay free throws pulled the Gators within two but Josh Spiers' three-pointer pushed the lead to five, 32-27, at intermission. A pair of free throws from
Nick Calcaterra and an
Israel Hakim layup tied the game at 46-46 just under the 13-minute mark. The lead bounced back and forth for the next three minutes until CSUSM built its lead back to seven with 7:40 to play. Calcaterra hit back-to-back threes to tie the game at 67-67, then
Ryne Williams followed with a three of his own to give the Gators a 70-67 lead with under five minutes remaining. Cal State San Marcos wouldn't lead again.
GAME NOTES
Jackson is Consistent
Junior guard
Warren Jackson has scored in double digits in nine of his last 10 games and his last five consecutive games. He posted back-to-back 20-point performances before turning in 17 points on Thursday.
That 70's Show
With Thursday's win over the Cougars, SF State improves to 29-3 since the start of the 2015-16 season when they score 70 or more points. They are a perfect 13-0 this season when they eclipse the 70-point barrier.
Next Up
The Gators return home on Friday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. when they host Stanislaus State. That game is Spirit Night III and free t-shirts will be distributed while supplies last. That game will also be broadcast live on Comcast Hometown Channel 104.
