Men's Basketball | 1/4/2017 1:45:00 PM

SAN FRANCISCO–  The No. 21 San Francisco State Gator men's basketball team will return to the hardwood this Thursday, January 5 as they continue their season long three-game road trip with a 7:30pm scheduled CCAA contest at Cal State L.A..  They will then end their road trip this Saturday, January 7 in Turlock, as they face the Stanislaus State Warriors at 7:30pm. 

The Gators are now 11-1 overall and 4-1 in the CCAA after losing 75-61 at Chico State on New Year's Eve. Nick Calcaterra and Warren Jackson each paced SFSU with 11 points each while Coley Apsay chipped in 10 points for the visitors.  They come into this weekend averaging 82.1 points per game while giving up 66.9 points per game.  SFSU is also out-rebounding its opponents 38.6 to 35.4. 

The trio of Warren Jackson, Coley Apsay and AJ Kahlon lead the way for the Gators.  Jackson is averaging team leading 16.1 points per game followed by Apsay's 13.1 average and Kahlon's 11.1 scoring average.  Kahlon is also averaging 10.3 rebounds per game while blocking 30 shots in 12 games and shooting a team best 63% from the field.  Jackson leads the team with his 52 steals and Apsay has a team high 37 steals, shooting a team leading 52.6% from three's and 91.2% from the line.

SFSU will first face Cal State L.A. this Thursday evening at 7:30pm in the Eagles Nest in Los Angeles.  The Golden Eagles are 6-8 overall and 2-4 in the CCAA after dropping a pair of road games last weekend, 73-71 at Cal State San Marcos and 79-69 at then No. 23 UC San Diego.  Travis Hammonds leads the way for Cal State L.A. with his 16.6 scoring and 7.7 rebounding average. 

The Gators will travel to the Valley this Saturday, January 7 for a 7:30pm scheduled tip-off with Stanislaus State in Turlock.  Going into their Friday home game with Sonoma State, the Warriors are 4-6 overall and 1-4 in the CCAA.  They lost 59-56 at Cal State San Bernardino and 67-57 at No. 23 UC San Diego this past weekend.  Stanislaus State is led by Kyle Gouveia who is averaging 11.9 points per game.

After their game on Saturday, the Gator will return home next week for a pair of CCAA games.  They will take on No. 15 UC San Diego on Friday, January 13. Then on Saturday, January 14, SFSU will host Cal State San Bernardino. Tip-off for both evenings is set for 7:30pm at The Swamp at The Don Nasser Family Plaza. 

GAME NOTES
GATORS:  San Francisco State is 11-1 overall and 4-1 in the CCAA. They are currently ranked No. 21 in the NABC and No. 14 in the Division II Media Poll.  This is the first time in program history that the Gators have been ranked in the top-25 in the nation for four consecutive weeks.

52-24:  The Gators are a perfect 5-0 at home this season, which improves their record to 52-24 at The Swamp at The Don Nasser Family Plaza during Coach Paul Trevor's time on the sidelines. 

25-3: San Francisco State is 25-3 since the beginning of the 2015-16 in games they have scored 70 points or more including going 9-0 this season. 

RANKED NATIONALLY: Their 10.9 steals per game average places them fourth in the nation while their 80.5% shooting from the charity stripe is fifth best in the NCAA Division II.  SFSU is also sixth in the nation in field goal percentage defense (37.4%) and total steals (131).  The final three team categories that the Gators are in the top 30 is total blocked shots (56), 25^th in scoring margin (+15.2) and 29^th in scoring defense (66.9 points per game).  In the individual categories, AJ Kahlon is in the top 25 in five categories.  He is 10^th in total blocked shots (30), 13^th in blocked shots per game (2.5), 16^th in double-doubles (six), 24^th in total rebounds (124) and 25^th in rebounds per game (10.3).Coley Apsay is in the top 20 in four categories.  The senior point guard is second in the nation with his 37 total steals.  He is also fifth in steals per game (3.08), ninth in three-point field goal percentage (52.6%) and 19^th in free throw percentage (91.2%).  Chiefy Ugbaja has 27 total steals on the year, which places him 24^th in the nation.

GATORS 1103-1098:  SF State has been playing basketball since the 1929-30 season and is 1103-1099 all-time. Seventh-year head coach Paul Trevor is currently 93-81 for a 53.4% winning percentage. Dan Farmer is the all-time winningest coach at 357-211 during the 1932-57 seasons. Trevor is fourth in winning percentage (.534) at SF State and fifth in wins (93).
 
MOVIN' ON UP:  AJ Kahlon is currently tied with Everett Johnson (1983-84) for third on the career blocked shot list at SFSU with 59 total blocked shots.  Derek Flecher is second with 80 which he did from 2006-10. Lawrence Williams is the all-time blocked shot leader at SFSU with 222. Kahlon's 30 blocked shots this season ties him for 10th with Brandon Tatum. 
 
CAL STATE L.A. GOLDEN EAGLES: Cal State L.A. is 6-8 overall and 2-4 in the CCAA after losing at No. 23 UC San Diego 79-69 at at Cal State San Marcos 73-71 last weekend.  The Golden Eagles are averaging 76.4 points per game while giving up 74.6 points per game. They are being out-rebounded 37.3 to 35.4.  Travis Hammonds leads the way with his 16.6 scoring and 6.0 rebounding average.  He is also shooting a team best 48% from three-point range.  Jordan Wilson is averaging 15.0 points per game and Roderick Evans-Taylor is averaging 10.0 ppg.  Cal State L.A. leads the all-time series with the Gators including winning two of the last three meetings.  The Golden Eagles won the only meeting last year 63-49 in Los Angeles.  SFSU's last win over the Golden Eagles was on Jan. 24, 2015, in San Francisco, a 69-60 Gator win as Derrick Brown scored 20 points for the Gators.
 
STANISLAUS STATE WARRIORS: The Warriors are 4-8 overall and 1-4 in the CCAA after losing both of their games last week on the road, 59-56 at Cal State San Bernardino and 67-57 at No. 23 UC San Diego.  They are averaging 61.9 points per game while giving up 65.3 points per game.  Stanislaus State is outrebounded its opponents 36.2 to 33.8.  Kyle Gouevia leads the way with his 11.9 scoring average followed by Vandel Faniel's 11.3 average and Kaelin Mitchell's 10.0 ppg.  Faniel is also leading the team with his 8.0 rebounding average and 62% shooting from the field.  SFSU leads the all-time series with the Warriors 18-17 with the Gators winning three of their last five meetings.  The two teams each won on the other's court last season.  Stanislaus State won 68-52 in San Francisco behind Gouevia's 10 points/13 rebounds effort.  The Gators won 75-71 in Turlock as Nick Calcaterra was one of three players in double digits with his 14 points.
 
UP NEXT:  SFSU will return home next week for a pair of CCAA games against No. 15 UC San Diego and Cal State San Bernardino.  The Gators will first face UC San Diego on Friday, January 13 and then Cal State San Bernardino on January 15. 
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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.