LA JOLLA, Calif. – A first-half surge was not enough for the San Francisco State women's basketball team as the shorthanded Gators fell to host UC San Diego 75-67 on Friday evening.
 
Courtenay Brown paced the Gators for the third-straight game with 20 points while Jhaina Stephens notched her sixth double-double of the season with 17 points and ten rebounds. Jacqueline Moss dropped 13 points and Amani Alexander added a season-high nine.
 
SF State (4-6/2-5 CCAA) shot a strong 87 percent (20-of-23) from the charity stripe, which are the most free throws made in a game this season. The 13 three pointers allowed were the most conceded by the Gators this year, meanwhile the 39 percent (7-of-18) shooting from beyond the arc by SF State was their third-highest mark this 2017-18 campaign.
 
Stephens opened up the scoring with a drive through the lane to draw the foul and she hit the resulting and-one from the free throw line for a quick three points. In her first start of the season, Moss gave SF State its first lead of the night on a deep triple to put the Gators up 8-6 at the seven-minute mark off a nice pass from Erika Nilsen. The Tritons (10-2/6-0 CCAA) opened up 43 percent (3-of-7) from three-point range, two of which game from Joleen Yang. Alexander put the visitors up 14-13 on two free throws, and she pushed the advantage on the ensuing possession to make it a three-point advantage. UC San Diego responded with another three-pointer to knot the score at 16-all for the Triton's fourth triple of the evening. Stephens knocked down an 18-footer to put the Gators up 22-18 en route to her 17-point scoring performance, however the Tritons sunk a layup going the other way and hit a free throw to make it a one point contest.
 
Moss nailed another three to open up the second quarter and, following a Triton triple, Brown hit back-to-back threes to force a UC San Diego timeout and put the Gators up 31-27. Midway through the period the Tritons took their first lead of the second quarter 33-32 on Dalayna Sampton's layup. Nilsen and Stephens both hit contested layups down the stretch as the shorthanded Gators fended off the first-place Tritons in the competitive second quarter. The hosts tied things with just over a minute to go at 38-all off a Sydney Sharp three pointer for UC San Diego's seventh three in the game, and took a 40-38 lead into the locker room at the half.
 
UC San Diego got four quick points in the second half to push their lead to six before Stephens hit a bucket which made the score 44-40. The Tritons continued to roll with consecutive three pointers to go up 50-40 with 6:34 left in the third quarter. Brown stopped the run with a three from the right side to keep the Gators within striking distance. Down 57-45, Moss hit both from the charity stripe to make it a ten-point game. The three-point onslaught continued as the period wound to a close with Brown hitting one from deep off a dish from Stephens, bringing the score to 58-52.
 
With six minutes to go in regulation Stephens drove through and hit a jumper in the paint to cut into the Triton lead and make it 66-60. The junior narrowed the deficit once again the next possession on another jumper, however the Tritons answered going the other way with another three from Yang to put the hosts back up by seven. SF State's strong performance from the free throw line kept them in the contest, with Brown converting hers from the stripe to keep the deficit at single digits. The hosts continued to hit their shots from beyond the arc as the Tritons remained perfect in CCAA action with the 75-67 win.
 
Up Next
The Gators wrap up 2017 action this Sunday, Dec. 31 at 1 p.m. as they take on Cal State San Marcos.  Live stats and video for the contest will be provided, and be sure to follow @sfstate_wbb for in-game updates.