FRESNO, Calif. - Despite a strong start, the San Francisco State women's basketball team dropped its first road contest of the season to Fresno Pacific, 80-69.

By the Numbers

• Jhaina Stephens scored 13 and added ten boards for her first double-double of the year and was 5-of-9 from the field.
• Toni Edwards added 11 and hauled in four rebounds. Taimane Lesa-Hardee went 2-of-6 from deep and had nine points in 32 minutes of action. Madison Corder and Mackenzie Oribello each added seven in the effort. 
• The Gators (0-3) had a season-high 50 rebounds, 35 of which came in the defensive end. SF State also dished out a season-best 11 assists.

First Quarter

Amani Alexander tied it up early, 3-3 on a layup with just over seven left in the first. Lesa-Hardee added back-to-back triples to give the Gators their first lead of the night, at 9-6. Following a defensive rebound by Stephens, Taisia Fleming pushed the lead to 14-10 on a fast break jumper in the key at the midway point of the frame. The Gators continued to roll with jumpers by Alexander and Oribello as the visitors went up 20-16 after one.

Second Quarter

Corder went back-to-back buckets ti start the second as the Gators took a 24-19 advantage. The Sunbirds (2-1) bounced back to cut it to two with five to go in the half on Ayla Faber's three-pointer, and later made it a one-point contest after Rachel Berry hit two from the line. Danielle Palmer and Oribello later made consecutive layups to put SF State up 35-32, but Berry once again got a pair from the charity stripe and Ashley Cross added a layup for the one-point lead at the half, 36-35.

Third Quarter

Fresno Pacific went on a 8-0 run to start the third before Kaleigh Pugh knocked down a layup to cut it to 44-39. At 4:39, Kate McClard hit from deep to push the host lead to 12, and the Sunbirds then went up 61-43 in the closing minutes. Edwards made two free throws, and Corder added one as SF State started to battle back.

Fourth Quarter

McClard started the final frame with a triple from the right side. Stephens battled through the paint for two and drew the and-one, which she converted that made it a 67-51 point game. Stephens later returned to grab another defensive board and drive down for another layup that narrowed the deficit, and Fleming hit a three-pointer the next possession as the Gators only trailed by 11. However the hosts got clutch buckets down the stretch and ended the game with five free throws as they held off the Gators, 80-69.

Up Next

The Gators return to the Bay Area for another road contest on Tuesday, November 20 as they take on Dominican at 5:30 p.m. Live stats will be provided.