SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — Despite a late surge, the San Francisco State women's basketball team was held off by host Dominican on Tuesday night, 68-64.
- Jhaina Stephens led the Gators (0-4) with a season high 16 points and added eight rebounds. Amani Alexander added a season high 15 points.
- Danielle Palmer poured in eight points, while Kaleigh Pugh, Madison Corder and Taisia Fleming each added six boards.
- SF State shot 37 percent (26-of-70) from the floor but only got one three pointer on 13 attempts. Dominican (2-1), who is receiving votes in the West Region Media Poll, shot 30 percent (19-of-63) including 12 percent (2-of-17) from deep, which are he lowest marks allowed by SF State this season. The Penguins' Natalie Diaz scored 34 for her second game this season dropping more than 30.
Stephens got the first Gator points of the night as she hit a jumper from the top of the key. The Penguins pushed their lead to four before Alexander nailed a jumper that made it a two-point contest, and after another host bucket, Isabella Lamonea sunk a mid-range jumper that made it a two-point contest once again. Stephens connected for another jumper from near the top of the key as the Gators only trailed 12-8 with just over a minute left in the first, and Corder cut it to two as she grabbed an offensive board and put it in. Stephens sunk one from outside the paint to make it 14-12, and the Gator defense forced a bad attempt in the closing seconds by the Penguins to keep it a two-point contest after one.
With just over eight left in the half, Taimane Lesa-Hardee stole the ball and dribbled up the court and passed to a streaking Stephens in the key who finished with the layup to tie things up at 14-all. After a Dominican response, Alexander got another bucket from the top of the key to tie things up once again, 16-16. Fleming and Lamonea went back-to-back from the field to narrow the deficit to 22-20, and Lesa-Hardee pulled the robbery once again to steal the ball at mid-court and finish in the lane to tie it up 22-22 with just under five left. The hosts bounced right back to regain the lead, but SF State kept rolling as Palmer got the left-handed layup that tied it up 24-all and Dominican called a timeout. The Penguins ended the half with seven straight points that concluded with an and-one by Diaz to carry a 31-24 advantage into the break.
The streak was pushed to ten straight as Diaz nailed a three from the left side that widened the lead to ten. Alexander ended the run with a basket from inside the arc, and she followed with a fast break layup that made it 36-28. With 6:06 left in the frame, Stephens drove to the lane and finished to cut it to three as part of a 9-0 run by SF State. Fleming made it 39-35 in the closing minutes with a bucket from inside the arc, but Dominican ended the third with three straight free throws as they carried a 49-38 lead after 30 minutes of action.
Palmer made it 51-42 as the Gators only trailed by single digits. With 6:51 left the senior battled for another layup and Stephens followed with a bucket of her own to make it a seven point deficit. Edwards gotten from the stripe with 4:46 left to make it 56-47, and after a Penguin turnover she nailed a off balanced layup that cut the host lead to seven. Down 60-52, Mackenzie Oribello hit the first Gator triple that came form the top of the arc as SF State battled back. Alexander got one from the line that narrowed it to four with just over two minutes to go, and followed with a steal-and-score as it was now 60-58. After a host free throw, Stephens connected from the top of the key to make it a one-point game. Julia Razo made layup with 33 seconds left pushed the lead back up to three, and they forced a Gator turnover on the other end for the key stop. Razo made two from the free throw line with 15.7 left that extended it to 65-60, but SF State didn't go away easily as Edwards drove to the basket for the layup with 12.5 remaining. The Penguins made clutch free throws down the stretch and the hole was too far for the Gators to come out of as they were handed the 68-64 setback.
The Gators return home as they begin CCAA action against Cal State Monterey Bay on November, 23 at 5:30 p.m. Live Stats and video stream will be available.
Courtside season tickets are still available for the 2018-19 season. A full season, which guarantees courtside seating for all twelve of San Francisco State's home conference basketball doubleheaders, is $250 per seat. For those interested in purchasing courtside season tickets, please e-mail Associate Director of Athletics
Brandon Davis at
brandondavis@sfsu.edu.
