SAN FRANCISCO - The San Francisco State women's basketball team notched their first win of the 2018 campaign on Friday as they took down Cal State Monterey Bay, 58-51 in the CCAA opener. The victory is also Natasha Smith's first career win as a Head Coach.
- SF State (1-4/1-0 CCAA) were a perfect 9-for-9 from the line to start the contest, and didn't have their first free throw miss until 2:18 left in the third quarter. The Gators finished 15-of-17 (88 percent) from the charity stripe, which is the fifth highest recorded by a team in the CCAA this year and the best by SF State since December 1, 2017 against Cal State Los Angeles (91 percent).
- The victory is the fourth in the last six contests against the Otters (0-4/0-1 CCAA).
- The Gators held the Otters to just one three-pointer on ten attempts, which didn't come until ten seconds left in the contest. SF State made five three-pointers, which ties a season best.
- Taimane Lesa-Hardee led the way with a season-high 16 points in 31 minutes of play and had three steals. Jhaina Stephens poured in 14 and grabbed ten rebounds for her second double-double of the season, while Toni Edwards added nine points and was a perfect 3-for-3 from the line.Â
- Isabella Lamonea added five and tied a season high with six rebounds.
- The 51-points allowed are the fewest conceded since December 17, 2017 when they allowed 48 in the victory against Monterey Bay.
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Edwards drove into the lane and drew the and-one for the 9-6 SF State lead. Madison Corder pushed the lead to five after converting both from the stripe. Lamonea dished to Lesa-Hardee in the corner, who drained the triple as the Gators now led 14-6 with just over three left. Stephens added two from the free throw line to push the lead to 16-8, and the Otters inched closer with a basket in the closing seconds to narrow it to 16-10.
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Lesa-Hardee hit the pull-up jumper and drew the foul, which she converted for the 19-10 advantage with just under seven left in the first half. Edwards passed to her left to Stephens, who nailed the triple as the shot clock expired to widen the lead to ten, and the senior continued her lights out start as she battled in the key for a layup and drew the foul, putting the hosts up 25-16. With 2:06 left Edwards added two more from the stripe as the Gators remained a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line. Lesa-Hardee dropped in the jumper near the top of the key to make it a 31-20 lead with 30 seconds left. Monterey Bay closed the gap with Camille Parker making a free throw, and the Purple and Gold went to the locker room up 31-21.
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The Otters began the second half with three straight points before Stephens ended the run with a put-back jumper, and she added another offensive board and score the next possession to extend the lead, 35-24. With 5:30 to go, Edwards battled into the key and made a great pass to Lesa-Hardee, who drained the three-pointer form the top-left of the arc that made it a 14-point lead as part of a 7-0 SF State run. Amani Alexander got her first points of the night on a splash from the top of the arc to make it 42-30 with under a minute left. Following a four-point streak by the visitors, Edwards added a left-handed layup with three seconds left that put the Gators back up by double digits, 44-34
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Lesa-Hardee came down the court and passed to Corder near the basket, who finished with the layup to put the Gators back up by 11. Lamonea nailed a three from the left side and Danielle Palmer added two free throws the next possession midway through the frame that widened the lead, 52-39. At the two-minute mark, Alexander passed over the Otter defender to Palmer in the key who finished for two, pushing the advantage to 56-45. Lesa-Hardee added some free throws to close out the Gator scoring with 26 seconds remaining, and the visitors got their first triple of the night to cut it to seven.
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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 more information, visit
sfstategators.com/courtside.
SF State continues the homestand against the Academy of Art this Sunday, November 25 at 1 p.m. Live stats and a stream will be provided.
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