SAN FRANCISCO - The San Francisco State women's basketball team ended its homestead with a 63-48 to the Chico State Wildcats on Saturday afternoon.
- Isabella Lamonea led the Gators in scoring for the third-straight game, dropping 11 points. Amani Alexander had ten points, and Jhaina Stephens had seven points and paced SF State with seven rebounds. Danielle Palmer added five boards and a block.
- SF State (2-6/1-2 CCAA) struggled offensively, shooting a season-low 28 percent (17-of-61), and only scored seven in the fourth quarter.
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Stephens hit a jumper at the top of the key to put SF State on the board but the Wildcats strung together seven-straight points before Toni Edwards got a layup to end the run at 7-4. Chico State then pushed their lead to 14-6, capped off by a three-pointer from Brynn Thoming with 2:40 left in the first. The Gator offense struggled in the end of the frame, making just 1-of-7 from the field, but Lamonea drained a triple from the right side as time expired off a nice pass from Edwards that narrowed the deficit, 16-10.
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Palmer hit the contested layup for her first points of the afternoon in the first minute of the second, and Madison Corder also battled in the paint for a bucket of her own as the Gators now only trailed 19-14. Taimane Lesa-Hardee made a free throw with 6:29 remaining that made it a four-point game. Lamonea got a deep jumper on a fast break following a defensive stop that brought the Gators within two, but Chico State got the basket right back and went back up by four before Fleming cut it to a pair again on a jumper from the left side. Thoming and Wong added three-pointers in the closing minutes to push their lead to 30-21.
Alexander nailed a three-pointer to open up the second half and cut it to four, and she got another triple a free possessions later off another dish from Edwards that made it a 32-29 game. Fleming tied the game with SF State's third three-pointer of the quarter with 7:02 remaining as part of a 6-1 run. Chico State regained the offensive momentum to go back up by nine before Lamonea drained back-to-back threes, making it a 44-38 game. Mikaila Wegenke made a jumper with 1:03 left in the quarter to widen the lead to ten, 50-40, as we went to the final ten minutes.
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Stephens' and-one jumper ended an offensive cold spell for SF State. Chico State went up 57-43 with 5:54 left in regulation after scoring three of their last four from the field. Edwards made a layup with 3:46 left to end another scoreless streak for the hosts as they now trailed 61-45. Corder made both from the charity stripe and Megan Cistulli ended the scoring with a free throw.
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Head Coach Natasha Smith, who played four years at Chico State and ended her career as the school's all-time leader in games played, will look to February 28 in Chico to try and defeat her former team.
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.
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CAMP FIRE RECOVERY FUND
In November, the devastating Camp Fire struck Butte County and the Chico State community. Chico State has established the Wildcats Rise Recovery Fund. Donations to this fund will support students, faculty, and staff in need of aid for clothing and household goods, electronics such as phones and laptops, transportation, childcare assistance, temporary housing, school supplies, or meal assistance. To help in the recovery efforts, visit sfstategators.com/campfire or text WildcatsRise74 to 71777.
The Golden Gators hit the road to take on No. 14 UC San Diego Thursday, December 6 at 5:30 p.m.
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