SAN FRANCISCO - A 23-point, 17-rebound performance by Jhaina Stephens helped the San Francisco State women's basketball team defeat the visiting Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes, 69-57.
- Stephens notched her third double-double of the year, and her 23 points and 17 boards are season highs and the most by a Gator this year, and the 17 boards ties a career high. The senior also made nine free throws, the most since 2013.
- Taimane Lesa-Hardee scored a career-high 17 points, and Toni Edwards led the way with a season-high seven assists and also had eight points.
- The victory matches SF State's (4-7/3-3 CCAA) CCAA win total from a year ago.
- It is the first win against the Coyote s(2-5/1-2 CCAA) since February 27, 2016 (six contests) and first home victory against San Bernardino since January 17, 2014 (six contests).
- The Gators held a 44-32 percent shooting advantage as well as 44-35 in rebounds.
- The 12-point win is the largest margin of victory this season.
Edwards got the scoring started with a layup, and Danielle Palmer gave the Gators a 6-2 lead with just over five to go from in the paint for her first points. Amani Alexander put the Gators back up by four with back-to-back jumpers from the right side, and Stephens nailed another bucket to make it a 12-6 lead with 2:45 remaining. The rally continued with Madison Corder added a jumper in the paint as part of a 6-0 run to increase the lead to eight. The Coyotes battled back in the closing minute to narrow the deficit to four, but Isabella Lamonea dropped her first triple of the night from the right corder to make it a 17-10 advantage. Lesa-Hardee wrapped up the frame with two from the line before San Bernardino's Jasmine Sauser answered with a jumper with two seconds left to cut it 19-14.
The Coyotes narrowed the score to 21-19 after Sauser's three pointer with 7:20 left in the half. They later got their first lead of the night on a triple from Courtney Coleman as the Gator struggled offensively as they failed to add to the scoreboard for 5:51 before Stephens drew the foul and drained both free throws, cutting into the deficit, 31-23. Alexander and Edwards closed out the half with baskets as we went to the half down 33-27.
Lesa-Hardee dropped in a triple from the corner to make it 34-30 early in the third, and she later put SF State back up 38-36 on a three from the other side following some stellar ball movement around the arc. She continued her sharp shooting from deep with another basket, this time off a dish from Kaleigh Pugh as the Gators now lead 40-36 with 5:56 left. After San Bernardino tied it up, Stephens drove through the lane for two that regained the two-point lead and gave SF State six field goals in their last seven attempts. Tied up 48-all with 45 seconds left, Stephens made a free throw and came back to sing the jumper at the top of the key to put the Purple and Gold up 51-48 going into the fourth.
Lesa-Hardee started the final frame with a nice inbound pass to Palmer who finished with the bucket to widen the lead. Pugh made it a 57-50 lead on a basket from outside the key with the shot clock expiring as part of a 9-2 run. Lesa-Hardee and Stephens kept it going with back-to-back jumpers for the nine-point lead with under five left, and Lesa-Hardee added an insurance jumper with 20 seconds remaining that made it a double-digit lead to close out the win.
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.
The Golden Gators wrap up 2018 on Monday, December 17 as they take on Cal State East Bay at 5:30 p.m. Live stats and a live stream will be provided.
