SAN FRANCISCO — A game after its best three-point shooting performance, the San Francisco State men's basketball team posted its poorest in a 73-68 loss to visiting Cal State East Bay on Thursday at the Main Gym at Don Nasser Family Plaza.
The Golden Gators (7-4/4-3 CCAA) shot a season-low 22.2 percent (6-of-27) from deep while the 83 points allowed were the most allowed this season by the otherwise stingy Gators defense, which has allowed 80 or more points just twice in 11 outings.
- Jiday Ugbaja scored a career-high 20 points in his sixth consecutive game in double-digit scoring.
- Chiefy Ugbaja narrowly missed a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds.
- Jase Wickliffe added 13 points in the loss.
- The Gators' leading scorer, Ryne Williams, was held scoreless for the first time this season.
- Juwan Anderson led the second-place Pioneers (9-2/5-1 CCAA), who had five players in double digits. Evan Wardlow added 15 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
The Gators built a six-point lead at the 14-minute mark on
Tyler Jackson's jumper in the paint but the Gators went cold after that. San Francisco State made just three of its next dozen field goal attempts as the Pioneers turned the tables with a 19-7 run and a 24-16 lead. The Gators trailed by 10 with under three to play but a couple of
Michael Diaz free throws and a
Jase Wickliffe three in transition cut the lead in half.
Chiefy Ugbaja's steal and dunk cut the lead to three.
Jiday Ugbaja's jumper with nine seconds left cut it one but John Duff's layup beat the buzzer and sent Cal State East Bay into the locker room with a 35-32 lead.
Chiefy Ugbaja connected with Jiday Ugbaja for three-pointer that tied the game at 37-37 and a few possessions later, Chiefy Ugbaja's layup gave the Gators the lead, 41-39. Anderson's shot from the right side beat the shot clock and tied it back at 41-41, then Evan Wardlow put CSUEB back ahead. In all, the lead changed 15 times. Chiefy Ugbaja's shovel pass back to a trailing Jiday Ugbaja put the Gators back up, 58-56, with nine to go and forced a Pioneers timeout.
That's the last lead the Gators had. Nai Carlisle, added back-to-back shots that put CSUEB ahead 60-58 and Ant Navarette's jumper made it a two-possession game. After four consecutive Gators missed layups,
Brian Nebo's steal and finish tied the game at 65. Anderson answered at the other end with a Pioneers three. The Gators pulled within one on
Zane Paddon's three-pointer with 2:23 to play but the Gators went 0-for-4 from the field over the final two minutes.
San Francisco State wraps up the calendar year with a non-conference tilt versus Pacific Union (NAIA) on Sunday, December 30 at 3 p.m. in the Main Gym at Don Nasser Family Plaza. Live stats and video will be available, and be sure to follow San Francisco State men's basketball on Twitter and Instagram at @sfstate_mbb.
