POMONA, Calif. — A career-high 20 points from Niquis Garland wasn't enough as the San Francisco State men's basketball team dropped a 64-56 decision at Cal Poly Pomona in the NCAA Division II Showcase on ESPN 3.
The first time this season, when San Francisco State (11-7/7-6 CCAA) faced the Broncos (10-5/8-5 CCAA) at home, the Gators were limited to 37.1 shooting from the field. The same happened on Saturday when the Gators were held to a new season-low 35.6 percent (16-of-45). Most of that was the result of a first half in which neither team shot the ball well. The two teams started 1-of-20 from the field and the Gators didn't hit their first field goal until 12:28 to go in the half.
- Garland's career day came on 7-of-9 shooting with five of those makes from three-point land.
- Jiday Ugbaja, who poured in a career-high 31 points his last game, finished with nine points and was scoreless at the half.
- Ryne Williams added eight points and led all players with 12 rebounds, which matched a career-high set the last time he saw the Broncos.
- Cal Poly Pomona is the conference's stingiest defense and entered play allowing just 64.9 points per game.
- The Gators' 19 first-half points were the fewest in a half this season. The Gators' starters accounted for just six points at the half.
- SF State held Cal Poly Pomona to a season-low 14.3 percent (2-of-14) from three-point land.
- William Christmas led the Broncos with 16 points. Jordan Ogundiran and Dwight Ramos scored 11 and 10, respectively.
Zane Paddon got the Gators on the board first with a pair of free throws before the Broncos took the lead on a three-pointer. From there, the two teams struggled offensively. A game after shooting a season-best 60 percent from deep, the Gators began 0-for-5 from deep until
Niquis Garland's three at the 11-minute mark made it 10-8. From there, the Broncos built the lead back to six. Williams found Garland for another three with 1:41 to go in the half that cut the lead to one. However, a pair of free throws and a layup with four seconds to go sent the Gators into halftime down by five.
Jase Wickliffe quickly found Williams for an interior layup to trim the lead to three but the Broncos did the same and a Justin Young dunk got the Kellogg Center fired up and gave the Broncos an eight-point lead. The Gators turned the ball over on back-to-back possessions, which allowed Cal Poly Pomona to grow its lead to double digits at the 16-minute mark. At that point, the Gators were shooting just 28 percent. Garland cut the lead to six with back-to-back threes just under the 11-minute mark. Five minutes later, Garland fed Ugbaja for his first field goal of the day, a three that cut the lead to 43-40. Christmas pushed the lead back to four with the front end of two free throws but Ugbaja pulled up in the lane and hit the jumper to make it a two-point game. Christmas scored consecutive layups that pushed the lead back to six with three minutes to go. That was enough to force the Gators to foul in the final minutes, which widened the final deficit.
SF State returns home for the next three games. The Gators first host Cal State LA on Thursday, January 31 at 7:30 p.m., then host Cal State Dominguez Hills and Sonoma State in February. Be sure to follow San Francisco State men's basketball on Twitter and Instagram at @sfstate_mbb.
