SAN FRANCISCO - The San Francisco State women's basketball team kicks off its 2019-20 campaign this weekend as they head north for the D2 West Coast Classic, hosted by Alaska Anchorage.
The Gators take on Alaska Fairbanks this Saturday, November 9 at noon before battling No. 16 Alaska Anchorage on Sunday at 5 p.m., and that contest will be live streamed.
Head Coach Natasha Smith welcomes back Jasmin Asher, Madison Corder and Taimane Lesa-Hardee from a year ago. Corder appeared in all 28 games last year and shot .470 from the field. Lesa-Hardee ranked third on the team with 9.3 points per game and second in total three-pointers with 42. Asher utilized a redshirt season.
The new-look Gators welcome seven newcomers this year. Rebekah Brown and Muirae Gomez were both standouts at Sacramento Charter High School, leading their team to a Cal League Championship this past season and a CIF Sac-Joaquin Division 2 Section title. Jolene Armendariz rounds out the freshman class and was named Most Valuable Player at Lakeside High School in addition to a First Team All-League selection. In SF State's exhibition at the University of San Francisco, Armendariz led the team with 19 points and went 4-of-10 from deep.
Coach Smith welcomes four transfers this year in Samantha Erisman, Ashley Hart, Giselle Mahinay and Kelea Pickeral-Dennis. Erisman was named CCCAA First Team All-State and league MVP after a stellar year at San Francisco City College. Hart was a First Team All-Conference memebr after leading the Las Positas Junior College Hawks with 21 points per game and shooting 42 percent from the floor. Mahinay played two seasons at Skyline College where she was a two-time First Team All Coast Conference honoree and led the team in scoring with 13.8 points per game her freshman year. Pickeral-Dennis led the Merritt College Thunderbirds to a 2017-18 Bay Valley Conference Championship, averaging 12.1 points and 8.7 boards per contest.
Following the D2 West Coast Classic the Gators return to The Golden State to take on Dominican on November 13 before kicking off CCAA action at Cal State Dominguez Hills on November 21. SF State's home opener is December 7 against Cal State East Bay, which will also be the annual Purple Out contest.
