SAN FRANCISCO - A strong shooting performance by the San Francisco State women's basketball team wasn't enough as they fell to Cal State San Marcos, 75-62.
- Jhaina Stephens led the way with 18 points and seven rebounds and three steals. Taimane Lesa-Hardee had her third consecutive double-digit scoring performance with 14 points. Toni Edwards tied a season high with four steals and dropped 15 points. Isabella Lamonea scored 12 and had three three pointers, giving her 46 on the year which is the tenth-most in Gator history in a season.
- Edwards added one more assist on Thursday and now sits at a CCAA-leading 112 on the year, and the senior was 38th in the nation in the category heading into tonight. Edwards now has the ninth-most in a season in Gator history in a season.
- Four Gators were in double figures for the first time this season.
- SF State (9-15/8-11 CCAA) shot a season-high 51 percent (26-51) but San Marcos' 57 percent (12-21) from deep was too much to overcome.
- It was the first lost of the season when shooting over 43 percent (seven contests).
- The Cougars (13-9/11-8 CCAA) made seven three's in the first half, five of which came from Akayla Hackson, who started a perfect five-for-five from deep.
An off balance jumper outside the paint by Stephens put the Gators up 2-0 and Edwards followed with a basket of her own, but three Hackson three's put the Cougars up five. The Cougars pushed their lead to 14-8 with 4:37 remaining on Hackson's fourth three-pointer of the night. Lesa-Hardee battled for the layup and drew the foul that made it 16-10 and end a 5-0 San Marcos run. Hackson added another from beyond the arc to push the lead to nine before Lamonea dropped in a stutter-step three that narrowed the deficit, but the visitors ended the first with another triple, this time fro Kelsey Forrester, to go up 24-13 after one. The Cougars shot 67 percent (6-9) in that first quarter and 57 percent (8-14) overall.
Stephens and Lesa-Hardee opened the second with back-to-back jumpers and prompt a Cougar timeout while cutting the deficit to seven. Lesa-Hardee dropped in a three-pointer from the right side off a dish from Stephens that made it 26-22, but San Marcos answered with their seventh three of the night to go back up by seven. The Cougars strung together six-straight points to push their lead to double digits with 4:20 left in the first. Edwards closed out the first half with a drive and score that made it 35-28 at the half.
Lamonea and Lesa-Hardee deep jumpers began the third as SF State was only down seven. With just under seven Madison Corder drove to the basket but passed out to Lesa-Hardee who drained her sixth basket of the night and Lamonea followed with another three, but Hackson answered with a triple of her own to put the Cougars up 46-38. Stephens reached double-digits with a floating jumper off the glass that cut the setback to 13, but the Cougars continued their sharp shooing, going 10-12 from the floor including a perfect three-for-three from deep in the frame to push their lead to 61-46 after three.
Corder fought through the lane for two with just over eight to go in the fourth to cut it to 13 and Edwards hit the jumper to make it 68-54. Lamonea made a corner three to make it 72-57. But the Cougars continued to roll with yet another triple from Hackson and some big layups by Forel. With 1:20 to go Edwards poked the ball loose for the steal and got the layup that made it a 14-point game. SF State closed out the contest with a 5-0 run but came up short on Thursday.
SF State hosts its final regular season home contest this Saturday as they battle No. 2 UC San Diego on Senior Day. Live stats and a stream will be provided.
