ARCATA, California - The San Francisco State women's basketball team clinched its first postseason berth since 2013 as they grabbed the eighth and final seed to head to the CCAA Tournament. The Gators will take on No. 2 UC San Diego on Tuesday, March 5 at 5:30 p.m. to open up the postseason.
SF State wrapped up the regular season with a 76-66 loss to Humboldt State on Saturday. The Gators earned the final spot in the tournament by beating out Cal State San Bernardino in a tiebreaker.
- Toni Edwards added 14 points and was eight-of-ten from the line. Jhaina Stephens had 13 points and ten rebounds for her third-straight double double. Danielle Palmer added 12 points and five rebounds. Amani Alexander dropped in nine, giving the Gator seniors 48 points in their final regular season game.
- Taimane Lesa-Hardee scored eight points and dished out three assists.
- SF State (10-17/9-13 CCAA) shot 50 percent (13-26) from the field in the first half including 67 percent (4-6) from deep while holding the hosts to just one-of-seven from three. The Gators would go on to shoot a season-high 51 percent (24-47) in the contest.
- Humboldt State (19-6/17-5 CCAA) only played six players in the contest, and their starters accounted for all of their points. They were led by Alexa Thrower, who is third in the CCAA with 17 PPG, with 34 points.
- Turnovers were the difference maker as the Lumberjacks only committed 11 while SF State had 20. The 11 are tied for the second-fewest forced by the Gators this season.
With 6:15 left in the first, Stephens hauled in the offensive rebound and made the jumper right outside the key to put SF State up 6-4. Defensively the Gators held the Lumberjacks scoreless for over two minutes before Tyra Turner made a free throw. Amani Alexander knocked down a three off a pass from Madison Corder to put the Gators up 9-5 midway through the frame. Both sides traded jumpers following the media timeout as it was tied, 11-all, before Palmer made the contested layup for the two-point lead. Trailing by a pair, Palmer converted both from the line to the things up once again with 24 second left at 15-all.
Lesa-Hardee hit one from beyond the left side of the arc for her first points of the night to start the second and Palmer followed with a jumper as the Gators now led 20-17. The Lumberjacks got the next eight points to go up 25-20 before Stephens' third basket of the contest cut it to three. Two Turner free throws widened the lead to four and Isamar Conde knocked down the jumper for the six-point lead with 5:18 remaining. Corder and Alexander made it 29-27 but Lesa-Hardee regained the one-point lead with her second three-pointer with 2:20 left in the half. Another Lesa-Hardee triple put SF State back up by one after the hosts regained the lead as she started three-of-four from range. Humboldt State closed out the half with a 6-0 run to take a 38-33 lead at the break.
Stephens added two baskets to start the second but Humboldt State countered to go up 43-37. SF State then made three of their next four from the field to battle back to within three after Alexander's deep jumper from just underneath the arc. Alexia Thrower led the hosts to a 54-46 lead by making six of her next seven shots and Jovanah Arrington added two free throws. Palmer cut it to eight as she reached double figures, but Arrington's three put Humboldt State up 59-48 in the final minute. Like they did in the second, the Lumberjacks ended the frame with a 6-0 run as they carried a 62-48 lead into the final ten minutes.
A 9-2 run over the span of 2:11 put the hosts up 15. Edwards and Turner traded free throws with just over seven to go. Lesa-Hardee added the steal-and-score as she intercepted the pass and drove through the lane for two that made it 67-53. The offense regained it's stamina as they went on a 9-2 run capped off by an Edwards jumper that cut it to 69-60 with 3:08 remaining. Humboldt State maintained a double-digit cushion towards the end of the contest for the 76-66 win
SF State kicks off the postseason Tuesday, March 5 at No. 2 UC San Diego at 5:30 p.m. Live stats will be provided.
