SEASIDE, Calif.— The San Francisco State women's basketball team won their conference opener at Cal State Monterey Bay 71-61. The Gators capitalized at the charity strip and went 33-for-42. Monterey Bay struggled and finished 13-for-28.
- The Gators improve to 2-3 while Monterey Bay falls to 1-4.
- In her first career start, Talia Garner set several career highs to lead the Gators including points (15), minutes played (34) and steals (four).
- Sage Bridges-Bey and Nyana Asiasi also scored in double figures, adding 13 and 12 points respectively.
- The 33 free throws made breaks a single game record. Jacqueline Pravado led the way with nine, followed by Garners' seven.
- The Gators were outrebounded 37-28, with the Otters dominating the offensive boards 17-6.
The Gators edged the Otters through the first quarter despite seven turnovers. Back-to-back baskets by Bridges-Bey put the Gators up 7-5 with 5:22 remaining in the first. A lay-up with 50 seconds left from
Samaria Velazquez gave the Gators a 17-12 lead at the end of the quarter.
Nyana Asiasi's three-point basket gave the Gators a 34-25 lead with 4:01 remaining in the second quarter. The Otters cut the lead to four but a pair of chances at the line made it a six-point lead for the Gators going into halftime.
A tip-in lay-up by the Otters cut the Gators' lead to one possession at 45-43 with 2:50 left in the third. The Gators, who were in the bonus, made both field goals and went 5-for-6 from the line to close out the quarter up 54-47. Garner launched a three to give the Gators a 65-57 lead with 2:31 left in the game. The Gators were able to ride their excellent free-throw shooting to close out the game on top.
The Gators travel to Stanislaus State to face the Warriors on December 2 at 1 pm. Fans can stream the game live on the CCAA Network. Live stats will be available at sfstategators.com with updates also available on X at @sfstate_wbb.
