SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco State women's basketball team closed out 2023 with a conference home opening victory over Cal State East Bay 68-61 at Main Gym. The Gators had their best first quarter of the season and outscored Cal State East Bay 23-7 while not relinquishing their lead down the stretch.
- The Gators improve to 3-7 and 2-3 in conference action. The Pioneers fall to 4-8 and 2-3 in the CCAA.
- SF State had two players score 20+ points for the first time since 2/17/17 against Cal State Dominguez Hills. Alexsandra Alvarado had 24 points while Sage Bridges-Bey had 22. Both were season highs.
- The Gators recorded a season-high 10 blocks. Kierra Johnson led the way with four.
- SF State shot 38.2 percent from the field while they held East Bay to 28.1, marking the first time this season the Gators held an opponent under 30 percent.
The Gators came out blazing in the first quarter, shooting 57.1 percent from the field and went 3-for-4 from beyond the arch. Defensively, the Gators held the Pioneers to two baskets. The roles flipped in the second quarter with the Gators being shut down and the Pioneers shooting 52.9 percent from the field. Back-to-back three point baskets from the Pioneers in the final minute of the second quarter made it a one-possession game as they trailed 31-28 going into the second quarter.
Alvarado helped the Gators put some space between themselves and the pioneers, scoring nine of the Gators' 17 points in the third quarter. The Gators built a 47-39 lead with 1:35 left before East Bay utilized opportunities at the line to cut the deficit to two before the final frame. The Gators went on a 13-0 run through the first five and a half minutes of the fourth quarter to take a 58-45 lead. East Bay would cut the lead to 61-57 with 56 seconds remaining but the Gators made enough shots at the line to keep them in control of the lead.
The Gators continue their five-game homestand with a game against Chico State at 5:30 pm on January 4. 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.
