CHICO, Calif. – After trailing by 28 late in the third quarter, the San Francisco State women's basketball team responded with an 18-3 run that saw the Gators cut the deficit to nine. Unfortunately, SF State could not get any closer as host Chico State came away with an 84-70 win on Saturday afternoon at Art Acker Gymnasium.
- With the loss, the Gators fall to 2-6 on the year and 0-3 in the CCAA. Chico State improves to 7-1 overall and 3-0 in conference play.
- It is the fourth time this season the Gators have scored 70 or more points.
- Four players finished in double figures led by Sage Bridges-Bey's season-high 14 points.
- Also finishing in double figures were Geriah Bradley (13), Nyana Asiasi (12), and Ana Daniels (12).
- The Gators shot 39.1 percent from the field (25-for-64). In the fourth, the Gators caught fire connecting on 61.1 percent of their attempts.
- Turnovers played a big role in the Gators' attempted comeback. The Wildcats committed 21 turnovers on the evening that led directly to 21 points for SF State.
- After starting the contest 4-for-18 from 3-point range, SF State went 4-for-6 from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter.
- Chico State finished the day with three in double figures, led by a game-high 24 points from forward Makenzi Laporte.
With the game tied 5-5 early in the first quarter, the Wildcats took the lead for good on a 2-point field goal and never looked back. Chico State ended the first period out front 21-13.
The paint is where the Wildcats did most of their damage. They scored 50 points inside the key on Saturday – 28 in the second and third quarters alone. Bridges-Bey and Asiasi's combined 17 first-half points kept it an eight-point deficit at halftime, with the Gators trailing 42-34.
Out of the break, the Wildcats took over, with Chico State going on a 15-0 run during the half's opening four minutes. A layup on a Gator turnover with 2:43 in the period extended the Wildcats lead to 28 points, up 63-35.
That's when SF State started its run. As the third quarter ended and during the beginning of the fourth, the Gators made a big run. During a five-minute stretch, SF State orchestrated an 18-3 run to cut the deficit to nine points following a three from Asiasi with 6:17 to play.
Chico State closed the contest off with a 9-2 run that built their lead back up to 16 points. With 23 seconds left in the contest, Bridges-Bey hit the fourth triple of the quarter by the Gators to cap off the scoring for the evening.
The Gators will return home for a non-conference clash against Alaska Fairbanks on Thursday, Dec. 19. That contest is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. Live stats will be available at sfstategators.com, and fans can tune in to the action on Flo College.
