SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco State men's basketball team finished the 2024-25 campaign in thrilling fashion with an 89-87 victory on Saturday afternoon inside the Main Gym at Don Nasser Family Plaza.

By the Numbers

• SF State earns the season sweep of Cal State LA and finishes the season 11-17 and in seventh place in the CCAA at 9-13. Cal State LA finishes the regular season 12-16 and 10-12 in CCAA play. The sixth place Golden Eagles will head to the CCAA Basketball Tournament, March 6-8 in San Marcos.
• The Gators made the most of a season that got off to a rough start when their returning all-CCAA player went down to injury prior to the season. The Gators went on to lose five CCAA contests by just four points or fewer. Saturday was another nailbiter and this time the Gators came out on top.
• Prior to the game, the Gators honored their five seniors: John Bakke, Tyjean Burrell, Devon Jackson, Alex Gilat, and Pearse Uniacke.Burrell had a team-high 19 points, including 10 points at the half. Bakke made his 101st appearance in a Gators uniform and scored 18 points to go with six rebounds and five assists, two steals, and a block.
• Jackson finished with 13 points and had 11 points at the half on a perfect 3-of-3 from deep.
• Uniacke finished with 10 points and a game-high eight rebounds before fouling out. He did not record a block on Saturday but does finish with 73 during his career, fourth most in program history. His 53 blocks this season are also fourth most in a season by an SF State player.
• Gilat finished with five points, two rebounds, and an assist. Caden Flowers had 11 points off the bench for the Gators and was a perfect 8-of-8 at the free throw line.
• Corey Cofield II was one of three Golden Eagles in double digits and led all players with 27 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. Shane Bell added 25 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and two steals in the loss. Raphael Gay scored 10 points.
• The Gators shot a season-best 58.3 percent (14-of-24) from deep. SF State shot 57.1 percent (8-of-14) from three-point range in the first half and still improved upon that in the second half. The Gators shot 50 percent (11-of-22) from the field in the second half, including 60 percent (6-of-10) from beyond the arc.
• SF State committed just one turnover in the first half but finished the game with 12.
• Saturday's game was physical with seven players tallying four or more fouls. Three Cal State LA players fouled out (Cofield II, Dominic Escobar, and Jaden Lazo) while Uniacke fouled out for the Gators.

How It Happened

The Gators' seniors combined to start the game 8-0. The Gators grew the lead to as large as 14 with 3:14 to go with a CJ Bellamy three-pointer and headed into the locker room up 16, 42-28.

LA cut the lead to six five minutes into the second half and cut the lead to two on Cofield's three-pointer at 13:40. However, SF State answered and pushed its lead back to 13 over the next three minutes. The Golden Eagles threatened late and made it a four-point game with just over three minutes to go.

The Gators still led by five with 24 seconds to go but Cal State LA made it interesting. A Gators turnover with 12 seconds to play led to a Bell three-pointer with six seconds left. The Gators called timeout and Burrell was fouled out of the timeout. He made the front end of his free throws to keep it a three-point game, then Bakke fouled Bell with 1.3 seconds left near the midline but it was determined that he intentionally fouled. Bell made one free throw and the Golden Eagles kept the ball but Canady's corner three attempt was long and didn't hit anything.