SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The San Francisco State men's basketball team played its final exhibition game before the start of the season and made the trip down south to face UC Santa Barbara. The Gators trailed by single digits through most of the first half but fell 85-55.
- UC Santa Barbara was selected to finish third in the Big West preseason poll.
- Achilles Woodson scored a team-high 14 points. Kiahn Nice also reached double figures with 11 points.
- The Gators finished with 25 personal fouls compared to the Gauchos' 14. UC Santa Barbara finished with 22 points from the line while the Gators only had 12 attempts.
- The Gauchos held a 40 to 32 rebound advantage.
- SF State finished with a 40.0 shooting percentage. The Gauchos shot 50.0 percent.
The Gators started with an early 5-0 lead. Woodson scored with a jumper in the paint and Bricen Buciak knocked in a three after a Gaucho turnover. The Gauchos outscored the Gators 12-1 and took their first lead at 15:18. Woodson made it a one-possession game with a three-point basket at 7:25 to cut the Gaucho lead down to 19-17. The Gators only trailed 29-22 at the final media timeout of the half. Turnovers and missed shots got in the way for the Gators as the Gauchos outscored them 12-4 to close out the half.
The Gauchos opened the second half on a 10-0 run before Nice scored to end the draught for the Gators. The Gators were able to cut the lead to 15 midway through the second half but the Gauchos quickly extended their lead back to 20+ points.
The Gators open the season at home when they host Lincoln University on November 9 at 7 pm. First 250 fans will receive headbands. Live stats will be available at sfstategators.com and fans can watch the action on FloCollege. Tickets are available at sfstategators.com/tickets.
About San Francisco State Athletics
San Francisco State Athletics sponsors ten NCAA Division II programs and competes in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) in all sports expect for wrestling, which competes in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). The mission of the Department of Athletics at SF State is to provide a broad-based NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics program that fosters the physical, intellectual, social, and emotional development of a diverse and highly skilled group of student-athletes. Fans can follow the Gators @sfstate_gators on Instagram, X, Threads, and Facebook. Click here to support San Francisco State Athletics.
