SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco State men's basketball team erased an 11-point lead from late in the first half and rallied to beat UC Merced 74-69.
- SF State improves to 4-23 on the season and 3-18 in CCAA action. UC Merced falls to 8-13 and 10-16 overall.
- For the first time since Dec. 7, 2023, five players scored in double figures - Milandev Chatha (15), Brandon Lucas (12), Miles Pollard (12), Diego Martinez (10) and Fed Pernell (10).
- The Gators were even with the Bobcats on rebounds with each team grabbing 37.
- SF State was sharp at the line and went 17-for-21. The Bobcats went 16-for-28.
- Pawllos Habtom played all 40 minutes and led all players with 23 points.
Evan McKnight opened the game with a dunk seconds into it and Martinez added a pair of jumpers as the Gators trailed 9-6 after the first media timeout. Chatha subbed in and had back-to-back jumpers to give the Gators the lead but it was short lived as the Bobcats reclaimed it seconds later. UC Merced extended its lead to 11 points with 4:29 to go in the first half. The Gators closed out the half on a 9-3 run with Lucas and Pollard each hitting threes.
A three-point shot from Chatha finally got the Gators back within one-point in the second half with 13:58 on the clock. The Bobcats build back their lead but a huge 14-1 run by the Gators shifted momentum back to them and gave them a 65-59 lead with a little over four and a half minutes to go. The Bobcats cut the lead down to two points with over a minute to go but Pernell responded with a basket to extend the Gator lead to 69-65. The Gators closed out the game going 5-for-6 at the line to maintain their lead.
The Gators host their final game of the season against Stanislaus State on February 28 at 3 p.m. Fans can watch at home on FloCollege and follow live stats at sfstategators.com. Tickets are available at sfstategators.com/tickets.
