SAN FRANCISCO--- For the third straight season, both of the SF State men and women's basketball teams qualified for the CCAA Basketball Championships. The Gator men will travel down south for a First Round game this Tuesday, March 2 at Cal State San Bernardino. SF State's women will travel north for a First Round game also this Tuesday, March 2 at Chico State. Both tip-offs are scheduled for 7pm.
Both of the teams finished in sixth place in the CCAA. The men finished their season with a 17-13 overall record and a 10-12 record in the CCAA in a three-way tie for sixth place with Sonoma State and Cal State LA. The Gators earned the sixth seed due to tie-breakers procedures. SF State's women finished its regular season with a 15-15 overall record and a 11-11 record in the CCAA and in sixth place.
GATOR MEN
SF State finished the regular season going 4-3 in last seven games including going 4-1 at home. The Gators, under the direction of head coach Bill Treseler, had their third straight non-losing season. This was the first time that a Gator men's basketball program had achieved this since the early 1980's.
They are averaging 65.9 points per game while giving up 62.6 points per game and are out-rebounding their opponents, 35.8 to 33.9 rebounds per game. SF State junior guard Marquel Hoskins (Beloit, Wisconsin, Reedley College)leads the way for the Gators with his team high 14.2 scoring and 5.5 rebounding averages. He also leads the team with his 132 assists and 50 steals. Nefi Perdomo (Oakland, California, Skyline ) is next on the team with his 10.6 scoring average and is shooting a team high 70.2% from the charity stripe and 35.9% from three-point land. Tim Pratt (Eureka, California, College of the Redwoods) is also averaging double digits in scoring with his 10.3 scoring average and leads the Gators with his 48.6% shooting from the field while Phoenix O'Rourke (San Mateo, California, Junipero Serra)is fourth on the team in scoring with his 9.5 scoring average and has connected on a team high 62 three-point field goals. Senior post player Derek Fletcher (San Jose, California, Branham)has blocked a team best 35 shots this season.
Cal State San Bernardino, who finished in third place in the CCAA, has won its last three games in a row and six of its last eight games. The Coyotes are averaging 72 points and 33.1 rebounds per game while giving up 62.6 points and 32.6 rebounds per game. They are shooting 45.9% from the field while holding their opponents to 41.3% shooting from the field. Bryan LeDuc leads the way with his 14.6 scoring and 8.1 rebounding averages along with his 61% shooting from the field, 44.4% shooting from three's and 83.5% shooting from the line. Corey Caston is next on the team with his 11.4 scoring average.
The two teams split their season series with each team winning on its home court. The Gators won 67-61 on January 23 in San Francisco behind Hoskins' game high 26 points while O'Rourke chipped in 14 points. SF State forced 21 turnovers by the Coyotes and held them to just 39% shooting from the field. LeDuc led the way for Cal State San Bernardino (19-7, 17-5 CCAA) with 17 points and 16 rebounds.
Cal State San Bernardino avenged its earlier season loss to the Gators, by defeating SF State 74-58 this past Thursday in San Bernardino behind LeDuc's 24 points and 11 rebounds. Hoskins and Perdomo each led the Gators with 19 points apiece. The Coyotes held the Gators to just 38% shooting from the field while shooting 51% from the field.
GATOR WOMEN
The Gator women, under the direction of head coach Joaquin Wallace, have won seven of their last ten games to finish their season with a 15-15 record and an 11-11 record in the CCAA, the most conference wins by a Gator women's basketball team in the CCAA since 2007-08. They are averaging 56.3 points per game while giving up 56.0 points per game and are out-rebounding their opponents 41.1 to 38.8 rebounds per game.
Donisha Tate (Oakland, California, Las Posita College)leads the way for the Gators with her 11.9 points and 11.7 rebounds per game averages. Dominique Hunter (San Francisco, California, Gateway)is next on the team with her 8.2 points per game average and leads SF State with her 65 blocked shots, 46.9% shooting from the field, and 70.6% shooting from the line. Jessica Hout-Freeman (Fremont, California, Washington)leads the team with her 67 assists and 44 steals while Andrea Ohlssen (Pacifica, Cal Poly Pomona) has connected on a team high 35 three-point field goals made. Senior guard Juliet Masei (Mojave, CA, Dickinson State)has connected on a team best 33.3% from three-point land.
Chico State finished the regular season in third place with its 19-8 overall record and 16-6 record in the CCAA. The Wildcats have won nine of their last ten games including the last eight games in a row. They are averaging 66.4 points and 41.5 rebounds per game while giving up 56.7 points and 36.4 rebounds per game.
Natasha Smith leads the way with her 11.2 scoring average, 97 assists, and 80% shooting from the field. Melissa Richardson is also averaging double figures in scoring with her 10.9 points per game average and leads the Wildcats with her 46 steals. Christine Vest is averaging a team best 6.2 rebounds per game average while Pauline Ferrall has blocked a team high 14 shots and connected on a team best 47.6% of her attempts from the field. Richardson also leads Chico State with her 50 three-point field goals made and her team high 34.2% shooting from three-point land.
Chico State swept the season series from the Gators this season. The Wildcats won 67-46 in San Francisco on December 4 behind Smith's 11 points and Richardson's 10. Hunter paced the Gators with 13 points. Then on January 30 in Chico, the Gators won 49-43 behind Smith's 17 points. Tate led the way for SF State with 16 points and 14 rebounds while Hunter chipped in 13 points and 10 rebounds.
CCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
The semi-final and championship games of both the men and women's CCAA Basketball Championships will be held on March 5-6 at Lumberjack Arena on the campus of Humboldt State University in Arcata, California. For updated information on the championships, go to www.goccaa.org.
Men's Basketball Game Notes
Women's Basketball Game Notes
