Fueled by a 9-1 run with just over six minutes left in the second half, San Francisco State University’s men’s basketball team were able to erase an11-point deficit and defeat the University of California, Merced Bobcats, 74-69.
The Gators looked destined to suffer their 10th home loss at San Francisco Federal Credit Union Gymnasium after a broken play led to Bobcats senior forward Elijah Charles getting an easy dunk, extending Merced’s lead to 58-51.
Gators Head Coach Vince Inglima immediately called a 30-second timeout and let his team know in the huddle that they should have ended up with a steal and possibly lead a fast-break opportunity.
From there, the Gators flipped a switch.
Junior guard Milandev Chatha scored a layup, leading to back-to-back threes from sophomore guard Fed Pernell and freshman guard Miles Pollard, tying the score at 59 all.
Junior forward Mason Harris’ tip-in gave the Gators the lead with just about five-and-a-half minutes left, their first time in front since the 13:45 mark of the first half when they led 10-9.
Pernell also managed to turn defense into quick offense, grabbing a long rebound from a missed Bobcat shot and taking it the full length of the court, capping off the run with a 65-59 lead.
“I thought the whole second half we were playing with sharper elbows,” Inglima said. “Owning the space a little bit more, being with more activity and physicality and pace offensively, and it just finally clicked.”
Down the stretch, Merced looked to steal the game away but a costly mistake from redshirt sophomore Cyprus Graham ultimately ended their chances.
Graham had the opportunity to make it a two-point game with a dunk, with no Gators defender contesting his attempt. But he couldn’t finish, and as a result he hung on the rim, leading to a technical foul. Pernell was able to make the technical free throw, pushing the Gator lead to 70-65 with 27.3 seconds left.
After Chatha came off the bench, he led all Gators in scoring with 15 points, shooting 71% from the field. He also added four rebounds and one steal.
“I was just playing within the offense, whatever coach needed from me, that’s what I was trying to provide,” Chatha said. “He wanted energy and physicality and that’s what I did.”
Along with Chatha, SFSU finished the game with five players scoring in double-digits and their bench significantly outscored the Bobcats, 47-14.
Another highlight was the play of junior forward Brandon Lucas, finishing with 12 points and shooting 50% from the field. He added two three-pointers after having scored five in SFSU’s previous game against California State University, Monterey Bay. His head coach credited his ability to attack the Bobcats defense throughout the game, giving some added energy to the team.
“My confidence is at its highest right now, my teammates are feeding me and [I’m] getting open looks and leaving it all out on the court,” Lucas said.
Bobcats senior guard Pawllos Habtom had a game-high 23 points, two shy of his season-high of 25, which he set against SFSU in their first meeting back in January. The Gators’ defense held Habtom to only seven points to finish the second half.
As for Charles, the reigning CCAA Player of the week recorded a double-double, his 13th of the season, finishing with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
The Gators close out their 2025-26 season against the California State University, Stanislaus Warriors at home on Saturday, with tip-off scheduled for 3 p.m. Even with the Gators just picking up their fourth win of the season, the team remains together and will look to end the season on a winning streak.
“The locker room is definitely a brotherhood, through thick and thin, we’ll always have each other’s back and picking up this fourth win feels really good,” Pollard said.
