SF State women’s basketball scored the most points since 1997 in their 102-92 victory against the Academy of Art Urban Knights on Sunday, Nov. 25.
SF State had a 2-0 lead before the game started because the Academy of Art did not submit their lineup in time and was given a technical foul. Senior forward Jhaina Stephens made the two free throws before the game to give the Gators the early lead. SF State led for all 40 minutes of the game.
The Gators started the game on a 14-3 run, which forced Urban Knights head coach Camille Williams to call an early timeout. Both teams shot well from beyond the arc in the first quarter. The Gators shot 4-6 and the Urban Knights shot 3-6 on three pointers. SF State led 26-17 after the first quarter.
SF State doubled the number of players the Academy of Art used, as the Urban Knights only played six, including freshman guard Chanel Stuart playing all 40 minutes for the Urban Knights.
SF State head coach Natasha Smith believed the usage of the entire roster helped the Gators give maximum effort for the entire game.
“If you’re really giving everything you have, there’s no way you can play a whole game. That’s what we’re asking them to do, is give everything you have for two to four minutes,” Smith said. “Let the next person come in and trust that they are going to do their job.”
SF State had a comfortable lead through the first three quarters, but the Urban Knights made things interesting in the fourth quarter. The Urban Knights cut the lead to three, but freshman guard Isabella Lamonea made her team a high fifth three-pointer to give SF State a six-point lead. The Urban Knights came right back with a 5-0 run and trailed the Gators 89-88.
Stephens, the Gators’ leader in points and rebounds, had to be subbed out after committing her fifth foul and did not return for the remaining 4:55 of the game.
“I need to be more disciplined so I can help my team,” Stephens said. “I can’t help my team when I’m on the bench.”
After the Urban Knights pulled to within one, SF State pulled away and closed the game on a 7-0 run to defeat the Academy of Art 102-92.
Senior guard Amani Alexander scored 17 points and was one of SF State’s six players in double figures. Alexander was pleased that her team stayed focused during a high scoring game.
“That was amazing for us to score 102 points,” Alexander said. “We had to stay locked in and not let the score get to us and focus on what is in front of us.”
With SF State having nine freshmen on the team and winning back-to-back games, the Gators are gaining momentum as they head into conference play.
“No one is looked as freshmen, no one is looked as upperclassmen, we’re all equal,” Alexander said. “We all know we need to work hard and bring our A game at all times.”
The remainder of SF State’s schedule is against conference opponents. This week the Gators have two games at The Swamp, first on Thursday, Nov. 29, against Cal Poly Pomona and Saturday, Dec. 1, against Chico State.
