As a result, the Gators snapped the Broncos six-game winning streak and also increased their own winning streak to four games.
"We talk about creating an identity here at SF State," said head coach Paul Trevor. "We want to make sure that everyone knows we have a good basketball program and that we can compete with the rest of the teams in the California Collegiate Athletic Association."
The Gators got off to a rocky start on Saturday as they trailed the Broncos for the first 28 minutes of the game and were plagued with foul trouble.
However, there were two key plays in the first half that turned the game around for the home team.
At the 12-minute mark, momentum shifted for the Gators as sophomore guard Nefi Perdomo tied the game by sinking his second 30-foot three-pointer from the right side of the court.
"Nefi Perdomo is the most valuable player in the CCAA," said senior guard Marquel Hoskins. Hoskins ran into the team's locker room at the end of the game after learning that Perdomo shot 8-12 from the field, scored 22 points and collected six rebounds in 38 minutes.
The other huge play came courtesy of freshmen center and forward Max Fodor. Fodor played like a man possessed, scoring a season-high 10 points on 5-5 shooting and being a big presence inside for the Gators. He scored two baskets and grabbed two defensive rebounds in only six minutes during the first half of the game.
"I thought I played well," Fodor said. "I got assists from my teammates and I couldn't have done it without them. Cal Poly is a big team, but we accepted their challenge and gave it to them."
According to senior guard Phoenix O'Rourke, who scored 15 points and shot 5-7 from the three-point line, the Gators' 68-66 win on Saturday over the Broncos took a total team effort.
"We did real well tonight," O'Rourke said. "We didn't turn the ball over as much and had quite a lot of assists. Overall, it was a great performance by our bench."
O'Rourke, described by Trevor as a player who is unselfish, is one of the Gators' captains this season.
In addition, the San Mateo native is well on his way to breaking two all-time SF State records. O'Rourke has 156 career three-pointers and 126 career steals. He needs 12 more three-pointers and just five steals to break both records.
"This year, defenders have been closing out on me," O'Rourke said. "Cal Poly played great zone defense. But I couldn't have made my shots without the help of all of our bigs. They just did a great job and I can't say enough about the way they played today."
]]> class=2011svisual=true
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In spite of a 17-point lead in the first period and stellar performances by senior center Dominique Hunter and sophomore guard Nicole Hicks, the visiting team bounced back, landing 16 of their 27 field goal attempts in the second half.
The 64-54 loss was due in part to a number of small errors the Gators made late in the second half.
"We struggled with the small stuff, with the little shots under the basket and things like that," said assistant coach Nichole Schutte. "At first, we got every shot we wanted, we just have to learn to finish."
Despite only hitting 11-31 shots in the first half at just 35.5 percent from the field, the Gators prospered at the free-throw line, sinking 12 of their first 13 foul shots.
Hunter, who had her 10th double-double of the season with 16 points, 13 rebounds and four assists, was a huge contributor and an unstoppable force under the basket, with 11 boards in the first half alone. Hicks was also a factor for the Gators, finishing with 13 points.
"We were scoring, and I think we did well on defense," Hunter said of the team's explosive first half. "We knew what sets they were running, and we were taking them out of their rhythm."
The Coyotes struggled to connect at the onset of the game, sinking only 8 of their 30 field goal attempts and leading only once in the first half. Twelve straight points from the Gators solidified their biggest lead of the match at 33-16 with three minutes left in the first half.
Back-to-back baskets by CSUSB's Danielle Shows and Eisha Sheppard, separated by a Hunter free throw, narrowed the deficit to 34-20 to close out the half.
It was at the beginning of the second half that the Gators began to decline. The Gators led 38-22 until a three-pointer by CSUSB's Angela Streets set the Coyotes in motion. San Bernardino would proceed to force seven turnovers in the minutes following, and reclaimed the lead 46-47 after Streets hit a crucial jump shot with 8:14 left to play.
Hunter temporarily reclaimed a 48-47 lead with two successful free throws with 6:54 left, but it was the last time the Gators would lead the game. Another Coyote three-pointer by Sabrina Gonzalez would set the CSUSB team in motion to a victory.
A 10-2 Coyote run in the final minutes of play sealed the Gators fate with a 64-54 loss.
Nichole Schutte credits CSUSB's success to their experience and skill at the point guard position.
"They're a veteran team, and they hit shots at the end," Schutte said. "They have a point guard who led their team. She's their go-to, and at the end she did what she had to do."
The Gators struggled the following day as they traveled to Pomona, where they came up short against Cal Poly Pomona 72-59.
Despite another tough loss, the lady Gators had standout performances from star players. Hunter claimed her 11th double-double of the season with 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Hicks contributed a career high 16 points. Sophomore guard Michaela Booker added nine.
The Gators will travel to La Jolla Thursday, Feb. 3 for their next CCAA match-up against UC San Diego.
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"It was awesome," said graduating senior Pierre Bondoc. "We haven't beaten them in the years that I have been wrestling here, although we've wrestled them tough before."
The much anticipated match-up favored the Gators with an 18-16 win over the Division 1 Cardinals at Stanford's Burnham Pavilion this past Sunday.
However, the Gators' win did not come easily.
The Gators lost their first three bouts in the 184 and 197-pound and heavyweight divisions, giving the Cardinals a 10-0 lead.
Bondoc's 5-3 decision over the Cardinals' Matt Sencenbaugh in the 125-pound division sparked some much needed life in the Gators who followed with two more wins by seniors Brian Tharp (133) and Naveed Bagheri (141), pushing the Gators to a 12-10 lead.
"It was a very back and forth meet," assistant wrestling coach Mauricio Wright said.
The Cardinals went on to win two more bouts by decision forcing a 16-12 lead over the Gators. With only minutes left in the meet, sophomore Isaiah Jimenez (165) was able to pull off a 4-3 decision over the Cardinals' Garret Schaner, only to intensify the final bout between senior Gene Choi (174) and Stanford's Kyler Hasson.
Within the last few seconds of the third and final period, Choi won a 4-0 decision, giving the Gators a victory that the team had yet to experience.
"It felt great," Choi said. "I received a lot of acknowledgement from friends."
In years past, the Stanford Meet has always been scheduled earlier in the season; this time around, the meet came somewhat later than usual. However, assistant coach Wright was confident that the team would be perfectly matched against Stanford as they had more time to train and condition.
The Gators' win on Sunday is their fourth win this season. They will host California Baptist University this Friday at 1p.m., and host the California Collegiate Invitational on Saturday.
]]> class=2011sWith two minutes and twenty five seconds remaining in the game between the SF State men's basketball team and the Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes at the main gymnasium Friday night, it all came down to which team would avoid folding under pressure and make some crucial foul shots.
Although the Gators held a late 70-64 lead, the Coyotes slowly climbed their way back into the game. However, SF State eventually sealed the 81-72 victory by knocking down their last nine free throws.
"Well, the right guys went to the free-throw line tonight," said head coach Paul Trevor. "We practice making free-throws when we are tired and at the end of the game because they are crucial."
Leading the way for the Gators on Friday was a handful of players including four of their starters, who all scored over 10 points in the game. Senior guards and co-captains, Marquel Hoskins and Phoenix O'Rourke, provided solid play from the backcourt. Sophomore guard Nefi Perdomo and senior forward Tim Pratt, also chipped in with valuable minutes contributing in every phase of the game.
"Our confidence is at an all time high right now," Hoskins said. "We hold each other accountable and my job is to contribute and give the ball to everybody on the floor."
Hoskins played the majority of the game and rested for a mere three minutes. In 37 minutes, he scored 13 points, dished out eight assists, and more impressively collected nine rebounds standing at only 5 foot 10 inches.
"We just crashed the boards," he said. "We weren't losing the game."
Hoskins nearly achieved a triple double, which is when a player records double digit figures in three statistical categories whether it is in points, steals, blocks, assists, or rebounds.
Still, ball distribution and shot selection varied for the Gators throughout the game. In the first half, they shot a 40 percent from the field, 30 percent from the three point line, and at halftime held a slim one point lead over the Coyotes.
In the second half, SF State improved their shooting dramatically. They shot 53 percent to end the game and 50 percent from the three point line respectively.
"It's always good when we make our shots," said Pratt, who scored 18 points on 6-10 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds in the game. "We just get into rhythm and it helps our defense."
However, with much displeasure from the rambunctious crowd, the story of this game was personal fouls. Cal State San Bernardino attempted 34 foul shots and made only 20 while SF State attempted and made all 19 of their foul shots for the game.
"I thought we were at home," Hoskins said. "But, we are mentally tough and prepared for the refs and for whatever else is thrown our way."
The Gators are now 11-6 for the season and are 9-4 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. They are currently in third place in the CCAA behind Humboldt State.
]]> class=2011sStanding at 6 foot 1 inch, the tallest player on the team by three inches, Hunter serves as the source of inspiration and leadership as the only senior on the team.
Then she's known as "The Beast."
"It's because she's aggressive," sophomore guard and forward Michaela Booker said. "She gets the rebound. When we say she's the beast, it gets us hyped up and excited."
All of the team's seven seniors graduated at the end of last season, leaving Hunter to take control of the team.
"I took it on willingly," Hunter, a San Francisco native, said about her role as team captain. "I felt I was up to that level of leadership."
That leadership has been recognized nationally as she was named 12th in rebounds with an 11.0 average and 20th in blocked shots with a 2.4 average according to the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II statistical report.
"The recognition is great," Hunter said. "Seeing how hard I work and how passionate I am will make the girls look up to me."
Head Coach Joaquin Wallace has watched her grow in the past four years to become one of the team's top players.
"I've had the pleasure the past four years to watch her maturate," Wallace said. "The chance to watch her transform is a unique situation."
With the only player on the team who has played over 100 games, according to Wallace, she's the source of information for the team, where the majority of players are freshmen.
"She's always been a person on the team but never a person with a voice," Wallace said. "It takes a lot to make captain and she's met the challenge."
Wallace sees her as another coach on the court.
"She's a student of the game," Wallace said. "In Western Washington, she was drawing up plays on the blackboard, showing the team the plays during halftime."
Michaela Booker, a returning sophomore, is one of the players with the most experience with Hunter.
"Dom is doing a really good job," Booker said. "She's encouraging and understanding. She's selfless and she's a good leader."
Since Hunter is the player with the most experience on the team, she keeps everyone together.
"She works the hardest; she's the loudest person during games," Booker said. "Everything would be so hectic if she wasn't around."
Regardless, the season has been a challenge for Hunter and the team with the season ending soon and the post-season chances looking slim.
"It's a pretty emotional time for me," Hunter said. "No one knows what it's like to have a few games left. I try not to focus on stuff like that."
Hunter's interest in basketball started when she joined a local San Francisco league in eighth grade after originally starting off with dance as a child.
Not holding any illusions about her skills, Hunter knew that she was chosen for the team because she was tall. But that didn't stop her from devoting herself throughout high school.
"Everything was a lesson," Hunter said. "I took it all in like a sponge. I didn't get many opportunities then."
Once she got to SF State, Hunter took those missed opportunities and applied them to the basketball team.
"I used those miss opportunities as my fuel," Hunter said. "One of my proudest moments was freshman year when I got a spot over a junior transfer. When we won the next game, I felt my working hard was a big part."
Being a leader to everyone is a large part of Hunter's life.
"My little cousin just started playing sports so I try to be an influence on her," Hunter said. "I also have two nieces and a nephew that are all under one so in time I will try to lead them as well."
With three younger sisters and two brothers, Hunter's family has always supported her, as she will be the first person in her family to graduate college.
But while Hunter is ranked nationally, she knows that education is the most important thing.
"I'm looking at master's programs in sports management to be safe," she said. "But if I get an opportunity to play, I'm going to jump on it."
]]> class=2009fWith the Gators traveling for most of winter recess--first to the National Wrestling Coaches Association Duals in Iowa, and later to Cal State Fullerton and Cal Baptist in Riverside--there was little time to recuperate from back-to-back matches against tough competitors.
An unprecedented number of injuries proved to be a handicap for the Gators throughout winter recess.
"The biggest factor is that we've run into so many injuries," said head Coach Lars Jensen about their performance over break.
"I've never in all my coaching had this many injuries," said Jensen, now in his 28th year of coaching at SF State.
The Gators started the new year off with success, placing second overall in the Menlo College Invitational. Junior Naveed Bagheri and sophomore Isaiah Jimenez both dominated their individual weight classes, and eight other wrestlers placed in the top four of each of their respective weight classes.
The team traveled to Cedar Falls, Iowa, where they competed against five nationally ranked teams in two days at the National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals.
The Gators secured victories against Findlay (22-12) and Western State (25-17) but came up short against Augustana College (9-23), Central Oklahoma (12-22), and Minnesota State (13-28).
"We won some key matches and were firing on all cylinders," said Jensen. "When one of our kids gets hurt, it's hard to win a dual meet when you give up six points."
In spite of injuries and losing a few difficult matchups, the Gators finished 8th overall in Iowa, shooting them from the 20th to the 8th position in the weekly team polls.
The Gators traveled next to Fullerton where the team came up short against two Division I opponents, with a 33-9 defeat to Wyoming and a 34-8 loss to Cal State Fullerton. Many hours of traveling and several long practices began to take a physical toll on the athletes.
"It was pretty hectic," said senior wrestler Pierre Bondoc. "We didn't put up as good of an effort and wrestle as tough as we did in our previous matches. We were beat up over the whole grind we'd been through the past month."
The final meet of winter break took the Gators to Cal Baptist in Riverside, where four of the teams starters were sidelined due to various injuries.
Although the Gators started out strong against both opponents--initially leading 6-0 against Cal Baptist and 3-0 against Grand Canyon, they were unable to seal a victory in either match, and lost six crucial points in the decision against Cal Baptist due to injury.
National Wrestling
After a much-needed three days off, the Gators look ahead to facing Division I Stanford this Sunday, Jan. 30.
"We know how they wrestle," said Jensen of the upcoming Stanford match. "They're very tough, very physical, and they're good on the mats. We want to have the guys we plug into the lineup to have good performances and wrestle hard. We want to wrestle up to our limit, and we'll see how well we do."
Assistant Coach Mauricio Wright recognizes that there is more work that needs to be done as the team faces important final matches of the season.
"Our main focus right now is getting the guys healthy, correcting small but critical errors, and getting a lot of mat time," said Wright. "We have older guys on the team, but still don't have that veteran level of experience that you might expect seniors to have."
]]> class=2009fOne game in particular that first-year head coach Paul Trevor would like for his team to have back is an 84-60 loss to the Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes on Dec. 30.
After the loss, Trevor and the team recognized that despite having a six-day break before that road game, they did not play up to their abilities and as a result have incorporated a new motto for the rest of the season: "40 minutes."
"We want to heighten our focus," Trevor said. "Our team hates to not play well especially with the amount of seniors we got. We talk about competing for 40 minutes, to put our best effort out there, and to just do what we do."
According to senior point guard and co-captain Marquel Hoskins, the Gators will apply this mindset and look to even the score against the Coyotes, who lead them by a half-game in the California Collegiate Athletic Association, at home on Jan. 28.
"We remember that loss," Hoskins said. "We did not show up. But this next home game is real important because we got to protect our house. Fortunately, things are coming together and we are ready to play."
Marquel, described by sophomore guard Nefi Perdomo as the heart and soul of the team, is the Gators' second-leading scorer with 12.1 points per game this season.
Still, Hoskins said it is his job to get other players open shots and involved in the offense.
"On this last road trip, everybody seemed to be on the same page," he said. "Everyone shot well from the field and from the free-throw line. We are getting contributions from a lot of people, and they have stepped their game up."
With a 10-6 overall record and a fourth-place standing in the CCAA with an 8-4 record, the Gators are averaging 73.4 points per game while allowing 68.4 points per game. They are 8-0 when they hold their opponents under 70 points, 6-0 when teams score 65 points, and 4-0 when their opponents score 60 points.
"We played every team once," Perdomo said. "We know our mistakes now. So when we play these next games, we will be prepared."
Heading into their final 10 games of the season - six of which are at home - Trevor wants his team to improve in two areas where they have struggled this season: Teams are averaging 34.8 rebounds per game against the undersized Gators and SF State is only shooting 69.7 percent from the free-throw line.
Perdomo, who leads the team with 17 points per game and is shooting 79 percent from the free-throw line, is not concerned with these statistics and said he just tries to do whatever it takes for his team to score.
"I let the game come to me," he said. "I look for my teammates and like to set them up with shots just like they set me up with shots. We feel like we are centers. It is the will of the man, not the size of the man."
]]> class=2009fThe Notre Dame De Namur Argonauts and the Gators, both with 1-5 records, played the last game of the tournament.
The biggest difference between the teams was the Argonauts focus and desire to win, which led to the Gators losing 56-47.
Both teams failed to gain leverage in the first three minutes of the game as the Gators and the Argonauts made several shot attempts without success.
As both teams wrestled with rebounds, missed layups and jump shots, the Argonauts gained a momentary upper hand when they stole the ball back from freshman forward Sherika Miller after Miller initially stole it from Argonaut Laura Zasly.
That moment allowed the Argonauts to drive the ball back to their end of the court and make a 3-point basket after two missed jump shots and rebounds.
"They have a confidence that our girls lack," said head coach Joaquin Wallace. "They play hard in their zone and they're quality players."
That quality allowed the Argonauts to start their 12-point run as the Gators struggled to stop them.
With 13 minutes on the clock, sophomore Michaela Booker finally ended the run with a layup after stealing the ball from Argonaut Laura Zasly.
But the end of the drive only brought more competition from Notre Dame de Namur as they kept the pressure up.
Before the Gators knew it, the Argonauts were leading 24-6 with nine minutes left in the first half.
The Gators spent the rest of the time trying to close the gap. They got close to eliminating the deficit when freshman Angela Van Sickel sunk a 3-point shot into the net, bringing the score to 26-22.
However, the Argonauts reciprocated by making their own 3-point basket in the last 40 seconds, ending the half leading 29-22.
"We had a good first half," said freshman point guard Erica Greer. "But in the second half, we began to crumble."
The team fell apart as the Argonauts outshot the Gators in the second half, maintaining their lead for the entire game, despite attempts to close the gap.
The loss really hit home for Greer.
"We're not focusing enough," Greer said. "We'll work on focusing through the entire game. We are a young team but we can only say it so much."
After missing the prior weekend's games due to a knee injury, Greer came back to the swamp, playing point guard.
"It's my first year playing point guard," Greer said. "When you have the coach yelling at you, it's a mental drain on you, it's a challenge."
While Greer played most of the game, the drain was evident as she only scored three points in 12 attempts. On the other hand, freshman Angela Van Sickel had a career high of 14 points.
"It's definitely a big step in my confidence level," Van Sickel said. "Once we get going, nothing will stop us."
One of the biggest challenges facing such a young team - which cycled out seven seniors last season - is learning to play together as a team.
"Basically, you're taking kids who've never played college basketball," Wallace said. "We don't know how to play as a team. It's all on-the-job training."
But the team is improving with each game. The turnover rate four games ago was 29, which the Gators minimized to 11 against the Argonauts.
"I think they're meshing fine," Wallace said. "We have a long way to go, and we're getting better with turnovers. I think they're going to be a good bunch."
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I've never joined a club myself but from seeing a couple of them in action they seem like a great way to make friends fast. Some of them (like rugby, hockey and volleyball) are attempting or have recently attempted to join the NCAA and become an official school team, so if you are passionate about any of these activities this could be a great way to get in on the ground floor.
A few of these clubs I'd never heard of before, like Capoeira and Dragon Boat but this school and city have many programs and organizations right under our noses with rich traditions waiting to accept people willing to try something new.
So please enjoy this list of potential clubs for you:
The momentum from Friday's win against the Cal State East Bay Pioneers wasn't enough for the SF State women's basketball team when they fell to UC San Diego Tritons on Dec. 4 66-52.
"When she got injured, we couldn't get a hold of the ball," head coach Joaquin Wallace said. "We just ended up turning the ball over and over."
With 29 turnovers during both weekend games, the Gators couldn't replicate Friday's results and failed to make up for the mistakes.
In the first half of the game, the Tritons were able to maintain their early lead, keeping the Gators at bay with a quick defense and strong coverage.
It wasn't until 10 minutes in, after senior Dominique Hunter made two free throws, that the Gators managed to start a six-point run that put them ahead for the first time with a 24-20 lead.
In the last five minutes of the first half, the Tritons regained their edge with a seven-point advantage at 34-27.
"We lacked a little energy," Hunter said. "The team was tired. The second half was our biggest breakdown."
With their defense thrown off guard, the Gators were unable to match the 22-point run Triton shooters made within a span of five minutes to start the second half.
"They started hitting a lot," Hunter said. "We weren't getting out to their shooters and they made those shots."
The Gators were never able to gain momentum as UCSD kept their lead up for the rest of the game.
"We have to take more care of the ball," sophomore Michaela Booker said. "When we stopped getting to those shooters, I think that defensively we got lazy."
On the second day of a back-to-back, the Gators came out flat against the Tritons, lacking the needed energy to overcome their sharpshooters.
"We had a lot of intensity the night before," Booker said. "It was a high intensity game and when the bench is not as productive, we start losing focus."
Even though The Gators out-rebounded the Tritons 43-31 behind Hunter's career-high 19 rebounds, they were unable to take advantage of their second chance opportunities.
"We need to work on lay-ups, putbacks, and free throws," Wallace said. "We can defend pretty well. UCSD was averaging around 80 points a game and we lowered that this time."
Booker also had her career high of 14 points against UCSD. As a sophomore, she's one of the younger players on the team, along with eight freshmen.
"We're young at the most diffusive," Wallace said. "We don't execute opportunities around the rim. I see this as on-the-job training."
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With back-to-back wins, SF State has now won five straight games. They are 5-1 overall and 3-0 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.
"From all of our seniors returning to the pieces we added, expectations are high," said starting point guard Marquel Hoskins. "We just work hard every day. Coach Trevor pushes us to the limit. That's what is leading to these results and is happening right now."
As soon as the pre-game rituals and warm-ups were over, the Gators, wearing gold jerseys, resembled a group of killer bees on defense. They applied tremendous pressure forced San Diego to commit 13 turnovers.
The Gators gave their opponents a deadly dose of defense as they stung, trapped and double teamed the taller Triton team, causing them to make their first field goal with only nine minutes left in the first half.
SF State held a 21-point lead twice throughout the first half and didn't allow the away team to score more than 19 points.
"We are starting to come together and learning to play with each other well," said senior forward Tim Pratt, who finished with at least 15 points and missed just one shot for the second straight game. "We did not underestimate these teams. That was big for us."
The Gators ended the first half with a 38-19 lead. Despite trailing the entire game by large margins, the Tritons didn't back down and essentially lived on the free throw line, making 21 of 25 free throws the rest of the way.
Little by little, UC San Diego crept back into the game, something that first-year head coach Paul Trevor said he knew was going to happen.
"My players asked me at halftime why I was so concerned," Trevor said. "I told them that UCSD is a good team. They are not going to quit. They kept coming at us and that woke us up. That was a good challenge, but we responded."
Trevor, who won his first home game on Friday, screamed several times from SF State's sideline whenever a foul was called or a Triton player made a wide-open shot.
His screams were so loud that they overshadowed the cheers and jeers coming from the rowdy student section known as "The Swamp."
"We talked a lot about discipline and execution," Trevor said. "It's natural to relax a little bit when you know you're up by a lot. We have to keep a better frame of mind. We are still working on it."
In the end, SF State ran out the clock to seal their perfect 2-0 start at home for the season.
"We have been getting our wins by playing defense," Hoskins said. "When we score off turnovers, we don't need to run our offense. It gets us going."
Next up for the Gators will be a non-conference away game against Division I University of Nevada on Dec. 11.
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Students from both schools, including members of some of SF State's fall sports teams, packed the main gymnasium on Friday to watch the Gators play their first home game of the season. The home opener was the third game of the season in which SF State has won by an average of 20 points or more.
Spectators witnessed the Gators shoot 49 percent as a team and maintain a sizable lead during most of the game. Three players also recorded season highs in points, assists and three-point field goals.
"We played very good," said sophomore guard Nefi Perdomo, who scored 16 points in just 25 minutes. "We had a lot of intensity and emotion for our first home game."
Senior forward Tim Pratt, who finished the game shooting seven-for-eight from the field, scored 18 points and collected five rebounds. Co-captain Phoenix O'Rourke added 16 points of his own on a season-best four-for-six shooting from the three point line while fellow co-captain and guard Marquel Hoskins recorded a personal best eight assists.
"Marquel and Nefi did their thing tonight," O'Rourke said. "My point guard and the screens that my teammates made set up the opportunities to kick the ball out to me for the three point shot."
In addition, O'Rourke said he was not surprised to have so many wide open shots from the corners of "The Swamp."
"I like the corner shot," he said. "I have been sitting in the corner for all of my four years here. It is my favorite spot on the court."
First-year head coach Paul Trevor said that while he thought the team played hard, there were a few things he didn't particularly like about the way they played.
"East Bay exploited us a little bit," Trevor said. "They attacked our (pressure). On offense, when we get up, we get a little lazy. We need to keep attention to detail and get back to the film room and see what happened."
The Pioneers forced the Gators to commit eight turnovers in the first period and scored more second chance points.
Berkeley standout and sophomore guard Mark Samuels at times caused havoc for the Gators by scoring 17 points, grabbing seven rebounds and performing three assists. His teammate, George Toyama, contributed with nine points, including three from the free throw line.
Although the Gators were composed when the game began, the second half saw an increasingly amped SF State.
Not only did SF State end the first half with a 13-1 run, but they also went on an 18-2 tear with 17 minutes left in the game. They had five more second chance points, received 16 points from their bench, and outscored the Pioneers 28-8 in the paint.
"We are a fast-paced team," O'Rourke said. "We are smarter with the ball. We run more and are more disciplined on offense. We always want to go when we get the ball on offense."
]]> class=2009fDespite this setback, three players from the team were named to the 2010 All-California Collegiate Athletic Association women's volleyball team on Nov. 18. Sophomore setter Iris Tolenada was chosen to be on the first team, while junior libero Sarah Kurfess and junior outside hitter Halimah Oswald were chosen for the second team.
"I thank my teammates," said Tolenada, who was the top setter in the CCAA with 10.68 assists per set. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them."
The award is given to the players who have had outstanding performances in the conference, an accolade Tolenada is familiar with. Last year, she was chosen to be on the second All-CCAA team and received the conference's Freshman of the Year award.
"Being a sophomore this year and competing with all the other good setters in our conference, I was a little bit surprised," Tolenada said about moving up to the first team.
"But I came into this year expecting myself to be better than last year."
Sarah Kurfess, Tolenada's defense partner, had a tremendous impact on the Gators during her first year as the team's defense captain. She led the CCAA during the regular season with an average of 4.95 digs per set.
"I felt really thankful and honored to have gotten it in the first year of coming here," Kurfess said. "It was a big surprise and a good surprise."
Halimah Oswald, the only player who has been on the team since the program restarted in 2008, led the Gators' offense with a .286 attack percentage, making her 10th overall in the CCAA. She is also ranked second in kills on the team with 2.44 kills per set.
"I've been striving for this since I got here," Oswald said. "It was exciting that I got it. I partially reached my goal by getting second team. Next year I'm going for first team."
This season marks the third year since volleyball was brought back to SF State's athletic department. The Gators made it to the postseason last year as they finished seventh in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II West Region poll, but their postseason was cut short when they were eliminated by UC San Diego in the first round.
The Gators added seven new players this season, including four incoming freshmen and two junior college transfers, including Kurfess. At the beginning of the season, senior defense specialist Jackie Domecus said the team was "definitely deeper this year than last year."
With more returning players than the previous year, the Gators anticipated having stronger chemistry than season's past.
The Gators started strong at home, but the road proved to be a problem. Despite struggles along the way, the team was ranked sixth during the first release of the West Region poll in October. The team needed to remain in the top eight to keep their postseason dreams alive.
Hot one game and cold the next, the Gators' position in the poll began to slip. They lost at home to Cal State San Bernardino and Cal Poly, both top ranked teams in the CCAA.
By the third poll, after losing to Cal State Monterey Bay in a five set match, the Gators dropped to 10th place and were unable to recover the rest of the season.
"The season was a little up and down," said head coach Michelle Patton. "There were some games that we needed to have more maturity and play better. "
Despite falling short, the Gators were still an impressive team. Of the 19 players on the squad, 10 were either freshmen or sophomores and only three were seniors.
"We definitely learned a lot as a team about finishing strong and starting out strong," said senior outside hitter Sarah Lewis. "Overall the season was a lot of fun. It was a lot of hard work and a lot of ups and downs."
Compared to some of their opponents, the team was also extremely undersized. Lewis and Division I transfer Laura Watt were the only players over six feet and while the team was strong in digs, their blocks suffered.
Although their season didn't end as they'd hoped, the Gators' success could be credited to the strong chemistry the players had with each other.
"From being here the first year, this season was the fastest we all bonded," Oswald said.
]]> class=2010fThe Gators had missed their first five shots from the floor and turned the ball over three times in that short span of time, so Trevor subbed every starter out.
The tactical change would prove to be the turning point in the game, as the Gators played nearly flawless basketball after that, running away with a 95-50 victory on Friday at the Notre Dame de Namur Thanksgiving Classic.
"We were playing a little too unselfish early. There were a lot of openings and holes we could have attacked, but we weren't doing it," Trevor said. "I'm getting tired of us getting beat to loose balls and we came out in the first three minutes getting beat to the ball again. My starters are a very talented group, but I just wanted to wake them up a little bit."
The impact of the change was almost instant, as the Gators tied the game at 6-6 just over a minute later, and after a Tim Pratt three-pointer, took a lead they would not surrender again.
The SF State bench outscored the entire Simon Fraser team 51-50, led by 11 points from senior center Matt Fochtman. Fochtman scored SF State's first two baskets of the game, keying the Gator rally.
"Coming off the bench as a senior, I've already been through it," he said. "I was just going out there to try and create a little energy because we came out flat."
The play of SF State's bench may have sparked the Gators early, but it was their pressing man-to-man defense that sustained them throughout and allowed them to carry a 51-22 lead into the half. It was that high-pressure defense that forced 31 Simon Fraser turnovers, including 15 SF State steals.
"We're not very big, so we gotta be something, and we're going to be quick," Trevor said. "We're going to put a lot of pressure on you and make you make a lot of decisions. Hopefully we'll wear you down."
The Gators also held Simon Fraser to just 29.6 percent shooting from the floor, but the turnovers fed a free-flowing transition offense that led to several easy baskets on fast-break opportunities. The Gators would shoot 48.5 percent from the floor and dominate inside with 42 points in the paint.
Even with the slow start, the starters would end up having a considerable impact, led by Pratt and fellow senior Phoenix O'Rourke, who had a team-high 13 points apiece. Five Gators would finish scoring in double figures and 10 of the 11 players who logged minutes scored at least three points.
"Our offense just picked it up," O'Rourke said. "We just needed a couple of minutes to get our flow going and after that, we were good from there."
Simon Fraser, a school from Burnaby, Canada, dresses nine freshmen, and has a lot of growing to do in its first year playing under NCAA Division II classification. The lone bright spots for the Clan were Division I transfer guards Ricky Berry and Justin Brown. Berry, who transferred from Seattle University, had a game-high 15 points, and Brown, who transferred from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, added 12, but the duo combined for 16 turnovers.
"We really lack any experience, that's the bottom line," said Simon Fraser head coach James Blake. "Unfortunately, that's how this season is going to go."
After a 78-75 win over Cal State Monterey Bay on Nov. 21 and the win over Simon Fraser, the Gators stand at 2-0 against Division II opponents and will look to extend that streak Saturday against host Notre Dame de Namur.
"I really like the team that I have," Trevor said. "We need to get a little more confidence and swagger, but hopefully we can keep building on it."
]]> class=2010fI'm guessing most young students on campus, like myself, did not know that.
The program was a powerhouse in the Division II Far Western Conference between 1950 and 1967. It has been a jumping off point for Mike Holmgren and Andy Reid, two of the best NFL coaches in the last two decades.
So why doesn't SF State have a football team now?
In 1995, the football program was cut because it was too expensive for the school to afford because, among other reasons, it requires teams to have many players and lots of equipment.
Football funding gradually declined at SF State after the 1968 student strike. "A lot of the kids quit the team and we had great difficulty recruiting players because of the turmoil on campus," Vic Rowen, the team's legendary coach, told the SF State's Golden Gator in 1995.
As I mentioned in my second post, another major reason the program was cut is Title IX, the act in place for female students to have their numbers equally represented as men within collegiate sports programs.
Whether Title IX is right or wrong is a matter of opinion. It can be argued that the act is unfair because, in general, men are more interested in sports than women.
But at the same time, a lot of people think that women should be represented equally in college athletics. I assume that there are more than enough women to fill up female sports teams on campus, and as long as that is the case, parity is the fairest policy.
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