ARCATA – The Humboldt State women’s basketball team shot 27 percent in the first half and 33 percent for the game, had a shot to win in the end, but fell 63-61 to the San Francisco State Gators on Thursday night.
The loss drops the HSU’s record to 14-5 overall, 12-3 in California Collegiate Athletic Association action. SFSU improves to 9-13, 5-9 in the CCAA.
Box Score
San Francisco State had three players in double figures. Andrea Ohlssen scored 21, Donisha Tate had 10 points and nine rebounds and Zalisha Oliver got 14 off the bench.
Andrea Bobic led HSU with 25 point and eight rebounds, six on the offensive glass. Brittney Taylor chipped in 16 points and six rebounds.
Despite shooting just 27 percent in the first half, the Jacks built a nine-point lead, 26-17, with 4:44 to go. Seniors Brittney Taylor and Andrea Bobic combined to score 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting. The rest of the team was just 1-for-17 in the half.
Over the final four minutes of the half the Jacks were held scoreless while SFSU reeled off 11-unanswered points capped by an Oliver running 3-pointer as time ran out. The bucket gave the Gators the lead at the half 28-26.
SFSU out scored the Jacks 16-8 in the paint and its bench had a 13-0 advantage on HSU.
“They do a nice job of protecting the paint and kept the ball out of Brittney’s hands the last part of the first half,” head coach Joddie Gleason said. “We didn’t move the ball quick enough to make them adjust and relocate. It’s easy to play defense when people are standing around and not moving. We got really tentative and didn’t attack enough.”
The second half started just like the first ended. The Jacks went six minutes with out a score, while the Gators built an eight-point lead. HSU finally broke through on a Lisa Petty 3-pointer to cut the lead to five, 34-29.
With 8:17 left, San Francisco State had pushed its advantage to 12-points. Bobic lead a 9-0 run that cut the lead to 49-46, scoring seven points on two three’s and a free throw.
SFSU answered the run with a one of their own and pushed its lead back to eight with 2:13 to play, 59-51.
In the last minute, and with the Jacks trailing by six, the Gators missed the front end of three one-and-ones. But HSU was unable to take advantage of the opportunity, converting just one chance; a Taylor layup.
Bobic hit a three with 19 seconds left to get the Jacks to within three at 61-58. A Luiza Osborne 3-pointer with two seconds to play cut it to one 62-61. A free throw by Gator Nicole Hicks and an intentional miss ended the HSU comeback bid.
“They are a good team,” Gleason added. “They have lost five games with the ball in their hands, and a chance to win the game. There record could easily be 13-9 not 9-13.
“This (loss) was a combination of poor shooting and their defense. Bobic was really the only player who came with a sense of purpose. We had spurts where we played well, but overall we looked like we just showed up and expected to beat them without any sense of urgency.”
The Jacks return to action on Saturday, when they host the Cal State Monterey Bay Otters in a special 4:30 p.m. tip-off. The Jacks defeated the Otters 65-57 on Jan. 2 in the Klep Bed in Seaside.