San Francisco State University’s men’s basketball team’s last game of the spring season ended on a bittersweet note.
The Gators’ final matchup was against the California State University, Stanislaus Warriors, a team they had lost to in January. It ended 65-56 on Saturday, Feb. 28, with the team finishing last in the California Collegiate Athletic Association conference with a record of 4-24.
Despite their rough season, the athletes had strong hopes for the future.
Guard Parsa Hadjighasemi charges a Stanislaus State Warrior during the Gators’ final game of the season at the San Francisco Credit Union Gymnasium on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (Seamus Geoghegan / Golden Gate Xpress)
“It’s been a rough season and I think we’ve grown a lot as a team,” said sophomore center Evan McKnight. “I was just hoping we could lay it all out and just show what we could do and go into next season with some momentum.”
Both teams were hungry for one last win as they both utilized full-court pressure to neutralize the other’s offense. It was back and forth early in the first half as junior forward Mason Harris powered through for an and-1 with the Gators trailing 10-9 with 16 minutes left in the half.
A timeout was called with SFSU down 16-14. Head coach Vince Inglima and his players were all smiles during the timeout, enjoying the intensity they showed in their final game.
The Warriors were able to climb back into the game with a couple of defensive stops and missed shots by the Gators, who were unable to keep the momentum going with shots not falling for them. Playing an effective zone defensive approach, the Gators allowed open looks in the corners for the Warriors.
The first half ended with the Gators down 42-29. SFSU was winning the offensive battle with eight rebounds to Stanislaus’ one, but they were not able to hit their shots, shooting 10-30 from the field compared to Stanislaus shooting 16-25.
Sophomore forward Diego Martinez was the Gators’ leading scorer in the first half, keeping the Gators afloat with 10 points. Even after missing a shot he would come back on the next possession unafraid to shoot another.
“My focus is always to get buckets, that’s what I do best and my coaches and teammates all believe in me and encourage me to always be aggressive,” Martinez said.
Forwards Diego Martinez and Brian Buciak battle with a Stanislaus State Warrior for the ball during their game at the San Francisco Federal Credit Union Gymnasium on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (Seamus Geoghegan / Golden Gate Xpress)
The second half was more of the same for the Gators with missed shots and failed second chance opportunities. However, the Warriors’ offense began to slow down, opening up a chance for SFSU to capitalize. The Gators went on a 11-2 run in the middle of the second half with tenacious defense, finally succeeding on second chance points.
The score was 55-50 with the Gators still trailing and 8:57 left to go in the second half, but the momentum stalled as they struggled with missed chances all over the floor. The game remained scoreless until the Warriors made a jumper with 5:46 remaining. The Gators’ next bucket wasn’t until junior forward Mason Harris’ layup with 3:21 remaining. The final points of the Gators’ season were a pair of free throws from freshman guard Miles Pollard with 25 seconds left remaining in the game, not enough to close the gap.
Sophomore guard Fed Pernell was the Gators’ overall leading scorer with 12 points. Pernell spoke about some of the struggles the team had in their final home loss.
“We had some defensive breakdowns and they were the more physical team and we weren’t able to match that physicality,” Pernell said. “We also didn’t shoot the ball as best we could, shooting 31% from the floor.”
After a tough loss and an even tougher season, the Gators are looking forward to next season and using this season as a learning experience to improve.
“We’ll have more experience coming in next year, but just getting more athletic and quicker on our feet, working on defense and, honestly, building a lot of strength.” said junior guard Parsa Hadjighasemi.
Assistant coach Alex Gilat looked on the bright side of the challenging season, grateful to have experienced it in his first season coaching.
“I know it’s hard for the players to feel it when there’s so much negative feedback with the losses,” Gilat said. “But being able to be on the court, be in this environment, it really is a special feeling. In the grand scheme of life, it really is a blessing. So, that’s a huge takeaway for me this year.”