Box Score

SAN FRANCISCO — The host Gators played lock-down defense and took advantage of Academy of Art University mistakes in the second half Tuesday as San Francisco State came away with a 68-59 men's basketball victory at The Swamp.
 
San Francisco State (1-1) only held a two-point, 31-29 lead at halftime, but forced 12 ART U (2-3) turnovers in the second half and got 14 points off of them to pull away for the win. The Gators shot 51.2 percent in the game, 56.3 percent in the second half alone, while holding Academy of Art to 44.9 percent shooting, 43.5 percent in the second stanza.
 
Sophomore guard Herman Pratt IV tied a career high with 20 points on 9-for-11 shooting to lead all players. At one point during the second half he scored seven straight points to bring the Urban Knights back from a nine-point deficit, making it a two-point game at 43-41 with 10 minutes, 23 seconds to play.
 
SFSU got six straight points right back, thanks in part to two ART U turnovers, to push its lead back to eight points at 49-41. The Gators would not see their lead drop lower than six points the rest of the way until a fastbreak layup by sophomore guard Marshawn McMahan made it a five-point game at 60-55 with 1:12 to play.
 
Part of San Francisco State's victory also came at the free-throw line. The Gators attempted 29 free throws, making 22 (75.9 percent). ART U was perfect from the free-throw line Tuesday, but only went 8-for-8, a 14-point difference.
 
Both teams had three players score in double figures. SFSU was led by Udun Osakue with 18. Andre Jones had 13 points, four rebounds and three steals, and AJ Kahlon poured in 10 with six boards.
 
Along with Pratt, senior guard Alexis Moore scored 14 points and had five rebounds, five assists and three steals. Junior forward Nick Cary, making his first start of the season, chipped in 10 and grabbed three boards.
 
Cary hit a 3-pointer to open the second half, giving ART U a one-point, 32-31 lead. The two teams traded turnovers twice and SFSU went 0-for-3 from the field over the next 2:41 before Pratt hit a jumper to give the Urban Knights a three-point, 34-31 lead at the 17:09 mark. But Jones hit a game-tying 3-pointer 15 seconds later and the Knights would not lead again.
 
Academy of Art closes out its preseason slate at home at 3 p.m. Saturday versus Western Oregon at Kezar Pavilion.