KENTFIELD, Calif. — Mason Phillips led the Sonoma State men's basketball team with 14 points on 5 of 8 shooting, including 4 of 5 from three-point range, all of which came during a second half surge in a tough 65-63 conference loss to 25th-ranked San Francisco State on Saturday night at the College of Marin in Kentfield.
 
The Seawolves fall to 5-3 on the year and 1-1 in conference play, while the Gators, who are nationally-ranked for the first time since 1994, remain undefeated, improving to 9-0 on the year and 3-0 in the conference, tying the 1941-42 team for the best nine-game start in SFSU program history.
 
Playing in their first of six relocated home games while the Wolves' Den undergoes renovations, the Seawolves got off to a rocky start. After the game was deadlocked at six with 14:05 left in the first half, San Francisco State went on a 13-0 run to increase the lead to 19-6. That run set the pace for the remainder of the half as the Gators would stretch the lead as large as 37-19, and cruise into halftime with a 37-24 lead, thanks in large part to Chiefy Ugbaja, and Parker U'u, who each had 12 points in the half.
 
Sonoma ended the first half on a 5-0 run, and used that momentum to begin a thunderous second half comeback. The second half began with a three-pointer by Phillips, and a lay-up by Armani Nicolis, cutting the lead to single digits at 37-29. The two conference opponents would trade baskets over the next several minutes before the Gators built their lead up to 14 with 15:02 remaining. However, the Seawolves continued to battle and found themselves within seven with 8:05 left after a Nathan Molony-Benjamin lay-up made it 56-49.

With the well-traveled, enthusiastic crowd behind them, the Seawolves were able to tie the game at 61 after a jump shot from Khalid Johnson swished through the net with 4:17 remaining.  The Gators went on to take the lead, and increased it to 65-61 before Johnson sank two free throws to pull within two once again at the 2:06 mark. After playing stellar defense the next couple minutes, Sonoma was on the verge of sending the game to overtime. With nine seconds remaining, and the ball in their hands, the Seawolves held for the last shot, which was barely missed by Phillips.
 
Phillips led the Seawolves with 14 points, while Jackson Gion, who was also dialed in from three-point range, poured in 12 points on 4 of 5 from beyond the arc, and Nicolis rounded out the double-digit scoring with 10 on 3 of 4 shooting. Stephen Dorsey led the Seawolves in rebounding with nine coming off the bench. The Seawolves shot 42.6 percent from the floor (20-47) and 47.4 percent on three's (9-19). Sonoma also outrebounded San Francisco State 33-22 for the game.
 
Three Gators also scored in double-digits with Nick Calcaterra leading the charge scoring 19 points on 7 of 10 from the floor. Ugbaja chimed in with 16 points shooting 7 for 12 from the floor, and Parker U'u had 14 points (5 for 11). The Gators shot 47.2 percent as a whole (25-53), and 36 percent from distance (9-25).
 
Sonoma State will be back in action Saturday night as the Seawolves will take on conference opponent Cal State Monterey Bay at 7:30 pm in Kentfield at College of Marin, as the Wolves' Den continues to undergo renovations.