SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – The Yotes gave the No. 17 ranked Cougars a run for their money in The Den on Thursday night.

In a first quarter that was point-for-point all the way through, it was the Yotes that pulled ahead with a buzzer beating three-pointer by Mia Dufresne to give the Yotes a 15-10 lead. The Cougars didn't back down and the intensity from both teams increased going into the second quarter.

Both the Yotes and the Cougars carried their momentum into the second half. A quick rebound and subsequent layup by Tatianna Russell put the Yotes up by 8. Six turnovers in the third allowed the Cougars to go on a run and take control. After a defensive rebound from Jaida Jackson, Tori Guzman sank a 3-pointer to regain the lead. The Yotes stuck with the nationally ranked Cougars through the third quarter and were tied going into the final 10 minutes of gameplay.

Despite defensive efforts from Jaida Jackson, Dufresne and Kennedy Lindsey, the Yotes were unable to match that with their offensive efforts. They were held to 11 points in the fourth, their lowest scoring quarter of the evening.

Destiny Jackson and Jaida Jackson kept the Cougars' defense busy through the night, each putting up 12 points. Still, what began as a close game ended in a 55-63 score favoring the Cougars.

Coach Casandra Renno's view on the game was positive, stating, "Tonight's performance was not the outcome we wanted. We played tough and battled the entire 40 minutes. I'm extremely proud of how hard we fought."
 
Up Next
The Yotes will face the Golden Eagles of Cal State Los Angeles in The Den on Saturday, January 7^th, at 1:00 PM. You can purchase tickets here or catch the action on the CCAA Network at ccaanetwork.com.

To see the full CSUSB women's basketball schedule, click HERE.
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