SAN BERNARDINO – Despite their best effort Saturday, the Cal State San Bernardino women's basketball team did everything right for 36 minutes of the game before Sonoma State rallied to win their CCAA conference matchup, 65-63.
The Yotes led by as many as 14 points through the first three and a half periods before the Seawolves took their first lead of the game with 4:15 left in the game at 55-54.
CSUSB retook the lead and led 60-57 at the 3:01 mark on a layup by
Mia Dufresne.
SSU retook the lead at the 2:13 mark on a three-pointer by Jayme Blackard at 62-61.
Deja Blue put CSUSB in front 63-62 with a layup off her own steal. Clark responded with two three throws for a 64-63 Sonoma lead with 44 seconds left.
A Yotes turnover at the 39 second mark led to a missed jumper by Sonoma's Emerson Herrmann with 10 seconds left, Sonoma got the rebound but turned the ball over with eight seconds left, giving the ball back to the Yotes.
CSUSB's leading scorer
Destiny Jackson was fouled with two seconds left and a chance to pull out the win. However, Jackson missed both free throws and Eryn Gardner rebounded and was fouled by the Yotes
Samantha Henley with one second left.
Herrmann made the free throw with no time left and it was over.
Destiny Jackson had a solid all-round game for CSUSB, with a team-high 16 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double, together with six assists and four steals in 38 minutes on the court. Dufresne scored 14 points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked one shot.
Olivia Lee had nine points, three rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots. Freshman
Jaushlynn Ruffin had another solid effort with eight points and five rebounds.
Redshirt junior
Samantha Henley tied her season high with eight assists to help the Coyotes produce a team season high of 24 assists, helped by
Jaida Jackson's seven assists and six by
Destiny Jackson.
CSUSB shot 44 percent from the field (22 of 61), but were just two of 14 from three-point range. The Yotes outrebounded the Seawolves 41-37 and led for 36:52 of the game. There were three ties and five lead changes in the final minutes of the final quarter.
The Yotes led 20-11 after the first period made only three of 16 field goal attempts while CSUSB weas nine for 16 (56 percent) and led 34-22 at the half as SSU hit only six of 27 field goals in the first half (22 percent) while the Yoters were 15 of 33 (45 percent).
The hosts took a 46-38 lead into the final period but were outscored 27-17 down the stretch that allowed the Seawolves to get close, get even and then win in the closing seconds.
Sonoma State improved to 10-5 on the season and 6-3 in the CCAA while the Yotes are now 6-8 overall and 4-5 in the CCAA.
Alli MacDonald, a two-time CCAA player of the week this season, led by Seawolves with 22 points, including sinking four of five shots from beyond the arc, eight rebounds and just two turnovers. Blackard, who along with MacDonald and Clark led the late game rally, scored 13 points with five assists and three rebounds. Clark finished with 11 points, three rebounds and two assists.
The fourth-quarter rally improved the Seawolves team shooting to 36 percent (21 of 58) but they made 11 of 28 three-pointers (39 percent) and 12 of 16 free throws to go with 16 assists, six steals, two blocks and 15 turnovers.
The Seawolves lead the all-time series against the Yotes 27-24 but CSUSB has a 15-12 edge at home. The two teams have played each other since 1994.
UP NEXT – The Yotes go on the road to face CCAA cellar-dweller Cal State Monterey Bay at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. CSUMB is 1-8 in the conference after a 70-61 defeat Saturday at Chico State. On Saturday, the opponent is Stanislaus State at 1 p.m. at Warrior gym in Turlock. Follow the Yotes via live streaming on the CCAA Network or check the live stats at csusbathletics.com.
