SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — The California State University San Bernardino women's basketball team used a dominant second-half surge to defeat UC Merced, 53–40, Thursday evening in CCAA action at Coussoulis Arena.
With the win, the Coyotes improve to 10–12 overall and 8-9 in conference, while the Bobcats fall to 7–17 overall and 4-13 in the CCAA.
CSUSB came out aggressively in the opening quarter, forcing turnovers and converting in transition. Sophomore Princess Cassell (Eastvale, Calif.) opened the scoring with a fast-break layup before senior Rebecca Saidoff (West Hills, Calif.) knocked down a three-pointer off a turnover to give the Coyotes a 5–0 lead. Later in the quarter, freshman Nevaeh Lemons (Compton, Calif.) converted a steal into a layup to extend the advantage. The Coyotes led 16–11 after one, and did not concede a single field goal in the period. All 11 Bobcat points came at the charity stripe.
The second quarter proved to be a defensive battle. Both teams struggled to find a rhythm offensively, and CSUSB was held to six points in the period. However, junior Arianna Harper (Los Angeles, Calif.) provided a spark late in the quarter with back-to-back baskets, including a jumper that tied the game at 22–22 heading into halftime.
The Coyotes took control in the third quarter behind a strong push from redshirt sophomore Jaushlynn Ruffin (Compton, Calif.). Ruffin scored six points during a key stretch midway through the period, including consecutive finishes in the paint that gave CSUSB a three-point edge. Redshirt junior Riy Smith (Oceanside, Calif.) added two late free throws to cap a 10-point third quarter run, sending the Coyotes into the final frame with a 39–32 lead.
CSUSB put the game away in the fourth. Ruffin continued to attack the rim, finishing with 10 second-half points, while junior Sincere Hardwick (San Bernardino, Calif.) converted a layup off a turnover to push the lead to double digits. Sophomore Aariah Roa (Los Angeles, Calif.) buried a three-pointer with 1:45 remaining to give the Coyotes their largest lead of the night at 17 points. CSUSB outscored UC Merced 14–8 in the final quarter to secure the 53–40 victory.
Ruffin led the Coyotes with 12 points, while Roa added seven points, including two three-pointers. Cassell contributed eight points, and Smith recorded six points and nine rebounds. As a team, CSUSB forced 17 turnovers and held UC Merced to just 17.8 percent shooting from the field.
The Coyotes will be back in action on Saturday when they welcome Stanislaus State to Coussoulis Arena. Tip is slated for 1 p.m.
#GoYotes
