SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – The California State University San Bernardino women's basketball team defeated the Stanislaus State Warriors 70-49 on Saturday afternoon at Coussoulis Arena. 

With the win, the Coyotes improve to 11-12 overall and 9-9 in CCAA play. 

CSUSB got off to a 12-0 start. Sophomore Princess Cassell (Eastvale, Calif.) hit the first two buckets of the game to make it 5-0. Riy Smith (Oceanside, Calif.) also contributed during the run, knocking down the Coyotes' final basket of the quarter with a three-pointer that extended the lead to 20-13. 

Stanislaus State responded with a run of its own, which included a buzzer-beater from just inside half court as time expired in the first quarter to cut the Coyotes' advantage to 20-16. 

CSUSB opened the second quarter with a basket from junior Sincere Hardwick (San Bernardino, Calif.). Classmate Hunter Simon (Temecula, Calif.) would also contribute in the period, scoring seven points, including two layups that gave the Coyotes an 11-point lead on two separate occasions. However, Stanislaus State battled back, and CSUSB held a narrow 31-30 lead heading into halftime. 

The Coyotes maintained their lead in the third quarter. Citlali Salazar (Los Angeles, Calif.), known for her passing, got on the board early in the period. CSUSB began to pull away late in the quarter, closing on an 11-2 run that included a 6-0 personal run by Smith. 

In the fourth quarter, the Warriors trimmed the Yotes' lead to 10 points, 56-46, with 5:38 remaining. They were unable to get any closer, as CSUSB pulled away to secure the 70-49 victory. 

Cassell and Smith led the Coyotes in scoring with 14 and 13 points, respectively. Salazar finished with 11 assists, the most by a CSUSB women's basketball player since Tayllor Gipson recorded 12 assists against San Francisco State on February 22, 2014. 

CSUSB will remain at home next week to face Cal Poly Humboldt on Thursday. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. 

#GoYotes