Briana Cotton found the right time to get hot Saturday night. Her long-range bombs, and Lauren Godde's 28-point night, propelled the Warriors to their first CCAA win of the season in a 72-65 victory over Sonoma State.
Cotton nailed three three-pointers to account for nine of the team's final 14 points to help Cal State Stanislaus improve to 2-9 overall and 1-5 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.
Cotton, who had a hot month of December when she averaged 15.8 points per game in four contests, nailed a trey at 2:41 to give the Warriors a 61-59 lead. Godde then converted on a three-point play to answer a SSU bucket for a three-point CSUS advantage.
Sonoma State got a jumper from Elizabeth Day to come within one point, but Cotton hit another triple for a 67-63 score with 1:13 to play. Cotton would make another long shot with 26 seconds left to seal the win for Stanislaus.
"Briana is a great shooter but she needs to be more comfortable with the physicality of play in this conference," said head coach Wayman Strickland, who earned his first victory in the CCAA.
Cotton, who finished the game with 15 points, was part of the whole group of Warriors who had a hot second half as they collectively made 63 percent of their field goal attempts (after going 8-for-23 in the first half).
Godde, who had 17 points in the first half, finished with a game-high 28 points. After a 3-for-9 first half, Godde made five of her seven attempts in the second half. Ten of her 17 first-half points came from the foul line. Godde also pulled 11 rebounds for her 13th career double-double. Her 28-point out-put was her best since dropping 39 at Dominican to start the 2012-13 season.
Devin Brown also chipped in with 13 points and Erin Godde grabbed nine rebounds to pace the Warriors.
The Warriors also handled the rock better in the second half with just seven turnovers after committing 14 in the first half and 29 in the game on Friday.
"It was important that we value our possessions and more players are stepping up," Strickland added.
Sonoma State (4-6, 2-4 CCAA) had four players in double-figures in scoring. Taylor Vigil led the team with 17 points. She also had four assists, five steals and five rebounds.
The tight game saw 11 lead changes with neither side leading by more than six points until the final count.
The Warriors will next travel to San Bernardino on Friday and then UC San Diego on Saturday.