Ana Burch scored a season-high 18 points and the Stanislaus State women's basketball team wins another conference game as the Warriors overcame a slow start to beat Sonoma State, 59-50, Friday night.
Burch was one of four Warriors in double figures in scoring as the Warriors continue to roll, extending their winning streak to five and improved to 11-4 overall and 7-2 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Friday night's win inside the Ed & Bertha Fitzpatrick Arena was Stan State's sixth win in as many appearances on home court.
If the Warriors can pick up another win over San Francisco State Saturday night, they would match the best CCAA winning streak of six set by the 2002-03 team. They would also become the first team to go 7-0 on home floor during the CCAA era.
The CCAA win meant Stanislaus remains in fourth place, now with a two-game lead on fifth place Cal State San Bernardino and a half game behind third place Cal State East Bay.
Burch, who now has nine double-digit scoring games this season, was 8-for-15 with two three-pointers for her 18 points. She scored 14 of those points in the middle of the game, in the second and third quarters. Burch also had seven rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Riley Holladay and Cassidy Sanders-Curry each added 10 points and Erika Larsen chipped in 10 with eight rebounds.
There were some bumps in Friday's game against Sonoma State (6-10, 1-6 CCAA), a team that figures to score with a low total as the second worse scoring team at 55.6 points a game. But the Warriors started out sluggish with poor shooting and many turnovers. Sonoma State used the free throw line in the first half and had a five-point lead with 1:10 to play after a Tanner Adams three-pointer before a 26-22 halftime lead.
Stanislaus, though, came out on fire in the second half to take control. The Warriors scored 11 unanswered points to start the third quarter for a seven-point lead by shooting 4 of 5 from the field.
Sonoma State did tie the game again, at 35-35, after a 9-2 run but the Warriors regained control by outscoring the Seawolves, 11-4, in the first eight minutes of the fourth quarter.
Jerrica Crosby led Sonoma State with 15 points and nine rebounds. SSU was 10 for 16 on the foul line in the first half before ending up 16-for-24. The Seawolves, though, shot just 25 percent from the floor (14 of 56).
The Warriors will next host San Francisco at 5:30 p.m. today.
Stanislaus men run out of steam in overtime loss to Sonoma State
Kyle Gouveia's tip-in basket with 1.7 seconds left gave the Stanislaus State men's basketball team a chance. But Sonoma State outscored the Warriors 11-3 in extra time for a 64-56 decision at Fitzpatrick Arena.
Playing from behind for most of the second half, Stan State rallied from down five points in the final two minutes to tie the game before dropping its fourth straight game to fall to 5-9 overall and 4-5 in CCAA play. Sonoma State won its second straight to improve to 9-5 overall and 4-4 in California Collegiate Athletic Association.
The Warriors actually held Sonoma State without a field goal in the last five minutes of the game with a five-point SSU lead. A Christian Bayne three-pointer at 1:41 got the Warriors within two and with time running out, Gouveia followed a missed jumper by Alek Carlson with 1.7 ticks left to extend the game.
Bayne would supply the only bucket for the Warriors in overtime — a three-pointer for a 56-55 lead — but the Seawolves rolled off nine unanswered points to end the game. Stan State was 0-for-4 (with three three-point attempts) in the final four minutes. The Warriors were 1-for-6 shooting in OT.
Carlson ended up as the team's scoring leader with 16 points but he was just 2 for 10 from the arc. Bayne finished with 12 points — all in the second half and overtime — but was 4 for 11 from long range. As a team, Stanislaus was 9 for 37 from the three-point line. Gouveia added six points to go with 10 rebounds. Bayne also grabbed nine boards.
Just like the last two outings — at Pomona and Arcata — the Warriors started the game streaking. They used a 12-0 run to lead 12-3 seven minutes into the contest. Stanislaus maintained that lead and held a 22-14 advantage with 5:32 to go in the half. However, Sonoma State ran-off 14 straight points to take a six-point lead at halftime.
Mitchell finished with 16 points to lead Sonoma State while James Davis and Jimmy Golden each added 11. The Seawolves bench out-scored the Warriors' reserves, 38-14.
Stanislaus State will have to try and end the skid tonight when San Francisco State visits. The Warriors beat the Gators, 68-62, in San Francisco on Dec. 5.
