Box Score SAN FRANCISCO – Despite a slow offensive start, Humboldt State refocused and used strong boardwork to pull away for its third women's basketball victory in a row.
 
At the second day of the CCAA/PacWest Challenge, the Lumberjacks fell behind by an early six points, before scoring the final eight points of the first half and eventually pulled away from Dominican University, 71-59.
 
"We started slow as we didn't come out with the intensity or focus we needed to but we called a timeout and picked things up from there," explained HSU head coach Joddie Gleason.
 
The HSU gradual taking control of the contest came from All-Tournament selection Elle Anderson, who grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds with eight coming on the offensive end.  Anderson's work on the glass helped the Jacks win the board battle, 29-15 in the first half and 50-37 for the day.
 
"Elle really attacked the offensive rebounds today.  She played a bit more outside today and was able to in on offensive glass when they lost track of her. She was really on a mission today," noted Gleason.  "A couple times Elle grabbed the board and was able to find the open shooter.  We always emphasize rebounding as one of our keys."
 
Anderson totaled six points to go with the 15 caroms.  She hit nine of 14 tries with 22 points, 21 rebounds and six assists for the weekend.
 
The senior center, though, saw the Jacks' quarterback, Kersey Wilcox, garner a high honor of the CCAA/PacWest MVP.
 
After a big Saturday against the defending PacWest champ Academy of Art, Wilcox followed with another quality outing.  The junior made only one field goal but connected on 12 of 12 from the foul line for a team-high 14 points to go with six rebounds and six assists.
 
"Obviously she was well deserving with two outstanding games," noted Gleason.  "Last night, she had an all-around game and today she was able to get to the free throw line 12 times even though she didn't finish as many (baskets) as she would have liked."
 
Wilcox made 19 of 20 free throws in two games and seven of 20 from the field for 35 points.  She handed out 14 assists, pulled in nine boards and swiped two balls.
 
Following six players in double figures on Saturday, HSU (3-1) put four in that scoring range on Sunday. 
 
Even though plagued by foul trouble, Jae Shin hit four of six triples for 12 points with three of them in the second half.  Kelly Kime pumped in 10 of her 12 points in the latter stanza as well.
 
Megan Shields rounded out the double-digit producers with 10 points and seven rebounds. 
 
Dani Gaumer chipped in six points and six rebounds with Sumayyah Wiggins adding six caroms and four points.  Rounding out the winning cause was Jain Tuey's four points and Jessica Johnson's two tallies and two assists.
 
Dominican (0-3) went out to a 6-0 lead as HSU was unable to connect on any of its opening six attempts before calling a timeout with 4:18 elapsed.
 
The Jacks refocused and was able to tied the contest, 8-8, less than two minutes later on back-to-back buckets on a three-pointer from Shin and Wiggins' layup.
 
The Penguins' Danielle Yamauchi drained a tripled to make it 24-21 with 2:16, but would turn out to be her team's final lead.  Wilcox scored the next four points with a pair of Kime free throws and an Anderson layup for the 29-24 intermission HSU rally.
 
HSU used a strong opening half defense to turn the tide where it allowed Dominican to connect on only eight of 33 shots at a 24-percent rate.
 
"We felt we have been giving up too many points and were trying to tighten things up and keep Dominican in a half court set more.  We did a good job other that except for number 22," said Gleason.
 
Dominican's number 22 was Salonika Quewon-Owens, who finished with 22 points, 17 rebounds, four steals and two blocks.
 
Down 39-30 in the opening five minutes of the second half, the Penguins netted the next seven points only to have the Jacks have their own answer of six points in a row to make it 45-37.
 
HSU would work the margin to 10 points, 54-44, on a Shields layup and hold 16-point differences a couple occasions, before the final of 71-59.
 
For the day, HSU netted a season-low five three-pointers made on 19 tries.
 
The Jacks will now have just over two weeks off to work on some areas.
 
HSU will open its regular season home schedule and California Collegiate Athletic Association docket by hosting UC San Diego at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 5.