TURLOCK – Seeking its second California Collegiate Athletic Association victory of the weekend, Humboldt State women's basketball travelled to Stanislaus State Saturday. Unfortunately, the Lumberjacks were not able to overcome a four-point halftime deficit and dropped a 54-45 decision to the Warriors.
 
"Tonight was definitely a missed opportunity for us," said Head Coach Michelle Bento-Jackson. "We had too many defensive breakdowns. We got ourselves out of a hole, but then in crucial moments down the stretch, we didn't execute the way we were supposed to."
 
Humboldt State (2-8, 1-3) shot 35 percent from outside the arc (8-23) and recorded two blocks on the evening. Stanislaus (5-6, 3-0 CCAA) grabbed 17 offensive rebounds and forced 12 steals in the win.
 
Stanislaus State held a 5-3 lead at the first quarter media timeout. When play resumed, the Warriors embarked on a 12-4 run to give them a 17-7 lead at the end of the quarter. Catharine Rees and Madeline Hatch led the Jacks with three points each.
 
Stanislaus increased its lead to 21-7 before a 5-0 run by HSU forced a Warrior timeout at 5:24. A pair of 3-pointers by Hatch cut the Stanislaus lead to three at 4:16. Despite outscoring the Warriors 14-8 in the second quarter, the Lumberjacks entered the intermission trailing 25-21.
                                                                                                 
Hatch led the Jacks with nine first half points and Rees chipped in with six. Tyra Turner, Riann Thayer and Merritt Schoenhofer led the rebounding effort with two apiece for HSU in the opening 20 minutes.
 
The Lumberjacks opened the second half on a 5-0 run, giving them their only lead of the game with 8:09 remaining. Stanislaus responded with a run of their own and entered the media timeout with a 33-32 advantage. When play resumed, the Warriors increased their lead and entered the final quarter with a 41-33 advantage.
 
The Warriors increased their lead to 10 points early in the final frame before a Rees 3-point field goal cut the deficit to seven, forcing a Stanislaus timeout. When action resumed, another three from Rees cut the Warrior lead to 45-41 with 4:09 remaining.
 
A Thayer layup with 2:22 remaining cut the Stanislaus lead to three points and a key defensive stop gave the Green and Gold a chance to tie the game.  Unfortunately, the Warrior defense was up to the task, and Stanislaus State left Ed & Bertha Fitzatprick Arena with a 54-45 victory.
 
Turner was the Jacks' top scorer and finished with 14 points while Rees added 12 and Hatch chipped in with nine. Thayer led the Green and Gold with seven rebounds while Turner dished out two assists.
 
Stanislaus' Reana Hardin led all scorers with 21 points, while Riley Holladay and Cassidy Sanders-Curry each grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. Sanders-Curry also forced three steals in the contest.
 
Humboldt State returns home for its final non-conference game of the season when it hosts Western Oregon on Saturday, Dec. 17. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.