ARCATA, Calif. – Stout defense combined with a terrific shooting night propelled the Humboldt State women's basketball team to a 72-42 victory over Cal State Monterey Bay Thursday night inside Lumberjack Arena.

With three minutes remaining in the first quarter, HSU trailed 10-7 but a 3-pointer from senior forward Isa Conde sparked a 9-1 Lumberjack rally. In the final minute, junior guard Tyra Turner fought off the tough defense as she converted an acrobatic layup despite being fouled. She made her free-throw attempt and converted the three-point play. The following possession, Turner's persistent defense forced Otter Chyna Dews to dribble out of bounds as the freshman guard turned the ball over. With time winding down, Turner dialed up a deep 3-pointer to beat the buzzer and give the home team a 16-11 advantage.

"We were giving Monterey too good of looks in the first half, and that's something we addressed at halftime," said Head Coach Michelle Bento-Jackson. "I thought we came out in the third and really set the tone with our defensive intensity, which I was proud of. Down the stretch, these kind of games are hard to stay focused, but I thought our girls did a great job finishing off the game."

Monterey Bay battled back to bring the deficit within two, but the Green and Gold went on a 14-4 run to finish the half. The rally was highlighted by another buzzer-beating three, this time from Conde as the Lumberjacks went to the locker room up 35-23.

The North Coast squad outscored the Otters 24-11 in the third frame en route to a 30-point victory. The home team converted 24-of-49 shot attempts, shooting a scorching 49 percent while limiting CSUMB to just 30.4 percent from the field. HSU's defense wreaked havoc all night as it forced 33 Monterey Bay turnovers and recorded a season-high 15 steals.

Turner led all scorers with 18 points followed by Conde with 15, but both players got after it on the defensive side of the ball as well, as they both set career highs with six and five steals, respectively. Junior forward Yolanda Ealy led the Otters with 13 points.

HSU looks to maintain its momentum as it takes the court against Stanislaus State Saturday at 5:30 p.m. in Lumberjack Arena.