ARCATA, Calif. -- On Saturday night, the Cal Poly Humboldt women's basketball team outlasted the late Northwest Nazarene rally to close out the calendar year with an 80-78 victory. Madison Parry led the team with her fourth double-double of the season, collecting 19 points and 10 rebounds. Sara Ahmadpour had 18 points off the bench and went 6-for-8 from three-point range. In the final seconds, a Zyan Smith "And-1" layup lifted the Jacks to victory and helped secure their fifth win of the season. 

GAME SUMMARY 
The Jacks jumped out to an early 28-19 lead at the end of the first quarter after shooting 69 percent from the field and going 5-for-8 from beyond-the-arc. Humboldt extended their lead to as much as 14 points in the second quarter and went into the half with a 45-35 advantage over the Nighthawks of Northwest Nazarene.

At the 3:13 mark of the third quarter, a three-pointer from Devon Lewis gave the Jacks a 17-point advantage. After a pair of free throws from Madison Parry, Humboldt closed out the third quarter with a 66-52 lead. To start the fourth quarter, the Jacks added to their lead and went up 18 points behind a three-pointer from Sara Ahmadpour and free throw from Devon Lewis. With 8:03 left to play, Northwest Nazarene erupted for a 20-5 run that brought them all the way back to within two points, 74-72.

The final three minutes of play saw the two teams trading baskets. Back-to-back layups for Nighthawks gave them their first and only lead of the game with 0:39 seconds remaining. As the Nighthawks pressured the ball in the final seconds, Zyan Smith came up clutch with a driving "And-1" layup that lifted the Jacks to a 80-78 victory. 

POST GAME QUOTE
"I was happy with our effort and intensity tonight," stated head coach Michelle Bento-Jackson. "I saw some things tonight that had been lacking and it was nice to see things come together." 

When asked about the late Northwest Nazarene run, Bento-Jackson said, "We definitely have to do a better job of valuing the ball down the stretch and we will learn from it. However, it would've been real easy to lose this game and we found a way to pull it out."

Bento-Jackson added, "I thought our shot selection was better tonight and it was great to see the balance in our scoring. Overall, it is a great win and I'm very proud of the team. We will enjoy Christmas break and hopefully build off of this when we return." 

NOTABLE STATS
- Madison Parry collected her fourth double-double of the season, collecting 19 points and 10 rebounds.
- Sara Ahmadpour had 18 points off the bench and shot 6-for-8 from three-point range.
- Zyan Smith hit the game winning shot, recording 13 points and seven rebounds.
- Devon Lewis notched 10 points, a team-high seven assists, and five rebounds.
- Jaydon Williams had 11 points and six rebounds. She led the team defensively with three steals and one block.
- Humboldt shot 51.8 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range. 

UP NEXT
Sunday, January 1, the Jacks open up 2023 on the road with a CCAA matchup at Sonoma State. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 PM from The Wolves' Den in Rohnert Park, Calif.

For more information on Cal Poly Humboldt women's basketball, please visit humboldtathletics.com and follow us on all social media platforms.