TURLOCK -- A three point shot by
Gwendolyn Page with 10 seconds left on the clock propelled the Cal State Stanislaus women's basketball team to a dramatic 73-71 come-from-behind victory over the Northwest Nazarene Crusaders, Monday afternoon at Warrior Arena.
With the win the Warriors move to 2-0 on the season after winning both of their games in the Eva Schicke Memorial Classic presented by Stanislaus Farm Supply. The Crusaders fall to 0-2.
The Warriors trailed by as many 18 points in the second half and found themselves down 13 with just 2:08 left on the clock. However, the Warriors tallied the last 15 points of the game and rallied to stun the Crusaders and steal the victory. The comeback was made complete when Page knocked down a three-point jumper from the corner with 10 seconds left as the Warriors executed a flawless play coming off a timeout.
During the 13-point comeback, the Warriors forced four Crusader turnovers and collected four offensive rebounds to help the cause.
Katie Busi scored five points during the run, while Page added seven and
Lysandra Williams hauled in two huge offensive rebounds to keep the comeback alive.
Busi finished the game with a career-high 24 points, with 16 of those coming in the second half. Page scored 24 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Page had 18 points in 19 minutes of play in Saturday's 76-75 win over Central Washington.
Janee Olds scored 17 points and Briaunna King hauled in 17 rebounds for the Crusaders.
Despite being a post player, Page has worked hard on her shot in the offseason and it showed as she was 3-for-3 from behind the arc.
"In the past I always wanted to drive to the basket and now I am confident enough in my shot to take it from the outside if it's open," said Page.
This is the first time since the 2005-06 season that the Warriors have gotten off to a 2-0 start.
"Our mentality is changing, the returners know what they need to do now and the new kids are really hungry to win," stated head coach Sharon Turner-Dean.
"This team has a lot of heart and we all want to win and be a part of it, I am really excited to see what we can do the rest of the season," added Page.
The Warriors won't be back in action until the Thanksgiving Classic which is Nov. 28 & 29 at Warrior Arena.