TURLOCK – Coming in hot at the hoop,
Caitlin Keding led the Stanislaus State women's basketball team to their first victory of the season over Concordia University, 72-68 in an overtime battle at Ed & Bertha Fitzpatrick Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Holding the lead for the majority of the game, the Warriors took home the victory and are now 1-1 in preseason play, giving the Cavaliers their first loss of the season (1-1).
Keding, a freshman, was tonight's impact player for the Warriors as she earned a starting spot for the first time this season. She was 7-for-15 scoring 20 points, and banking five three-pointers in the first half alone. Keding also had four rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
Brittney Livingston was Stan State's next highest scorer with 13 points, and
Kyanna Davis scored 10 points.
Caprina Pipion led the Warriors with nine rebounds, and both
Erika Larsen and
Zahria Hendrix had eight rebounds. Hendrix also had six assists and four steals for her team.
Stan State showed up ready for today's competition, earning themselves a 10-point lead (23-13) by the end of the first quarter, with five 3-pointers in the first 10 minutes.
With sharp shooting by Larsen and two more Keding 3-pointers the Warriors climbed their way to a 20-point advantage (42-22) just before heading into half time (42-29).
Stan State's shooting efficiency decreased after half time, scoring only seven points in the third quarter and going 8-for-25 from the field in the second half all together. In the last three minutes of the fourth quarter the lead changed possession four times before the Cavaliers tied the game at 63 points apiece, sending it into overtime.
The Warriors' free-throw shooting led them to the victory in the end, making six free-throws during overtime. Snatching seven out of 11 rebounds in the final five minutes and blocking two CU shots, Stan State earned their first victory of the season.
As a team the Warriors shot 33.8 percent from the field, 31 percent from behind the three-point arc, and 62.5 percent from the free-throw line.
Keesha Sarman and Bailey Cartwright led the Cavaliers with 12 points apiece. Cartwright was also Concordia's leading rebounder with 15 grabs at the hoop. Sarman also had seven assists and five steals.
A selection of five athletes, including one tournament MVP, were chosen for the CCAA/GNAC Challenge all-tournament team. Stan State's Livingston and Keding were chosen for the honor, as well as Bailey Cartwright from Concordia, and Lexi Tubbs and Raquel Jardine from Northwest Nazarene. With 26 points, 20 rebounds, seven assists, and five steals in 39 minutes of play Jardine was chosen as the tournament MVP.
The Warriors will be back at home on Wednesday for their CCAA home opener against Cal State San Bernardino at 5:30 p.m.
