TURLOCK — Every single game, someone has stepped up for the Stanislaus women's basketball team.
Saturday, it was
Liliana Marques, who returned from missing Thursday's game and spurred the Warriors to their ninth consecutive win with an important rebound and two clutch free throws in the final seconds as Stan State held off California Collegiate Athletic Association foe Humboldt State, 51-46, at Ed & Bertha Fitzpatrick Arena.
Marques had a season-high 12 rebounds Saturday, but none bigger than the defensive board she grabbed with 13 seconds left on the clock. HSU's Kaz Parks had a strong look at a potential game-tying 3-pointer from the right wing with the Warriors (9-1, 4-0 CCAA) only leading by three at 49-46, but she banged it off the back iron and out to the left. Marques was perfectly positioned in the paint and boxed out any would-be last-second rebounders. She secured the ball and was fouled, sending her to the line for two free throws.
She made both with 10.7 seconds left in the game to all but clinch the win, making it a five-point lead at 51-46 instead of a one-possession ball game. Marques' game-clinching free throws were part of a 23-for-29 (79.3%) effort at the line for the Warriors. That's where they won the game – both on Marques' two late freebies and overall. Stan State scored nearly half of its points (23 of 51) at the free-throw line, and at the same time limited Humboldt State (3-4, 2-1 CCAA) to only seven total free-throw attempts.
Saturday's victory was a milestone for Stanislaus State head coach
Wayman Strickland, who reached 100 wins in his career. All 100 of his career wins have come as the head coach for the Warriors. He's the second Stanislaus State head coach to win at least 100 games leading the program, following LeAnn Millar, who over a 20-year tenure won 337 games at Stanislaus State. The Warriors' current nine-game winning streak now equals the nine in a row won by the 1990-91 team, coached by Millar, more than 30 years ago.
Marques narrowly missed a double-double with nine points. She pulled down eight of her 12 rebounds in the second half. Five of them came immediately after Humboldt State took its largest lead of the game, a six-point, 31-25 advantage in the third, which it grabbed with an 8-2 run coming out of halftime. Marques' boards helped keep HSU from getting second chances and allowed Stanislaus State to go on a 15-2 run which flipped the six-point deficit to a seven-point lead, 40-33, in the fourth.
Humboldt State was led by 14 points from Madison Parry - who also had a game-high 14 rebounds for a double-double - and 11 from Julia Iman, who also had a double-double with 10 boards. The Lumberjacks went 4 for 34 (11.8%) from 3-point range. It was the lowest opponent's 3-point shooting percentage for the Warriors since holding Cal State Bernardino to 0 for 15 from deep on Dec. 19, 2019. Opponents have shot above 30% from long range only once this season against the Warriors (Cal Poly Pomona, 34.8% on Dec. 2), while they've collectively been held to 26.5% by the Warriors' defense.
Marques' heroics came at a time when the Warriors were down to their last five available players. The Warriors entered the game with only seven active names on the roster and had no more remaining substitutes for the final 1:57 of the game.
Da'Myiah Lewis – who had 13 points, eight rebounds and two steals – fouled out with three minutes left and the Warriors' lead at just three, 44-41.
Kyanna Davis – who led all scorers with 17 points and added six rebounds, two assists and a block – left the game with two minutes to play after hitting one of two free throws to put Stan State up by one (45-44) and didn't return.
Saturday's win was very similar to Thursday's non-conference win over Seattle Pacific.
Taylor Pilot hit two late free-throws in that game to make it a five-point contest – like Marques did Saturday. Humboldt State outrebounded (49-47) and outshot (25.7% to 24.5%) the Warriors – just like Seattle Pacific did on Thursday. And like Thursday, the Warriors found a way to win despite scoring their fewest points of the year (51).
The Warriors get a week off to rest before hosting Sonoma State on Saturday as part of a CCAA doubleheader with the men's team. Fans can purchase tickets and find all live coverage links on WarriorAthletics.com.
