TURLOCK — Not playing official basketball for 616 days, having 10 freshmen on the roster and facing four nationally ranked opponents to start the season will make for lots of lessons to be learned.
 
And it's starting to look like the Stanislaus State men's basketball team has been doing its homework.
 
Tony Singleton turned in his second straight 20-point performance, Benno Zecic dished nine assists and the Warriors used another strong second half to come from behind, as they wrapped up the 2021 calendar portion of their schedule Monday with an 84-58 non-conference win over Holy Names at Ed & Bertha Fitzpatrick Arena.
 
Holy Names (3-8) led by three late into the second half, 19-16, with less than five minutes to play. But just like Saturday's big win over Sonoma State, Stanislaus State (4-6) closed the first half strong, then ran away with it in the second. The Warriors outscored HNU, 17-7, to finish the first period, including two separate 7-0 runs, which gave them a seven-point, 33-26 halftime lead.
 
Stan State then started the second half with a 16-3 run, pushing its lead to 20 at 49-29. A quick 10-2 run over a two-minute span that featured seven of Matt Bender's career-high 19 points put the Warriors' lead at its highest – 28 points – with three minutes to play. Bender was 9 for 12 from the floor with a 3-pointer. He also had five rebounds and a steal.
 
Singleton's hot shooting hand continues to get hotter as the season goes on. He scored a game-high 23 points Monday to follow up his 20 points Saturday against Sonoma State. It was the third time in four games he has scored at least 20, dating to his season-high 24 at Cal State San Bernardino on Dec. 4. Singleton scored 20 points with only six made baskets for the second straight game. He went 6 for 12 from the floor with three 3-pointers and an 8-for-11 showing at the free-throw line.
 
Zecic is getting more and more comfortable in his role running the Warriors' offense. He delivered nine assists Monday for the second time in four games, and that followed the eight he had Saturday against Sonoma State. He added four points, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
 
Stanislaus State (4-6) forced Holy Names (3-8) to commit 24 turnovers, leading to 28 points. It was the third time in a row and eighth time this season the Warriors forced more turnovers than they committed. All four of their wins have come in those games. They had eight steals against the Hawks and are averaging 7.1 per game as a team.
 
The Warriors return to California Collegiate Athletic Association play on Jan. 2 when they travel to Chico State. Fans can find all live coverage links on WarriorAthletics.com.