HAYWARD, Calif.---  Five Stan State Warriors scored in double figures and ten players played in in double digits to key their 74-64 victory over Northwest Nazarene this evening in the First Round of the Pioneer Conference Challenge at Pioneer Gymnasium on the campus of Cal State East Bay in Hayward, Calif.  Liliana Marques led the way for the victors with 13 points on five-of-eight shooting from the field in 20 minutes off the bench.  Taylor Pilot added 10 points, eight rebounds, and five assists for Stan State.  Also in double digits were Mya Blake (11 points), Joia Armstrong (10 points), and Asha Walker (10 points).  
 
FIRST QUARTER:  Northwest Nazarene jumped out to an 8-0 lead on a Madeline Gebers' three in the first three minutes of the game.  Two Mya Blake free throw cut the Warrior deficit to 8-6 with 3:44 left in the quarter.  Stan State finished the quarter outscoring its opponents 9-7 to tie the game at 15-15 on a Taylor Pilot field goal heading into the second quarter.
 
SECOND QUARTER:  The Nighthawks went on a mini 4-0 run to begin the second quarter to take a 19-15 lead.  An Iman Addison lay-up off an assist from Mya Blake capped a 6-1 run by the Warriors as they took a 21-20 lead.  NNU retook the lead, 26-24, on a Kate Clarke lay-up at the mid-way point of the quarter.  Stan State went on a 15-0 run to take a 39-26 lead on a Blake lay-up to take a 39-26 lead with just 93 seconds left in the half.  The Nighthawks finished the quarter with a 6-0 run to cut the Warrior lead to 39-32 heading into halftime.  
 
THIRD QUARTER:  Stan State came out on fire in the second half and went on a 19-5 run to take a 58-37 lead capped by an Asha Walker three off a pass from Taylor Pilot  with 4:25 left in the third quarter.  A Madeline Gerbers cut the deficit to 60-42, but a Walker lay-up off a pass from Ashmeen Sran gave the Warriors a 62-42 lead heading into the final ten-minute quarter.
 
FOURTH QUARTER:  A Liliana Marques lay-up in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter gave the Warriors a 69-45 lead.  A trey by Asha Walker increased Stan State's lead to 72-47 with 6:27 to go in the game.  Northwest Nazarene finished the game outscoring Stan State 17-2, but it was a little too late as the Warriors took the 74-64 non-conference victory.
 
BALANCED SCORING:  Five Warriors scored in double figures and eleven played in double minutes.  Lilian Marques paced Stan State with 13 points in 20 minutes.  She went five-for-eight from the field and was a perfect three-for-three from the line.  Junior transfer Mya Blake added 11 points and three assists.  Playing in her first game in a year, Taylor Pilot had 10 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and one steal in 25 minutes.  Joia Armstrong and Asha Walker each added 10 points for the victors.
 
CONTROL THE BOARDS:  Stan State outrebounded the Nighthawks 43-31 led by Taylor Pilot and Joia Armstrong each with eight rebounds.  Lyric Richardson added seven rebounds including six offensive rebounds and Talia Maxwell added six rebounds.  
 
DEFENSE:  The Warriors held Northwest Nazarene to just 35.6% shooting from the field including just 38% from three-point land.  They also forced 17 turnovers with five by steals (two by Mya Blake, and one each by Taylor Pilot, Aunika Hornung, and Liliana Marques.
 
UP NEXT:  Stan State will continue its weekend with a 1pm starting tip-off with Central Washington (2-2) tomorrow in the Second Round of the Pioneer Conference Challenge in Hayward.  The Wildcats defeated Cal State East Bay 70-63 in overtime earlier this evening in Hayward.