Sonoma State Women’s Basketball defeats Cal State East Bay on an instrumental last-second buzzer-beater.  In the last few seconds of a five-minute overtime, junior Jayme Blackard pushed the ball up the court to the right wing where she pulled up over her defender and knocked down the mid-range shot at the buzzer with no time remaining. The moment sent a bolt of electricity through the building as Blackard was swarmed by her teammates after one of their season defining moments. 

The score was tight all game and needed extra time after concluding regulation with a score of 55-55.  A tight defense helped the Seawolves to a 67-65 win in overtime over the Pioneers. The team had six blocks and 12 steals. The team leaders defensively were seniors Cielo Gonzalez with three steals and Amanda Luckett with three blocks.  

Gonzalez, the team’s top scorer, fired off 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists, three steals and one block. She said commitment, energy and heart were on her and her teammate’s minds. Gonzalez is in her last year at Sonoma State and she said that the “determination to just actually work hard with my team with grit had a lot of contribution to how I was playing today.”

The team’s second top scorer, Blackard finished with 14 points and a highlight buzzer-beater. Her ‘grit’ as Gonzalez talked about was clear, especially in overtime where she scored four points. She was asked about what was going through her mind moments before the shot. Blackard said, “I knew the game was tied and I knew that we only had time for one shot. I put it up and I just hoped it went in and it did. I saw the buzzer go off as the ball went through the net.”    

Earlier this season, the Seawolves and Pioneers faced off which resulted in a 51-56 loss for the Seawolves. Coach Des Abeyta attributed their success to healthy development throughout the season and fighting to get into the CCAA tournament as motivation.  The Seawolves are currently ranked tied for fifth in the CCAA(California Collegiate Athletic Association) and coach Abeyta said after the win that “this game showed us that it doesn’t matter the stage, they are ready to compete.” Coach Abeyta is in her first year of coaching at Sonoma State and she looks to take the team to new heights as the team has not made it to the NCAA Tournament since the 2008-09 season. 

The women are now 10-8 in the conference and 13-11 overall as they continue their hunt to make the postseason. Their next game is this coming Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at home versus Cal Poly Pomona.  The Mustangs and Seawolves are tied for fifth place in the CCAA standings so that matchup will carry a lot of importance. The last time they met resulted in a 68-65 win, consequently, the team is hoping to maintain this momentum to another win.