COURTESY // Justin Ferrari

Senior Aaryn Pickett, nails a three-pointer earlier this season, Pickett had a team high 15 points against CSULA

This past Thursday, Sonoma State’s Women’s Basketball team traveled to Cal State Humboldt in Arcata, Calif., to compete in this year’s CCAA Championship Tournament. The sixth seed Seawolves drew a first-round matchup against third seed Cal State Los Angeles. This was the third time these two teams had faced one another, with the Seawolves taking the first two. In a wire-to-wire game, the Seawolves fell in the third game, 57-52, ending their season and postseason push. 

The game was a nail-biter, as both teams traded baskets the whole way through. The Seawolves took a one-point lead at the end of the third quarter with a late three-pointer from senior Aaryn Pickett. The Golden Eagle offense was too much to handle for the Seawolves, though they were outscored 20-14 in the fourth quarter.

“The game just came down to the last buckets that L.A. was able to score late in the game,” said junior guard Taylor Johnson. “We played defense to the best of our abilities, but their last shots were enough to secure the win.”

The Seawolves were led in scoring by Pickett, who had 15 points while going 5-15 from the field. Also, for the Seawolves, freshman forward Allison McDonald had 14 points, and senior forward Zane Sheckherd added 10 points and seven rebounds. 

“Personally, scoring within the offense was working for me,” said McDonald. “We also moved the ball really well and found the open man.”

Leading CSULA in scoring was freshmen guard Lily Buggs, who had 16 points going 6-12 shooting. However, it was their team’s defense that propelled L.A. to victory. CSULA kept constant pressure on the ball by keeping a full-court press on the entire game. This defensive effort led to 10 steals and four blocks.

“We have prepared all year against defensive pressure. It is something that has plagued us all season,” said Head Coach Richard Shayewitz. “Over the course of the season, we improved a ton, but L.A.’s pressure was different than the prior two games.” 

After beating Sonoma State, CSULA played against CSU East Bay for the CCAA semi-finals. The score was 74-63 in favor of CSU East Bay. East Bay then went on to win the CCAA championship game against San Marcos, with a final score of 80-66.

After a long, hard-fought season, the SSU Women’s Basketball team will head into the offseason. The Seawolves faced plenty of challenges this past season and spent much of the season without a fully healthy team. This is an excellent base to build from for future seasons.

“I am truly proud of this team this year. We battled through many types of adversity and were able to persevere and earn a spot in the CCAA Championships,” said Shayewitz. “This is a gritty bunch that was able to adapt and overcome.”  

After playing much of the season without a full roster, earning a spot in the CCAA Championship Tournament was no small feat for SSU. Without a doubt, the team showed that they belonged there as well. This offseason, the team will build on their positives and come back with a vengeance next year.