The Sonoma State women’s basketball team played at home this past Thursday, Feb. 10, against the Cal State East Bay Pioneers, where they lost 53-38. The Pioneers are currently second place in the CCAA. .

The Seawolves had a less than ideal start, going down six points in the first three minutes. As the first quarter ended, the Seawolves seemed to have found their momentum. Cielo Gonzalez was one of the driving forces for this last-minute push, giving the Seawolves five of their 12 points along with a couple of rebounds. Despite their efforts, the Seawolves still had a long way to go, trailing 17-12 as the first quarter came to a close. 

Cal State East Bay is a tough team, and they presented a challenge for the Seawolves throughout the game. “Their game plan was to be tougher than us tonight,” says Coach Shayewitz. “They came out in the first half and pushed us around. It took us a while to wake up and start fighting back.”

Throughout the season, the Pioneers have earned quite a reputation. According to Cal State East Bay’s summary of the game, the Pioneers had the best scoring defense in the conference, allowing 55.5 points per contest. This game was a defensive clinic for the Pioneers, allowing the third-fewest points they had given up this season.

Despite the strong defense, the Seawolves were able to hold their own for the first half of the game. With a handful of buckets from Alli Mcdonald, Chasity Spady, and Amanda Luckett, the Seawolves kept the deficit to just six, entering the second half. 

The third quarter was challenging for the Seawolves, where they were held to just two points and outscored 12-2. With a few missed layups, unlucky turnovers, and fouls that didn’t go their way, the Seawolves found themselves in a deep hole. They would end up going down 40-24 by the time the third quarter came to a close. 

The Seawolves responded in the final quarter, shooting 4-10 from the three-point line and 5-13 from the field. The Seawolves would win the fourth quarter 14-13 with three-pointers from Gonzalez, Mcdonald, Aaryn Pickett, and Zane Sheckherd. Despite the effort, the Seawolves lost 53-38.

Regardless of the outcome, Shayewitz feels confident in his team and looks at games like this with an optimistic eye. “Every game is a learning experience. East Bay is a good team and first place for a reason. Though I thought we were competitive for most of the night, we still have many things to improve on to play at a high level.” says Shayewitz. 

With Cal State San Bernardino on the horizon, Shayewitz feels the Seawolves are in a great spot to make a playoff run. He plans to work with his team on ball handling and dealing with the pressure of solid defenses. The Seawolves’ next game is this Thursday, Feb. 17, at 5:30 p.m. at Cal State Bernardino University.