The Cal State Stanislaus women’s basketball team overcame an 18-0 second-half run by the visiting Sonoma State Seawolves to eke out a 78-74 overtime victory in California Collegiate Athletic Association action Friday night.

“I’m proud of them. They showed a lot of fight,” Warriors head coach Sharon Turner said of her team.

The Warriors (2-3, 1-2 CCAA) stayed close with the previously undefeated Seawolves (3-1, 1-1 CCAA), but did not lead until senior guard Christin Gowan connected on a 3-point shot with 3:04 remaining in the first half. Gowan finished with 10 points and four assists.

Cal State Stanislaus ran that lead to 43-36 before the Seawolves embarked on an 18-0 run, stretching nearly seven minutes in length. But the Warriors bounced back, thanks to strong contributions from senior center Katie Busi, who finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds for her 25th career double-double, and senior guard Andreanna Marshall, who tallied a career high 17 points on 8 of 16 shooting.

The comeback was also fueled by outstanding Cal State Stanislaus defense, with 15 total steals and three players with three takeaways a piece – senior guard Jeanette Rowe, Marshall, and Busi. Two of those steals were translated directly into Marshall layups to close the deficit, while the ball pressure-oriented defense led to 30 Sonoma State turnovers.

The Warriors regained the lead with 2:21 to play in regulation on a Marshall layup. Despite numerous chances for both teams to seal the game – and a missed last-second SSU jump shot – the only scoring in a tense final two minutes came from two Seawolves free-throws, sending the game to overtime.

Busi quickly made her mark in overtime, scoring the Warriors first 4 points. But both Busi and Marshall – the two leading Cal State Stanislaus scorers – entered the extra period with just one foul to give, and both fouled out less than 3 minutes into the 5 minute overtime.

“We had people step up, even when two starters fouled out,” Turner said.

The Warriors outscored SSU 10-4 in overtime to secure the win, with contributions from Gowan, Rowe, and freshman forward Lauren Godde in the extra period.

“It’s a huge win. We needed it,” Turner said. “The fact that we got this win and the way that we got it is really important for our development.”

The Warriors hope to build on their success as they host CCAA opponent Humboldt State University (1-3, 0-2 CCAA) tonight at 5:30 p.m. in Warrior Arena.

To contact Alex Cantatore, e-mail acantatore@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2005.