ROHNERT PARK, Calif. – The Sonoma State women's basketball team put one in the win column on Thursday night, taking down Cal State Monterey Bay 49-40 in their CCAA opener.  The Seawolves turned in an excellent defensive performance, forcing 20 turnovers and limiting the Otters to just 35% shooting.
 
SSU opened up a lead early, breaking a 4-4 tie with a 9-2 run to take a 13-6 advantage. Jayme Blackard recorded back-to-back buckets and Chasity Spady knocked down a 3-pointer to send the Seawolves in front.  Zane Sheckherd would add a triple later in the quarter as Sonoma took a 16-14 lead into the second. 
 
The Otters tied the game early in the second before the Seawolves defense put the clamps on.  CSUMB would score just four points in the final nine minutes while committing five turnovers.  Offensively, Aaryn Pickett's late three made it 24-20 at the break. 
 
Pickett opened the third quarter with five of the first even Seawolf points as the margin extended to nine.  The Otters would pull back within four but Alli McDonald answered for SSU with five points, including a 3-pointer to push it back to nine. 
 
The Seawolves put the game away in the fourth, using a 6-0 run to move their advantage to as many as 12.  McDonald added four points in the quarter to up her team leading total to 11 points. 
 
Sonoma State used 16 second chance points on 13 offensive rebounds and 15 points on 20 turnovers to outlast the Otters.  McDonald added six rebounds to her 11 points while Sheckherd tacked on ten points.  Blackard finished with six points, five rebounds and four steals. 
 
The Seawolves will look to make it two in a row on Saturday when they host San Francisco State at 1:00 pm.