SEASIDE, Calif. – The Sonoma State women's basketball team had a rough start to 2024, falling on the road to Cal State Monterey Bay 74-70.  The Seawolves moved to 8-5 overall and not sit at 3-3 in CCAA play. 
 
The game started with Sienna Cherwinski hitting a 3-pointer on the opening possession before the Otters hit back with nine straight points.  Madisyn Clark later sank a triple of her own to pull the Seawolves within four but CSUMB used another run to push it up to nine.  Jayme Blackard ended the quarter with a jumper and sent the game to the second with SSU trailing 23-16. 
 
The Otters quickly ran the margin up to double figures before Laura Smith and Alli McDonald combined for five straight points with a jumper and 3-pointer respectively.  The Otters went back ahead by ten in the final seconds of the half and took a 40-30 lead into the break. 
 
The Seawolves would trail by as many as 14 in the third quarter but used a triple by McDonald and a jumper by Blackard got them back within single digits.  Cherwinski and Smith netted back-to-back baskets in the fourth to make it a three-point contest with just over seven minutes remaining.  The margin went back to seven before Blackard hit a 3-pointer and Clark sank a jumper to cut it down to three with two minutes left.  McDonald knocked another point off with a pair of free-throws and the Seawolves got a chance to tie in the final minute.  After an empty possession and two freebies from the Otters, McDonald cut it two once again with a jumper.  CSUMB iced the game from there with a pair of free-throws. 
 
Blackard finished with a team high 17 points and 7 assists on 8 of 15 shooting.  McDonald added 15 points and Clark tacked on 12 to give Sonoma State three players in double figures.  Smith finished with 9 points and 7 rebounds off the bench. 
 
The Seawolves are back in action on Saturday when they head down to Turlock to take on Stanislaus State.  The game will tip at 1:00 pm with the live stream available on the CCAA Network.