Women’s basketball wins pre-season opener

Humboldt State women’s basketball team came out victorious in their pre-season exhibition game against Southern Oregon University at Lumberjack Arena on Friday, Oct. 29, with a score of 75-67. The ‘Jacks started strong, racking up 20 points by the end of the first quarter to lead by six.

Freshman starter Jadence Clifton played well early, leading the team with nine points by the end of the first half and 14 points overall. Sophomore forward Madison Parry and junior guard Julia Iman followed shortly behind Clifton with 13 points each by the end of the game. Junior guard Sharon Roldan ended with 10 points and Senior Ashley Taylor Peralta totaled 12 points for the ‘Jacks.

Southern Oregon University kept the pressure on the ‘Jacks with a twenty-two-point comeback in the second quarter, giving the Raiders the lead. The visitors would control the game for most of the second and third quarters, ending the third quarter with a score of 54 – 48.

Roldan helped narrow the score with a 3-pointer bomb from the corner of the court a little more than halfway through the final quarter. Roldan also netted two free throws, closing the gap 58 – 60 with a few minutes left in the fourth quarter. A pair of free throws by Parry only seconds later tied the game 60 – 60 with five and a half minutes remaining.

The squad played solid defense in the final minutes of the second half, forcing the Raiders to battle against the shot clock in multiple attempts to make clean breakaways to the hoop.

Clifton drained a 3-pointer in the final 45 seconds of the fourth quarter, sealing the deal with a leading score of 71-64. The Raiders attempted to claw their way back to victory with a couple of final shots, but overall fell short by eight points with a final score of 75-67.

The women’s basketball team travels to Seattle, Washington on Friday, Nov. 12 where they play against Western Washington University. Both Humboldt State men’s and women’s basketball teams will lead a public ‘tip-off’ event to celebrate their upcoming seasons on Monday, Nov. 1 at Lumberjack Arena.