SEASIDE, Calif. — The Cal State Monterey Bay women's basketball team played three solid quarters then held off a furious Sonoma State rally to hand the Seawolves a 64–58 defeat Saturday night in The Kelp Bed.

Senior guard Aubri Smith (Ventura College/Buena HS) nearly had a triple double by adding nine assists and eight rebounds to her career–high 29–point effort. The Otters also got a 12–point, 11–rebound double–double from Courtney Keaton (Bishop Montgomery HS), who knocked down four consecutive free throws in the final 23 seconds to extinguish the Sonoma rally.

Sonoma led by two after a tight first period. But the Otters held the Seawolves to just seven points in the second them out–scored them 22–13 in the third to take an 18–point lead, 54–36, into the final 10 minute.

Sonoma blitzed the Otters 16–2 over the first eight minutes of the fourth quarter to pull to within four. But layups by Keaton and Alexa Sperling (Clovis/Buchanan HS)—the latter off a brilliant feed from Smith—stemmed the tide. Keaton then knocked down her clutch free throws to secure the win.
 

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THE GAME WAS STATISTICALLY OVER WHEN… Aubri Smith pulled down a rebound from Carly Gill's short jumper with five seconds remaining.

PLAYING QUEEN OF THE MOUNTAIN AGAINST HERSELF… Aubri Smith continues to top career night after career night early in her senior season. Smith scored a career–high 29 points Saturday, marking the third time in her past six games she has scored a career–high. Her previous best was 27 points at Cal State Dominguez Hills on Nov. 18.

DOUBLE–DOUBLE, TOIL AND TROUBLE… Senior forward Courtney Keaton posted her second double–double of the season and the third of her career with 12 points and 11 rebounds Saturday versus Sonoma State. She had 10 points and a career–high 16 rebounds in a win over Academy of Art on Nov. 14.

STARTING ON THE RIGHT FOOT… The Otters improved to 2–1 in CCAA play with Saturday's win over Sonoma State. It's their best start in conference action since the 2012–13 season.

LEADERS OF THE RAFT… POINTS: Aubri Smith 29; REBOUNDS: Courtney Keaton 11; ASSISTS: Aubri Smith 9; BLOCKS: Alexa Sperling 2; STEALS: Aubri Smith 4.

THE LAST WORD… "We did a good job of moving the basketball and taking better shots tonight.  One of our goals was to limit the amount of fouls we have been committing and we did a much better job of that. I'm proud of the team and the energy they brought today." – CSUMB Head Coach Kerri Nakamoto.

THEY'VE GOT NEXT… The Otters head down the coast to play Big West member Cal Poly Tuesday (Nov. 28). The game will be an exhibition for the Otters, although it will count on Cal Poly's record.