By Emmanuel Valadez |Staff Writer|

The Coyotes women’s basketball team had a busy weekend playing back to back games on Friday and Saturday nights on Feb. 20, and Feb. 21.

The first game was a tough one, against Cal State East Bay Pioneers.

Halfway through the game, the Coyotes were down 38-46.

Guard Alexcia Mack scored 11 straight points shortened the Pioneer’s lead over the Coyotes.

With two minutes remaining in regulation, Chelsea Austin tied the game for the Coyotes with a three-pointer.

Following a missed free throw by the Pioneers, Chelsea Barnes converted on a layup giving the Coyotes a one point lead (61-60) before tying the game at 62 points and leading the teams into overtime. 

The Pioneers took control in overtime as they scored 12 points while the Coyotes were only able to score four points.

Following a tough loss to East Bay, the Coyotes redeemed themselves the next night.

Coyotes had a dominant performance against Cal State Monterey Bay Otters on Saturday. 

It was a collective effort with four of the five starters scoring in double digits.

The Coyote bench played a major role as well, scoring 16 points for the Coyotes.

Coyotes were impressive when they shot from the free throw line converting on 16 out of 20 shots.

Mack had a spectacular night scoring 21 points with six assists, making five of six shots from three-point range.

Brianna Harden scored 14 points and added 12 rebounds for her 13th double-double of the season.

The Coyotes did not trail once throughout the entire game, which resulted in a win for the Coyotes with a final score of 81-56.

Coyotes had one of their best season in years.

As of Feb. 24, they are ranked number four out of all 12 teams in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) conference.

They definitely turned things around since finishing 9-16 last season, and failing to make an appearance in the Women’s NCAA Division II tournament.

As of Feb. 24, the women’s basketball team have won 75 percent of their games, with a record 18-6.

March will be a very competitive month for the women’s team because they will have the opportunity to compete in two tournaments.

First, the ladies will head up to Stockon, California to compete in the CCAA Tournament starting March 5.

Depending on their performance, the team has the chance to compete in the NCAA Division II Women’s tournament.

These women need all of the support that we could give them.