FULLERTON, Calif. – The Cal State Bakersfield women's basketball team overcame a slow start to earn its second–ever NCAA Division I win with a 69–61 victory over Big West Conference member Cal State Fullerton at Titan Gym in Fullerton Wednesday night.
Senior center Jessi Loring (Saugus/College of the Canyons) led the way for the Roadrunners with her fifth double–double of the season. She scored a game–high 26 points — one off her career high — and added 10 rebounds to help CSUB improve to 5–3 overall.
Sophomore guard Kelley Tarver (Valencia HS) just missed her first double–double of the season with 12 points and eight rebounds.
Center Toni Thomas led Fullerton (5–8) with 18 points and a game–high 12 rebounds. Senior guard Audrey Taylor was the only other Titan in double figures, finishing with 16.
Bakersfield's slow start was directly tied to its inability to take care of the ball. The Roadrunners committed six unforced turnovers on their first eight possessions as Fullerton sprinted to a 10–2 lead.
The Titans had problems of their own, however, that prevented them from putting the game out of reach. Fullerton opened the game shooting just 3-of-20 from the field. The field goal troubles proved just the tonic Bakersfield needed to get back into the game.
After digging their early hole, the Roadrunners need less than five minutes to put together a 10–0 run of their own for a 12–10 lead. The game went back and forth from that point, with Bakersfield holding a 26–22 lead at the half.
The Titans had one more run to play, and they made it midway through the second half. They caught CSUB at 33–32 before eventually building a 45–40 lead with 10:01 remaining.
The Roadrunners regrouped from there, needing just two and a half minutes to equalize. With the game tied at 47–47, CSUB eased away with a gradual 11–4 run that gave them control, 58–51. The 'Runners then made 7-of-8 free throws down the stretch to deny any chance of a Fullerton comeback.
Bakersfield returns to action Thursday night when they play a CCAA conference game at Cal State L.A. tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. as the opener of a men's/women's doubleheader.
CS BAKERSFIELD (5–3): Rhondi Naff 1-3 2-2 4; Florida Siaosi 0-1 0-0 0; Jessi Loring 9-16 8-8 26; Kelley Tarver 2-10 7-8 12;
Krista Arase 2-3 3-4 7; Tiffany Belt 0-2 0-0 0; Katherine Smith 0-1 0-0 0; Christine Kepenekian 2-3 2-2 7; Naomi Johnson 4-7 1-1 9; Rhonda Johnson 2-3 0-0 4. TOTALS: 22-49 23-25 69.
CS FULLERTON (5–8): Charlee Underwood 3-14 2-2 9; Ariel Adams 2-6 0-0 4; Toni Thomas 6-15 5-6 18; Audrey Taylor 6-9 4-5 16; India McDaniel 1-6 1-2 4; Daviyonne Weathersby 0-0 0-0 0; Jasmine Scott 0-4 2-2 2; Andrea Adams 0-4 0-0 0; Danielle Parker 0-1 0-0 0; Anna Magganas 0-1 0-0 0; Salote Tupou 0-1 2-2 2; Dayana Frias 0-0 0-0 0; Alison Bennett 2-4 2-2 6. TOTALS: 20-65 18-21 61.
HALFTIME: CSUB 26-22. 3-PT. FG: CSUB 2-9 (Kepenekian 1-1, Tarver 1-5, Arase 0-1, Naff 0-1, N. Johnson 0-1); FULL 3-19 (Thomas 1-3, McDaniel 1-3, Underwood 1-5, Parker 0-1, Magganas 0-1, Scott 0-3, Adams 0-3). REBOUNDS: CSUB 40 (Loring 10); FULL 33 (Thomas 12). ASSISTS: CSUB 14 (3 with 4); FULL 12 (Taylor, McDaniel 4). TURNOVERS: CSUB 23, FULL 19. BLOCKS: CSUB 3 (R. Johnson 2); FULL 0. STEALS: CSUB 5 (Tarver 2); FULL 7 (3 with 2). TECHNICALS: None. FOULED OUT: Underwood. OFFICIALS: Mason, Liebfreid, Garcia. ATTN: 300.
