THE WEEK AHEAD: The Roadrunners (10-6 Overall, 7-2 CCAA) will try to continue their winning ways when they head to the Inland Empire for a brief two– game road trip this weekend. They'll kick things off Friday (Jan. 26) at Cal Poly Pomona. Saturday (Jan. 27) will see the 'Runners visit Coussoulis Arena for the last game—for awhile at least—at Cal State San Bernardino against the Coyotes.
Both games will tipoff at 5:30 p.m. as the openers of men's/women's doubleheader action.
WHAT'S AT STAKE: The 'Runners begin the week just one loss behind CCAA leader Chico State and one loss ahead of Saturday's opponent, Cal State San Bernardino. The 'Runners will need two wins to at least keep pace with Chico.
San Bernardino, meanwhile, can ill–afford a loss to one of the teams it is chasing in the conference standings. Cal Poly Pomona is rebuilding under first–year Coach Michelle Fortier and is trying to climb back to the middle of the CCAA pack.
TICKET INFO: Season tickets for Roadrunner basketball are on sale now. Advance single game tickets also are on sale now. For more information, call (661) 654–BLUE or visit us online at www.gorunners.com.
ON DECK: The 'Runners will return to Rabobank Arena to kick off their longest homestand of the season next week. The five–game run begins Feb. 1 against Cal State Monterey Bay.
BRONCO NOTES (4-10 Overall, 3-6 CCAA)
The Broncos have struggled a bit this season after bringing on new Head Coach Michelle Fortier in October …they have lost 7 of their last 8 entering Friday's game vs. the 'Runners…Cal Poly opened the season 3–3…Jr. F Vanessa Dominguez is the only Bronco averaging double figures at 13.4 ppg…she adds a team–best 7.2 rpg.
SERIES HISTORY: CSUB leads the series 8–6…CSUB leads the series in Kellogg Gym, 5–3…After Cal Poly won the first 3 games in the series, CSUB has gone 8–3…CSUB has met CPP more times (14) then any other opponent…CSUB took a 90–47 decision in Kellogg Gym last season.
LAST 10 MEETINGS
2006 @'RUNNERS 72, CPP 49
2006 'RUNNERS 90, @CPP 47
2005 'RUNNERS 100, @CPP 99 (ot)
2005 @'RUNNERS 86, CPP 74
*2004 CPP 87, 'RUNNERS 84
2004 'RUNNERS 87, @CPP 70
2004 CPP 71, @'RUNNERS 64
2003 @'RUNNERS 98, CPP 91
2003 'RUNNERS 92, @CPP 90 (ot)
*2002 @CPP 65, 'RUNNERS 61
*NCAA West Regionals
COYOTE NOTES (10-4 Overall, 6-3 CCAA)
The Coyotes are off to a solid 10–4 start, although 2 of their losses have come against teams with losing records (Cal Poly, Sonoma) …Cal Baptist transfer Jr. C Vanessa Wilt is this week's CCAA Player of the Week… averages a double–double for the season at 17.7 ppg and 10.6 rpg…Fr. G Krystal Urzua is next in scoring at 9.3 ppg.
SERIES HISTORY: CSUB leads 11–1…CSUB leads the series in Coussoulis Arena 6–0…San Bernardino's only win in the series, 74–59, came in Bakersfield in 2005…CSUB swept the series last season, including a 68–63 win in San Bernardino…San Bernardino is 3–2 vs. teams with winning records & 7–2 vs. losing teams.
LAST 10 MEETINGS
2006 'RUNNERS 68, @SB 63
2006 @'RUNNERS 73, SB 69
2005 SB 74, @'RUNNERS 59
2005 'RUNNERS 67, @SB 54
2004 'RUNNERS 64, @SB 63
2004 @'RUNNERS 67, SB 53
2003 @'RUNNERS 75, SB 46
2003 'RUNNERS 61, @SB 43
2002 'RUNNERS 74, @SB 60
2002 @'RUNNERS 88, SB 68
WHAT ARE THE ROADRUNNERS? With the Roadrunners beginning their four–year transition to full NCAA Division I status this season, a common question that comes up is, “what division are the 'Runners?”
For this season (and the next three) CSUB is considered an NCAA Division I institution. Because the 'Runners are not playing a full Division I schedule in 2006–07, however, they are not an RPI counter against Division I opponents this season. They already count as an NCAA Division I opponent when playing DII, DIII and NAIA members.
The 'Runners are scheduled to become NCAA Division I championship eligible beginning in the 2010–11 season.
WIRE–TO–WIRE (WELL, ALMOST): Four times this season, the 'Runners have led wire–to–wire in a victory (that is, they never trailed after scoring the first point of the game). While they didn't lead for every second of last week's victories, they came close.
In Thursday's 66–56 win over Sonoma State, the 'Runners trailed for just 24 seconds in the opening moments of the game. In Saturday's 72–45 win over Humboldt State, they trailed for exactly 47 seconds in the opening 1:30 of regulation.
DEFENSE LEADS THE WAY: Sure, the 'Runners feature a potent offense that has ranked among the national leaders during all six of Head Coach Tim La Kose's seasons at the helm—including finishing ranked No. 2 nationally in scoring offense last season—but the secret to Bakersfield's success continues to be defense. Sonoma State and Humboldt State became the fourth and fifth teams this season that failed to score 60 points against the 'Runner “D.”
Despite playing six games against NCAA Division I competition this season, the 'Runners are allowing just 61.2 points per game and are out–scoring their opposition by +9.9 ppg.
A FINAL WORD ABOUT THE DEFENSE: Not only was Saturday's defensive effort versus Humboldt State was not record–breaking (the 37 points allowed to Western Oregon on Nov. 23, 2003 holds that distinction), it wasn't even that uncommon for the 'Runner defense. It marked the 16th time in the brief six–plus year history of Cal State Bakersfield women's basketball that the 'Runners have held a team below 50 points.
The 'Runner defense has accomplished that feat at least once every season (only the 2002 and 2005 squads that finished a combined 43–14 failed to do it more than once). The 2007 'Runners have held three opponents (Hawaii Pacific, Cal State L.A., Humboldt State) in the 40's. The 2003 'Runners set the standard with five such efforts.
ACTING HER AGE: Retirees in Florida aim for the accomplishment of “shooting their age” on the golf course. Roadrunner freshman forward Florida Siaosi (Hesperia/Sultana HS) just missed her own version of that feat by nearly scoring and rebounding her age in last week's win over Sonoma State. The 18-year-old Siaosi scored a career–high 17 points and grabbed a career–high 17 rebounds to lead the 'Runners to the 66–56 win.
LORING CLOSING IN ON SCORING LIST: With 643 points, senior center Jessi Loring (Saugus/College of the Canyons) is closing in on the 'Runner all–time top five scoring list. If she maintains her current 15.3 points per game average, she will finish with 842 points, passing Jasmere Kirby for No. 5 on the list. Gillian Lillich holds the No. 4 spot at 997.
PAIR OF FIVES ALMOST LEADS TO THE TOP FIVE: By collecting five steals in each of last weekend's victories, sophomore guard Krista Arase (Alhambra/Keppel HS) moved within one steal of the 'Runner career top five list in that category. Lillich and Shakaria Jones share the five spot with 112 steals apiece.
At her current pace of 2.5 steals per game, Arase would finish the season with 73 steals, moving her past Heather Garay (137) into third place. Those 73 steals would rank No. 7 on the single–season list and make Arase the only 'Runner ever with two 70–plus steal seasons.
MORE ARASE: Arase is on pace to finish the season with 132 assists, a mark which would rank No. 5 in 'Runner history. Arase set the single–season record of 172 assists as a freshman in 2006. Should she maintain her pace, she will easily pass Katie McElree's school record of 293 career assists by season's end.
ROADRUNNER BASKETBALL: A Championship Tradition
The 2006–07 season marks the seventh anniversary of Roadrunner women's basketball. The 'Runners have won an incredible 150 games against just 39 losses (.794).
More than just winning games, 'Runner basketball is about winning championships. Bakersfield has two CCAA titles and one NCAA West Region title. The 'Runners are the only team in NCAA history—men's or women's at any level—to reach the NCAA Tourney every season of their existence.
