SANTA CLARA, Calif. ? The CSUB women's basketball team came within seconds of pulling off a stunning upset, but West Coast Conference leader Santa Clara University held on at the end for a 78?75 win Friday night at the Leavey Center.

Junior guard Kelley Tarver (Valencia HS) led the Roadrunners (6?9 overall) with 21 points while nearly playing the hero's role. With CSUB trailing 74?70 and less than 50 second remaining, she hit a short jumper, was fouled, and went to the line to complete a three?point play to pull the Roadrunners to within one.

Tarver then led a defensive stand which forced a Claire Goins turnover and gave the 'Runners the ball with 29 seconds remaining. Tarver drove the lane, made a layup and appeared to be fouled with 11 seconds remaining, but the officials waved the basket off and called traveling on Tarver. Santa Clara made four free throws in the final five seconds and CSUB made two to account for the final score.

“This was a tough one,” said CSUB Head Coach Tim La Kose. “Santa Clara is one of the best teams we will play this season. We out?rebounded them and we forced more turnovers. When the whistle blew at the end, I thought K.T (Tarver) was going to the line to complete the three?point play, but the call went the other way.”

Coming off a 50?point, 88?38 win over Cal State Fullerton, Santa Clara (11?3) appeared ready to break Friday's game open midway through the first half. The Broncos went on an 18?6 run to turn a 12?12 tie into a 30?18 lead. But five different 'Runners scored in the final five minutes of the half as Bakersfield trimmed the deficit to a manageable 37?36 by halftime.

Neither team could gain a foothold in the second half as they played through 10 ties and six lead changes before the Broncos took the lead for good at 67?65 on an Elizabeth Doran jumper with less than five minutes remaining. Another Doran jumper gave Santa Clara its biggest lead of the half, 74?68 with 1:38 to play, before Tarver and the 'Runners nearly completed the comeback.

In addition to Tarver, senior forward Naomi Johnson (Oxnard College) posted her sixth double?double of the season and her third in the last four games by finishing with 19 points and a game?high 13 rebounds. Christine Kepenekian (Burbank HS) added 11 points for CSUB.

Senior guard Chandice Cronk led all scorers with 28 points for Santa Clara. Doran added 16 points for the Broncos.

CSUB continues its marathon seven?game, 28?day road trip next weekend when it heads to Edinburgh, Texas for a pair of games against fellow NCAA Division I independent schools. The 'Runners will face New Jersey Tech Friday, Jan. 11 and UT?Pan American Saturday. Both games will be played on the UTPA campus.

CSU BAKERSFIELD (6?9 overall): Tarver 7-21 7-8 21; Stribling 2-4 1-2 5; Kepenekian 4-10 2-3 11; Arase 0-3 2-2 2; Johnson 6-12 7-8 19; Belt 1-1 0-0 2; West 0-0 3-4 3; Jones 2-7 5-6 9; Leon 0-2 1-2 1; Carter 1-1 0-0 2. TOTALS: 23-61 28-35 75.

SANTA CLARA (11?3 overall): Cronk 9-17 5-5 28; Walker 3-7 1-3 7; Doran 6-9 2-2 16; Majors 3-6 4-6 11; Gottschalk 2-5 2-2 6; Goins 2-4 4-4 8; Goldenberger 0-0 0-0 0; Gall 1-4 0-0 2. TOTALS: 26-52 18-22 78.

HALFTIME: SCU 37-36. 3-PT. FG: CSUB 1-12 (Kepenekian 1-5, Jones 0-1, Arase 0-1, Leon 0-2, Tarver 0-3); SCU 8-20 (Cronk 5-9, Doran 2-5, Majors 1-2, Gall 0-3). REBOUNDS: CSUB 39 (Johnson 13); SCU 34 (Gottschalk 8). ASSISTS: CSUB 5 (5 with 1); SCU 18 (Walker, Majors 5). TURNOVERS: CSUB 19, SCU 24. TECHNICALS: None. FOULED OUT: Walker, Majors. OFFICIALS: Lusiuk, Hirano, Tracey. ATTN: 329.