BAKERSFIELD, Calif. ? Senior Christine Kepenekian poured in a game?high 26 points but the Roadrunner women's basketball team fell to the defending WAC Champion Fresno State Bulldogs, 97?88, Friday evening at the Icardo Center in both team's season openers. Kepenekian was 11?23 from the field including 3?7 from behind the arc. She also led the team with nine rebounds, five coming on the offensive end of the court.
Fresno State jumped out of the gates early and built up an 18 point advantage late in the first half, fueled by nine three pointers. Bailey Amundsen was a perfect 4?4 from downtown and finished the contest tied for a team?high of 17 with Jaleesa Ross. Amundsen also pulled down a game?best 12 rebounds. With momentum on the Bulldog's side, it looked as though the ?Runners were in for a repeat performance of last season's 43?point defeat at the hands of Fresno State.
However, a 20?2 second half run catapulted the Roadrunners into the lead with a little over 12 minutes left in the game on senior Kelley Tarver's acrobatic layup that fell and drew the foul. The Valencia native stepped up and hit the bonus, giving CSUB a two?point advantage. Tarver would finish the contest with seven points on 3?5 shooting. Classmate Krista Arase added 10 of her 16 points in the second half which included a few skillful layups. Arase was CSUB's top outside threat Friday, connecting on 4?6 from deep.
Fresno State pulled away late, outscoring the Roadrunners 36?27 to seal the victory. The Bulldog's shot an even 50 percent from the field, 33?66, after starting off the game on a torrid pace of 58.1 percent including 65.3 percent from three?point territory. The ?Runners finished at 48.6 percent, 36?74, and hit eight of 19 threes (42.1%). One of the largest disparities came at the charity stripe where Fresno State hit 78.3 percent compared to CSUB's 50 percent.
Eastern Washington transfer junior Phynique Allen had a solid game on the wing for the ?Runners, adding 12 points. Bakersfield native Nikhol West also had 12 in 15 minutes off the bench. CSUB is off until next Saturday, Nov. 22 when it travels to Cal State Northridge for a showdown with the Matadors.
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Fresno State 97, CSU Bakersfield 88
FRESNO STATE (1-0 overall) -- Ross 6-11 0-0 17; Amundsen 6-10 1-2 17; Filipe 6-10 3-4 16; Munro 3-10 6-6 13; Arnold 3-7 5-5 11; Edwards 4-7 1-4 9; Fears 3-7 2-2 8; Brown 1-3 0-0 3; Walker 1-1 0-0 3. Totals 33-66 18-23 97.
CSU BAKERSFIELD (0-1 overall) -- Kepenekian 11-23 1-2 26; Arase 6-10 0-1 16; West 5-7 2-4 12; Allen 5-12 2-2 12; Tarver 3-5 1-1 7; Smith 2-4 2-6 6; Williams 2-6 0-0 5; Belt 2-7 0-0 4; Saso 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 36-74 8-16 88.
Halftime -- Fresno State 52?39. 3-point goals -- Fresno State 13-23 (Ross 5-8; Amundsen 4-5; Walker 1-1; Brown 1-2; Filipe 1-1; Munro 1-4; Fears 0-2), CSU Bakersfield 8-19 (Arase 4-6; Kepenekian 3-7; Williams 1-3; Belt 0-2; Allen 0-1). Fouled out -- Fresno State-None, CSU Bakersfield-Kepenekian. Assists -- Fresno State 20 (Edwards 4), CSU Bakersfield 18 (Arase 7). Total fouls -- Fresno State 18, CSU Bakersfield 19. Technical fouls -- Fresno State-None, CSU Bakersfield-None. A-735
