SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - The CSUB women's basketball team defeated the UMKC Kangaroos, 78-61, Saturday afternoon in the Courtyard by Marriott San Luis Obispo Holiday Beach Classic. The Roadrunners never trailed in the contest as they improved to 3-1 on the season. UMKC is now 1-4.

Senior Kelley Tarver had season-highs in points (23), rebounds (6), field goals made (7), three pointers (1), assists (5), and steals (3) to lead the ?Runners. Senior Morgan Saso and classmate Christine Kepenekian each recorded double-doubles with Saso scoring 11 with 10 rebounds and Kepenekian tallying 13 points and 10 rebounds. Junior Phynique Allen reached double digit point totals for the four-consecutive game, scoring 13.

The Roadrunner defense held the Kangaroos scoreless for the first four and a half minutes of the contest and forced four UMKC turnovers.

With the score 7-5 in favor of CSUB, Tarver stole a ball at half court and converted a contested layup. On the ensuing inbound pass, Arase poked the ball away from the UMKC player who came back to help against the press. Arase found Allen for the easy bucket in the paint.

After the Kangaroos tied the game at 15-15, CSUB scored 10 of the next 12 points to take a 25-17 lead with just over five minutes to play in the first half. UMKC responded with a 8-1 run to pull within a point of the ?Runners. CSUB would hold the Kangaroos scoreless for the remaining 3:22 to take a 35-25 lead into the halftime break.

CSUB shot 39.4 percent in the first half and was 7-of-12 from the charity stripe. The defense forced 11 UMKC turnovers and held the Kangaroos to 33.3 from the field. Tarver led all scorers at the break with 10.

The ?Runners started the second half by converting a five-point possession as Arase hit a three while freshman Jana Smith was being fouled down on the blocks. CSUB took the ball out underneath the basket and Smith scored off a post move in the paint to increase the ?Runner advantage.

With just under seven minutes to play, UMKC pulled to within nine points of the ?Runners before Arase stepped up and hit a big three-point bucket to give CSUB a 67-55 advantage.

The Roadrunner lead would not be threatened again as CSUB finished the game on an 11-6 run.

CSUB shot 44.1 percent from the field (26-59) and held UMKC to 39.7 percent (25-63) shooting. The ?Runners forced 22 Kangaroo turnovers and had six steals.

Chazny Morris scored 16 points to lead UMKC and was the only player in double figures. She also had a team-high 12 rebounds and had five assists.

The ?Runners will be looking to string together their first four-game winning streak as a Division I program as they take on the Vandals of Idaho on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the final game of the Beach Classic.