EDINBURG, Texas ? Senior Naomi Johnson sparked a first-half run that turned a double-digit deficit into a 23-point final spread as the CSUB women's basketball team claimed a 76-53 win over Utah Valley University Friday at the NCAA Division I National Independent Tournament in Edinburg, Texas.
Johnson finished the night with a team-high 20 points to go along with nine rebounds while Kelley Tarver and Christine Kepenekian chipped in 18 and 15 points respectively. Kepenekian added a game-high 12 rebounds, recording her fourth double-double of the season.
National Independent Player of the Year Robyn Fairbanks tallied 10 of Utah Valley's first 12 points, but was forced to the bench at the 12 minute mark with two fouls. The Wolverines led 17-10 when Fairbanks exited, and continued to build that lead to as many as 15 points, 28-13, before the tide turned in favor of the ?Runners.
Over the final eight minutes of the half, Bakersfield went on a 24-2 run to take a 37-30 lead into the locker room. Kepenekian got the run going with four consecutive free throws while Johnson had eight points during the stretch. The ?Runners' defense also put the clamp down, forcing Utah Valley into nine turnovers in those eight minutes.
Fairbanks opened the second half with back-to-back layups, but Bakersfield responded with four points by Johnson, a jumper by Nikhol West and a three by Krista Arase to break open a 46-36 lead.
Despite a game-high 23 points from Fairbanks, no other Wolverine scored more than five points as Bakersfield continued to build its lead throughout the half.
A steal and a layup by Tiffany Belt at 11:10 stretched the lead to 59-43 while a baseline jumper by Shawnee Carter put the ?Runners up by 21 at 8:58. Utah Valley never challenged again and CSUB patiently worked its offense, and the clock, down the stretch.
The ?Runners shot 42 percent from the field and 83 percent (20-for-24) from the charity stripe while also claiming a 46-33 advantage on the boards. UVU, which shot 40 percent in the first half, had just seven second-half field goals and finished the game with a 33 percent clip from the field.
CSUB will have to wait for the result of Friday's final match-up, UT-Pan American and New Jersey Tech, before learning who its Saturday opponent will be. The ?Runners can face either Florida Gulf Coast or New Jersey Tech at either 3:30 p.m. or 5:30 p.m., CST.
CSU Bakersfield 76, Utah Valley 53
CSU BAKERSFIELD (12-16) -- JOHNSON 7-10 6-7 20; TARVER 6-18 6-8 18; KEPENEKIAN 5-9 4-4 15; BELT 3-13 3-3 9; WEST 3-5 0-0 6; LEON 1-3 0-0 2; CARTER 1-3 0-0 2; STRIBLING 0-1 1-2 1. Totals 27-64 20-24 76.
UTAH VALLEY (16-11) -- FAIRBANKS 7-12 9-11 23; MCMURRAY 2-9 0-1 5; BOWEN 2-3 1-1 5; SMITH 1-2 3-5 5; CORNEJO 2-6 0-0 5; PETERSON 1-3 2-2 4; MARVIN 1-9 1-4 3; NAKAYAMA 1-7 0-1 3. Totals 17-51 16-25 53.
Halftime: CSUB 37-30. 3-point goals--CSUB 2-11 (ARASE 1-2; KEPENEKIAN 1-2), UVU 3-17 (MCMURRAY 1-2; NAKAYAMA 1-6; CORNEJO 1-2). Fouled out--CSUB-CARTER, UVU-BOWEN. Rebounds--CSUB 46 (KEPENEKIAN 12), UVU 33 (FAIRBANKS 6). Assists--CSUB 12 (ARASE, TARVER 5), UVU 14 (NAKAYAMA, PETERSON 3). Total fouls--CSUB 22, UVU 22. Technical fouls--CSUB-None, UVU-None. A-126.
