The Outlook

For nine seasons, the CSUB women's basketball team consistently raised its level of play, year in and year out. Entering the program's 10th season, Roadrunner Head Coach Tim La Kose has challenged his team with what could easily be considered the toughest slate of games in program history.

CSUB will test itself against opponents from national power conferences like the ACC, the SEC and the Pac-10 as the bar continues to rise towards the Roadrunners' first season of NCAA Division I Tournament eligibility in 2010-11. A formidable challenge for any team and, should the 'Runners successfully navigate their way through the 28 game schedule, the possibility to advance to the Women's National Invitational Tournament at season's end could help lift CSUB into the ranks of the nation's elite teams.

The WNIT postseason tournament recently announced that it was expanded the field from 48 to 64 teams. Automatic qualifiers from the nation's 31 conferences allowed just 17 at-large participants last season. This year, 33 at-large teams will get a chance to play for the tournament's title and the Roadrunners have their eyes set on playing late into March and early April.

The Roadrunners will again sport one of the most experienced backcourts in the country with the return of four senior guards in 2009-10. The four combined to score 848 points last season and will be counted on even more this year with a young frontcourt. Kelley Tarver, Tiffany Belt, Phynique Allen and Katie Williams all have shown they have the capabilities to be leaders on and off the court. The ability for La Kose to interchange lineups that have such a heavy senior presence could pay dividends for the Roadrunners. Junior Nikki Leon and the team's lone true freshman, Amber Williams, will also be looking for playing time in a very experienced back court.

Up top, CSUB has only one returning player who saw extensive action last season, sophomore Jana Smith. Smith started six of the 25 games she saw action in, averaging almost 11 minutes per outing. Junior Tamiko Davis will be counted on to replace the minutes departed seniors Morgan Saso and Nikhol West compiled. Davis was a member of the Roadrunners' practice squad last year after transferring from San Jose State. Freshman Lauren Carter and junior Shawnee Carter (no relation) will also be looked for quality minutes in the paint.

CSUB will play 14 games in Bakersfield, beginning on Nov. 13, when the team leaves the friendly confines of the Icardo Center and returns to Rabobank Arena to take on Big Sky Conference member Montana State for the season opener.

The first ACC opponent visits Bakersfield on Nov. 15 in the form of the Hurricanes of Miami University. Oregon State becomes the first Pac-10 opponent to test the Roadrunners at the Icardo Center on Feb. 2.

CSUB will participate in two tournaments, each featuring a headline game against a major conference opponent. Alabama, from the SEC, will be the Roadrunners' first test at the Cal Poly Tournament, beginning on Nov. 28 in San Luis Obispo. A possible match-up with USC looms large at the Women of Troy Basketball Classic on Dec. 19-20. CSUB will face Delaware State and then, depending on the outcomes, could face the Trojans on Dec. 20 at the Galen Center.

The 'Runners will a take on a full slate of Big West opponents in 2009-10 after posting a 9-2 mark against conference members last season. CSUB will play every BWC member this season including double dates against Cal Poly, UC Irvine and defending champion UC Santa Barbara. Last year, the Roadrunners defeated every team except UC Riverside. UC Irvine (Nov. 23), UC Riverside (Jan. 6), UC Davis (Jan. 18), Cal Poly (Jan. 30), Cal State Fullerton (Feb. 17) and UC Santa Barbara (Mar. 6) will all visit the Icardo Center this season.

Other home contests this season include Hawaii (Nov. 21), Utah Valley (Dec. 9), Miami (Ohio) (Dec. 22), San Jose State (Dec. 29) and Seattle University (Jan. 16).

Headlining a group of four seniors this season is 1,000 point club member Kelley Tarver (1,231), a fifth-year guard who was granted a medical redshirt after injuring herself against Final Four qualifying Oklahoma in the eighth game of the 2008-09 campaign. Tarver ranks in CSUB's career top-five in 12 statistical categories.

Bakersfield native Tiffany Belt has 73 games to her credit entering her final season for the Roadrunners. Belt is in her fifth season in the CSUB system after redshirting her first year. She is currently ranked seventh all-time in both three-point makes (48), and attempts (144).

Phynique Allen emerged as one of the Roadrunners' most consistent scoring threats, averaging 11 points and 31.9 minutes per contest in 2008-09. This season, Allen will be counted on to help direct a high-powered offense. Allen, like Belt and Tarver, is a fifth-year senior after transferring to CSUB from Eastern Washington prior to the 2007-08 season. She was also one of three players to finish with a positive assist-to-turnover ratio (75-72).

One of the pleasant surprises from last year was the emergence of Katie Williams. After Tarver went down for the season, it was Williams who stepped up to pick up the slack. Williams would score a team and season-best 32 points against Oregon State en route to finishing the season on a 17-game double-digit scoring streak.

The Juniors

Nikki Leon had a breakout season for the Roadrunners as a sophomore and hopes to build upon that in 2009-10. The 5-foot-11 wing dropped a career-best 23 points against Santa Clara and grabbed at least one rebound in all 27 contests she appeared in.

After seeing action in 17 contests last year, Shawnee Carter could push for playing time at forward with the departure of CSUB's top two forwards from a year ago. The Studio City, Calif., native has the advantage of being in the Roadrunner system for three seasons and could get the nod over the less experienced players in the frontcourt.

San Jose State transfer Tamiko Davis sat out last season but gained valuable experience on the Roadrunner practice squad. Davis established herself as a strong rebounder at SJSU and will be counted on for important minutes this season.

The Sophomore

Forward Jana Smith returns to the Roadrunner frontcourt after a productive freshman season. The Tehachapi, Calif., native appeared in 25 contests, making six starts in 2008-09 and averaging 10.8 minutes and 2.3 rebounds per game.

The Freshmen

Lauren Carter was a standout at Moorpark High School and will look to make the transition to the college game this year. At 6-feet tall, Carter will be looked to provide solid minutes in the paint after averaging 17 points and 11.6 rebounds per game as a senior in high school.

Guard Amber Williams averaged 17.4 points, 3.6 steals and 3.4 assists per game as a senior at Etiwanda High School last year. Williams will be looking to earn playing time in a senior-heavy backcourt rotation and the coaches are looking to see how the first-year player develops in the college game.

The frontcourt took a hit before the season even began as Camesha Patton was injured during a workout and will be lost for the season. Patton redshirted last year after a solid prep career at Sultana High School where she averaged 18.8 points, 13.2 rebounds, 3.7 blocks and 2.7 steals per contest.

The Transfers

CSUB's practice squad will again receive a jolt of Division I experience as La Kose brought in transfers Britney McGee, Kristine Herman and Breana Fields for the 2009-10 season. The trio of newcomers will be eligible for the 2010-11 campaign, the Roadrunners' first season of DI Tournament eligibility.

McGee was a former high school standout at Bakersfield's West High School. After playing three seasons at the University of Albany, McGee returned to the West Coast to finish her collegiate career. She will have senior eligibility beginning next season.

Herman comes to CSUB after two seasons at another DI independent, Florida Gulf Coast, where she helped the Eagles advanced to the WNIT tournament last year with a 26-5 overall record. The 5-foot-11 guard has been regarded as a sharp shooter from distance and will have junior eligibility beginning next year.

Breana Fields battled the injury bug for three seasons at San Jose State before deciding to transfer to CSUB. Fields appeared in 29 contests for the Spartans. She earned her bachelor's degree in health science from SJSU in 2009. She will be a senior next season.