BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Seniors Katie Williams (Las Vegas/Reedley College) and Phynique Allen (San Diego, Calif./Eastern Washington) combined to score 49 points on Wednesday evening as the CSUB women's basketball team defeated UC Riverside, 85–70, in the Icardo Center. Williams scored a game–high 26 points, 16 coming in the second half. Allen had 23 points and a game–high six assists.
It was CSUB's first victory over UC Riverside. This coming a year after UC Riverside remained defiant as the only Big West school the Roadrunners did not defeat during the 2008–09 campaign. Riverside is now 3–11 and are riding a four–game slide. CSUB improves to 8–8 and have now won its last six contests in the Icardo Center.
The only other Roadrunner in double figures was junior Nikki Leon (Canyon Country HS), who had 11 points in 25 minutes before fouling out. Classmate Tamiko Davis (Sacramento, Calif./San Jose State) had a game–high 11 rebounds.
UC Riverside, who played with just seven active players, were led by Brittany Waddel with 18 points.
Despite controlling the action for most of the first half, CSUB was never able to quite shake the pesky Highlanders who led at four different points of the opening stanza. The Roadrunners responded to the last UCR lead with a 12–4 run to close out the half and take a 46–39 lead into the locker rooms.
In the second half, the 'Runners pushed the lead out to double digits for the first time on a three pointer by Katie Williams with 17:03 left to play, 53–43. But a quick Riverside run cut the lead to five before CSUB was able to push the lead out to a comfortable 13 points, 71–58, with 8:23 remaining. The lead would only dip back under 10 points once more the rest of the way. Due to a shortened bench, the Highlanders were unable to force CSUB to take free throws to save clock and the talented Roadrunner guards handled the perimeter as the clock ticked down.
CSUB heads south to take on the Cal State Northridge Matadors on Monday, Jan. 11, at 6 p.m.
CSU BAKERSFIELD 85, UC RIVERSIDE 70
UC RIVERSIDE (3-11)
Waddell 6-14
5-7 18; Rhe. Neabors 6-11 1-3 14; Morris 5-8 3-3 13; Rha. Neabors 4-11 3-7 12; Rivera
4-11 0-1 8; Collier 1-4 2-2 5; Washington 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-59 14-23 70.
CSU BAKERSFIELD (8-8)
K. Williams 11-19 1-1 26; Allen 8-17 7-11 23; Leon 3-5 3-4
11; Tarver 2-4 4-5 9; A. Williams 2-6 0-0 6; Davis 2-10 0-2 4; L. Carter 2-4
0-0 4; Belt 0-3 2-2 2; S. Carter 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-68 17-25 85.
UC Riverside.................. 39
31 - 70
CSU Bakersfield............... 46
39 - 85
3-point goals--UC Riverside 4-12 (Rhe. Neabors 1-2; Rha.
Neabors 1-4; Waddell 1-3; Collier 1-2; Morris 0-1), CSU Bakersfield 8-19 (K.
Williams 3-5; Leon 2-3; A. Williams 2-5; Tarver 1-3; L. Carter 0-1; Allen 0-2).
Fouled out--UC Riverside-Morris, CSU Bakersfield-Leon. Rebounds--UC Riverside
44 (Rivera 9; Morris 9), CSU Bakersfield 36 (Davis 11). Assists--UC Riverside
16 (Rivera 5), CSU Bakersfield 11 (Allen 6). Total fouls--UC Riverside 18, CSU Bakersfield
22. Technical fouls--UC Riverside-None, CSU Bakersfield-None. A-341
