BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The CSUB women's basketball team secured its third consecutive winning season in its four seasons of NCAA Division I play by defeating fellow Division I Independent Longwood University 78–70 Saturday afternoon in the Icardo Center.
CSUB improved to 16–11 on the season. With three regular season games (plus any potential postseason play) the Roadrunner guaranteed their ninth winning season in 10 seasons of women's basketball play.
Amber Williams (Fontana/Etiwanda HS) led CSUB with 24 points while Nikki Leon (Canyon Country/Canyon HS) chipped in 17 and four assists. Breana Fields (Sacramento/San Jose State) collected seven of CSUB's 13 steals.
Bria white and Crystal Smith led Longwood (6–19) with 14 and 13 points respectively.
On a day when CSUB honored the best players from the first decade of the program's existence — CSUB started women's basketball in 2001 — the current generation proved worthy successors, blowing the game open with an 19–5 run midway through the second half that turned a six–point lead into 20–point blowout. The lead stayed in double digits until the closing seconds.
Longwood stayed close early as CSUB shot just 1–for–7 from long range and led just 32–28 at the break. But CSUB got hot in the final 20 minutes, draining 9–of–12 from beyond the arc. Williams led that barrage with five treys and Leon was a career–best 4–for–4 downtown.
CSUB returns to action Wednesday when it hosts Big West Conference foe Cal State Northridge for a 7 p.m. tip.
CSU BAKERSFIELD 78, LONGWOOD UNIVERSITY 70
LONGWOOD UNIVERSITY (6-19)
Bria White 5-15 0-0 14; Crystal Smith 5-8 1-1 13; Brittany Jones 4-5 0-0 8; Mina Jovanovic 4-6 0-0 8; Heather Tobeck 2-7 2-2 6; Brittanni Billups 3-5 0-1 6; Erin Neal 2-5 0-1 5; Chelsea Coward 2-8 1-2 5; Emilee Dunton 1-3 0-0 3; Krystal Garrison 1-1 0-0 2; Lindsey Martin 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-63 4-7 70.
CSU BAKERSFIELD (16-11)
Williams, Amber 8-20 3-4 24; Leon, Nikki 4-6 5-6 17; Fields, Breana 2-4 4-6 8; Outland, Tyonna 3-7 2-3 8; Smith, Jana 1-7 3-8 5; Davis, Tamiko 2-5 1-2 5; Herman, Kristine 2-7 0-0 5; Johnson, Cebrina 1-2 2-2 4; Carter, Lauren 0-1 2-4 2; Brown, Aly 0-1 0-0 0; Carter, Shawnee 0-0 0-0 0; McKenney, Madison 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-60 22-35 78.
Longwood University........... 28 42 - 70
CSU Bakersfield............... 32 46 - 78
3-point goals--LW 8-14 (White 4-6; Smith 2-3; Neal 1-1; Dunton 1-2; Coward 0-1; Jovanovic 0-1), CSUB 10-19 (Williams 5-9; Leon 4-4; Herman 1-5; Johnson 0-1). Fouled out--LW-Smith. Rebounds--LW 41 (White 7), CSUB 38 (Fields, Smith 7). Assists--LW 18 (Neal 5), CSUB 12 (Leon 4). Total fouls--LW 28, CSUB 13. Technical fouls--None. A-390
