BAKERSFIELD, Calif.--The Bakersfield women's basketball team opens the 2014-15 season Friday night when the 'Runners host Air Force. Tip is set for 7 p.m.
There will be a pre-game mixer that runs from 5-7 p.m. with the first 250 CSUB students receiving free pizza as a DJ plays music to the crowd.
Bakersfield is the preseason favorite to win the Western Athletic Conference women's basketball title, while Roadrunners' senior Tyonna Outland was selected as the WAC Preseason Player of the Year in a vote of the league's eight head coaches, who could not vote for their own team or players.
The Roadrunners received 48 points and six first-place votes to earn the top spot in the preseason poll. Texas-Pan American was predicted second with 35 points, including one first-place vote. Seattle U came in third with 33 points, narrowly edging Utah Valley with 32 points and the final first-place vote. New Mexico State was predicted fifth with 29 points. Grand Canyon (22), Kansas City (18) and Chicago State (7) round out the poll.
Outland, the lone First Team All-WAC returner, leads the list of Preseason All-WAC Honorees. Joining her on the first team are teammate Batabe Zempare, New Mexico State's Sasha Weber, Texas-Pan American's Shawnte' Goff, and Utah Valley's Rhaiah Spooner-Knight.
The Western Athletic Conference women's basketball media selected Bakersfield as the preseason favorite to win the conference crown during the 2014-15 season, with Outland being selected as the WAC Preseason Player of the Year byt the WAC media.
The Roadrunners earned 10 first-place votes, earning 94 points. Seattle U was picked second with 67 points and one first-place vote. Texas-Pan American and New Mexico State tied for third with 60 points, with the Broncs also earning a first-place vote. Grand Canyon was picked fifth with 51 points. Kansas City was selected to finish sixth with 49 points, followed by Utah Valley in seventh with 39 points and Chicago State eighth with 12 points.
Outland, the lone First Team All-WAC returner, leads the list of Preseason All-WAC Honorees. Joining her on the first team are Zempare, New Mexico State's Sasha Weber, Texas-Pan American's Shawnte' Goff, and Utah Valley's Rhaiah Spooner-Knight.
Air Force is coming off a 1-28 season, losing the final 23 games of the 2013-14 campaign. Jimi Blagowsky is the returning leading scorer for the Falcons at 11.7 ppg. Air Force has seven newcomers on the roster this season. The Falcons defeated the Roadrunners 82-78 in overtime on Dec. 13, 2012 at Air Force in the only other meeting between the two schools.
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