BAKERSFIELD, Calif.---For the second consecutive season, CSU Bakersfield will be playing in the WNIT as the Roadrunners head to UCLA Thursday night. Tip is set for 7 p.m.
For the second straight year, CSUB earns a spot in the tournament after finishing second in the Western Athletic Conference. The Roadrunners lost 75-68 at Saint Mary's in the first round of the 2014 WNIT.
CSUB and UCLA have played once before. On Dec. 3, 2008, the Bruins defeated the Roadrunners 104-57 in Pauley Pavilion. The Roadrunners are 1-1 against the Pac-12 this season. CSUB defeated Arizona 76-72 Nov. 17 in Tucson before losing 83-54 to No. 9 Arizona Nov. 19 in Tempe.
UCLA (13-18) which finished sixth in the Pac-12, was awarded the Pac-12's automatic berth into the WNIT as the top five schools in the conference earned slots into the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament.
Junior Nirra Fields was named All-Conference for the second time in her career (2014 & 2015) after earning honorable mention Pac-12 All-Freshman Team accolades in 2013. Fields leads the team and ranks seventh in the Pac-12 in scoring (14.6) and leads UCLA in rebounding (5.3 rpg). She also leads the Bruins in steals (2.3), which is the third best in the Pac-12.
Jordin Canada was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. Canada is the only freshman to crack the top 25 in the Pac-12 in scoring (24th, 11.0 ppg) and was also named to the All-Freshman Team. Canada was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week four times this year and scored in double figures 19 times.
CSUB assistant coach Nikki Blue was a four-time All-Conference and a two-time honorable mention All-American selection for UCLA during her playing career (2002-06) with the Bruins.
The winner of the CSUB-UCLA game will play the winner of the contest between the University of San Diego and Long Beach State in round two of the tournament. The second round matchup will be played Mar. 21-24 at a site to be determined.
Tyonna Outland (R-Sr., Compton, Calif., Lynwood HS) was named to the All-Tournament team at the WAC Tournament last weekend. Outland averaged 20.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in two tournament games. Outland has now scored 2,050 points entering the WNIT.
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