Box Score

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A trio of 'Runners finished with double figures, while CSU Bakersfield used a strong defensive effort to defeat Grand Canyon 61-55 in the semifinals of the Western Athletic Conference women's basketball tournament Friday afternoon.

"The win is a historical moment for us because we've never gotten past the second round to get to the championship," said head coach Greg McCall. "We're really excited."
 
The Lopes (16-14) took an early 11-4 lead in the first quarter, but the 'Runners (18-12) responded with a run of their own and brought the game within two (16-14) going into the second quarter. CSUB outscored GCU in the remaining three quarters, limiting the Lopes to nine points in the fourth.
 
Alexxus Gilbert scored a team-best 14 points, while Vanessa Austin and Aja Williams added 13 and 11 points, respectively. Williams also grabbed 10 rebounds to collect her second double-double of the season, third in her career.
 
A duo of Lopes recorded double-digit figures in the contest. Brie Mobley had a game-high 16 points, her teammate Jessica Gajewski chipped in 14 and pulled down a team-best seven boards.

"It's going to be another dog fight," said McCall. "So for us, we just have to play our game – we're 40 minutes away."

The Roadrunners advance to the WAC Tournament finals for the first time in program history where they will face the No. 4 seed Seattle. The Redhawks defeated the first seed, New Mexico State, 84-61 on Friday in the second semifinals game. The game will be livestreamed tomorrow on ESPN3, the Watch ESPN and ESPN apps at 2 p.m.