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California State University at Bakersfield Athletics

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Ashley Austin
Clark Clifford
70
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 5-10
78
Winner Utah Valley UVU 8-7
CSU Bakersfield CSUB
5-10
70
Final
78
Utah Valley UVU
8-7
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 19 17 11 23 70
Utah Valley UVU 25 19 15 19 78

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Women’s Basketball Splits Opening Weekend



BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – CSU Bakersfield women's basketball dropped an eight-point, 78-70, decision on the road against Utah Valley University on Saturday afternoon. The Wolverines would improve 8-7, 2-0 WAC while the Roadrunners fell 5-10, 1-1 WAC on the year.
 
"It was good to see that we were able to battle back after digging ourselves into a double-digit hole," said head coach Greg McCall. "We're going to be okay. We'll head back home tonight with the road split and continue to work on us and fix a few key areas."
 
Bakersfield opened the contest with five quick points in the first minute of the period but Utah Valley would knock down a triple in the first minute then go on a 9-0 run before Nandi Jorden split two free throws with 6:31 left on the clock. The Roadrunners brought the deficit within four points three times in the last two and a half minutes of the first quarter behind nine-straight points from Alexxus Gilbert, but the squad would finish the quarter down 19-25.
 
The Wolverines jumped out to a 10-point lead in their first two possessions of the second quarter which prompted a quick CSUB timeout. Bakersfield used the next six and a half minutes to chip away at the deficit and bring the score within four points, down 32-36. The two teams would trade baskets in the last three minutes to give UVU an eight-point lead at halftime.
 
The Roadrunners opened with a 4-0 start to the third period, bringing the score within four points, but it would be all UVU thereafter. A 9-0 run gave the Wolverines a 13-point lead before JJ Johnson picked up a steal and layup to snap a five-minute scoring drought. CSUB was unable to cut the deficit to single digits to close the period, down 47-59 at the end of the third.
 
The Wolverines held a 14-point lead, their largest of the contest, in the fourth quarter but a tenacious Roadrunner defense turned a potential double-digit loss to a winnable game. Bakersfield was down seven, 66-73, with 1:52 left in the period and in double bonus gave the `Runners an opportunity to stretch a four-possession game longer but UVU was able to hold on for the final, 78-70, score. 
 
"I was pleased with the fact that we were able to cut the led down in the fourth," explained McCall. "We finally started to work extremely hard. If we stop putting ourselves in big deficits to begin with and making it hard on ourselves in the end we're going to start seeing more consistent results."
 
"We know we can do some good things and play from behind, just like in the Seattle U game – but give credit to Utah Valley," added McCall. They did a good job of keeping the momentum going in their favor. We had our opportunities to swing the momentum towards us but weren't able to capitalize. It was good to see a solid performance from our guards but we've got to get more productivity from our posts and our defense needs to get better."
 
Gilbert led CSUB in scoring for the fifth-straight game while putting up 20 or more points in the last four-straight contests. She scored 22 points tonight while Johnson added 10 to round out the Roadrunners' double figure scorers. Dalis Jones had a career-best eight steals and five assists while Ashley Austin recorded a career-high nine points. 
 
McCall went on to add, "Establishing our inside play and getting that inside presence is our focus. Once we get that and lock-in a bit more on the defensive end we'll be okay. We've got a go-to player that is going to produce, now we just have to get some other things done on the inside as well."
 
"It'll be good to get back home for two straight games," said McCall. "Every game for us will be a tough challenge, closely played. We just have to be ready to overcome those challenges. Be ready to fight and claw for 40 minutes in every game."
 
UP NEXT
The CSU Bakersfield women's basketball team will return home next week and welcome UTRGV (6-7, 0-0 WAC) on Thursday and preseason favorite New Mexico State (9-5, 1-0 WAC) on Saturday.
 
~GoRunners.com~
 
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