Sports Editor
After two overtime periods, the season came to an end for the CSU Bakersfield women’s basketball team as it lost to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley 73-72 on Friday at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.
“I’m very proud of my team (and) how they battled,” said CSUB head coach Greg McCall. “It was several, actually, a lot of different plays that hurt us. We had an opportunity to go take it and we didn’t. We let it slip through our fingers.”
Photo by WAC Sports
CSUB struggled in the overtime periods to rebound the ball defensively and kept giving up second chance opportunities to UTRGV.
In the second overtime period, the Vaqueros had nine offensive rebounds and nine second-chance opportunities.
CSUB senior forward Batabe Zempare was unable to help her team out as she fouled out in the first overtime period.
“That was the worst feeling ever,” said Zempare. “Feeling like you can’t do anything to help the situation, that was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.”
Zempare finished the last game of her career with a double-double and had a career-high 25 points and also grabbed 16 rebounds.
Both CSUB and UTRGV had abysmal shooting stats as the Roadrunners shot 29.9 percent on 26 of 87 shooting and the Vaqueros shot 31.5 percent on 23 of 73 from the field.
“This game is probably the craziest game we’ve had all season,” said CSUB freshman guard Addi Walters. “Even though we lost, it was one of the (most fun) games we’ve ever played in. I never played in a game like this.”
Walters finished with 15 points and 6 rebounds.
“I definitely learned a lot this year,” said Walters. “I’m not really thinking about next year yet, still feeling the pain from this game. I was only focused on this year and winning it for the seniors.”
The Roadrunners kept with in reaching distance of the Vaqueros as UTRGV led for 34:46 of the game and its largest lead being 11.
“Somebody had to lose I wish it wasn’t us, of course,” said McCall. “I am very proud of my team. They represent the university very well. They represent themselves. I couldn’t be more proud. I couldn’t ask (more from them) because they definitely left everything on the floor.”
