Assistant Sports Editor
A championship will have to wait at least one more year for the CSU Bakersfield’s women’s basketball team as its falls to the No. 4 seed Seattle University, 57-54 in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament final.
“The one thing I can say is that I’m so, so proud of my team. How they battled each and every possession,” said CSUB head coach Greg McCall. “From the bench to player on the floor. My coaching staff did a remarkable job this whole entire weekend.”
This was the first time CSUB advanced to the WAC final as it had only made it to the semifinals in four of the previous five seasons.
The first quarter started quick for the Roadrunners. A jumper by junior guard Jazmine Johnson started the scoring, giving CSUB a 2-0 lead.
Johnson ended with 12 points and three rebounds. She was named to the All-WAC tournament team along with forward Malayasia McHenry.
“Take care of business early and not to let it [game] fall into the refs hands,” said Johnson on motivation next year.
Freshman forward/center Vanessa Austin accumulated two early fouls and was subbed out of the first quarter with 6:41 left in the first quarter.
Austin totaled six points and four rebounds in the loss against SU.
Seattle U would get to the free throw line 10 times in the first quarter and making nine of them. The nine made free throws helped SU take a 14-12 lead after the first quarter.
CSUB senior center Jazmyne Bartee took over for the Roadrunners in the second quarter scoring nine of the teams 13 points.
“I want to thank everyone at CSUB. They have been the world to me,” said Bartee on her experience at CSUB.
Bartee finished with 15 points, six rebounds and shot three-of-five from the free throw line.
Bartee said would love to play basketball after her college career but would also love to become a teacher.
Junior guard Alexxus Gilbert drained a two-point jumper for CSUB with two seconds left in the first half, tying the game at 25. Gilbert added seven points, three assists and two steals.
The third quarter began with four lead changes in the first four minutes. The Roadrunners only managed to take a one-point lead three times throughout the entire quarter.
Seattle U stretched out to a six point lead with 1:54 left in the quarter, but CSUB stormed back finishing the quarter on a 7-0 run to take a 40-39 lead going into the final quarter.
Austin lead the Roadrunners in scoring with four points in the quarter.
CSUB held its largest lead of the game in the fourth quarter at 8:50 after a three-pointer by sophomore guard Kate Tokuhara gave the Roadrunners a 43-39 lead.
The Redhawks fought back and took the lead for good with 5:32 left in the fourth. Seattle U stretched the lead out to eight points, its largest of the game for them. CSUB scored five straight points to pull within one.
A turnover by the Redhawks with 0:03 left gave the Roadrunners one last chance to tie the game being down 57-54. A last ditch heave by senior guard Aja Williams just misses the basket while skimming the net and ends the game.
CSUB still has a chance to play in postseason play. The two possibilities are the Women’s National Invitation Tournament or the Women’s Basketball Invitation. The more likely of the two for the Roadrunners is the WBI.
All photos by Peter Castillo/ The Runner
