While the free-throw attempts were more evenly matched this game, it was raining threes on the Matadors.
The Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners knocked down eight three pointers en route to their 74-59 victory over the Cal State Northridge women’s basketball team Saturday afternoon at The Matadome.
Bakersfield seniors Christine Kepenekian and Krista Arase led the Roadrunners with 16 points each. They combined to shoot 7-of-10 from the land of three. As a team, Bakersfield shot 8-of-17 from beyond the arc, while the Matadors shot just 2-of-11.
CSUN’s top scorers were senior Whitney Ligon and freshman Jasmine Erving, who each chipped in 11 points. That number was a season-high for both players.
The Matadors were able to keep control of the game during the beginning of the opening period. They held a five-point advantage midway through the half, but that was lost when Bakersfield went on a 16-4 run led by Kepenekian, who scored 12 of her 16 points before the break. The Roadrunners took a lead of as big as 11 points.
Northridge was able to inch closer before halftime and went into the locker room trailing 35-27.
The Matadors surged out of the locker room and quickly grabbed the momentum. They forced the Roadrunners to turn the ball over on four of their first six possessions in the second half, which guided Northridge on a 10-2 run to tie the game at 37.
Bakersfield didn’t waste any time gaining its lead back. Only 90 seconds had ticked off the clock before the Roadrunners found themselves up by nine points. Shorty thereafter, they were up by double digits yet again and the Matadors wouldn’t get any closer than 10 points the rest of the way.
Erving’s 11 points came on 5-of-11 shooting from the floor. She also grabbed two boards and blocked a shot. It was her first career start.
Also making the start for Northridge was freshman Bridgette Conejo. Head Coach Staci Schulz hinted at inserting her into the starting lineup after an impressive outing against San Diego on Wednesday. She struggled offensively this time around, shooting 1-of-6, including missing both of her three-point attempts.
Analee Viena-Lota, who leads Northridge in scoring with just under 12 points per game, shot just 3-of-10 from the field. She was able to haul in 10 rebounds for the second straight contest, and leads the squad with over eight per game. It was the forward’s second double-double this season.
Senior guard Tonicia Tademy had an efficient overall game. She scored eight points, dished out six assists and grabbed four rebounds. Katrina Thompson also had a nice outing with seven points, seven rebounds, and four assists.
As a team, the Matadors shot 33 percent from the field, compared to 40 percent for Bakersfield. Northridge won the rebounding battle for a first time this season (48-39).
Next up for the Matadors is a trip to Alaska to participate in the Great Alaska Shootout. Alaska-Anchorage is hosting the event, while Syracuse and Jackson State are the other two participants.
