LA JOLLA, Calif. ? One streaked continued while another was halted on Saturday night in RIMAC Arena as the 13th-ranked Cal State Bakersfield women's basketball team won their 16th-straight with an 80-72 victory over 21st-ranked UC San Diego. The loss stops the Tritons' 11-game win streak and drops UCSD to 15-3 overall and 10-2 in CCAA play.
The Roadrunners improve to 18-1 overall and 11-1 in league action and jump into first place by themselves atop the league standings. CSUB also avenges its only loss of the season, a 101-91 overtime defeat at the hands of UCSD on December 3rd in Bakersfield.
UC San Diego held a slim 42-41 advantage at halftime but made only 8-of-22 shots from the floor in the second half as the Roadrunners out-scored the Tritons 39-30 for the 8-point margin of victory. CSUB did not shoot much better in the second stanza, making only 12-of-31 from the field. They did, however, make 23-30 free throws in the contest, which proved to be the difference as UCSD made only 15-of-28 from the charity stripe.
Katie McElree led the ?Runners with 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Jessie Loring added 15 points while freshman Krista Arase had nine points and a game-high nine assists on the night.
UCSD freshman Michelle Osier set a new career-high with her 21 points to go along with 14 rebounds, three assists and two steals. Sophomore center Briana Hinga had a career-high in both points and rebounds with 16 and 18, respectively, while also dishing out four assists, making three steals and blocking five shots. CCAA leading scorer Leora Juster was limited to just 16 points on the night, 6.5 below her season per game average.
Saturday night's game had huge West Regional implications as CSUB entered the contest with the No. 1 regional ranking while UCSD held the No. 2 spot. The Tritons were ranked No. 1 in the first poll that was released three weeks ago, but since then, the Roadrunners claimed the top-spot in each of the last two polls. The top-8 teams in the West Region qualify for the NCAA Tournament that begins on March 11.
UCSD returns to action next weekend, facing the 4th-ranked team in the West Region, Chico State, on the road Friday night in Chico before traveling to Cal State Stanislaus on Saturday evening. Both of those games are slated for 5:30 p.m. tip-offs.
