Dec. 6, 2008
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - The Santa Clara women's basketball team fell 73-65 to California State University Bakersfield Saturday evening at the Icardo Center in Bakersfield. Sophomore transfer Lena Gipson had another standout game, as the Fresno, Calif. native posted her fifth double-double in eight games. Gipson tallied 12 rebounds and scored a season high 22 points, to lead the Bronco offensive attack; however the forward's strong game was not enough to get SCU their second win of the season as they fall to 1-8.
Santa Clara continually battled in the game as they posted 46 rebounds, six steals and three blocks in back and fourth contest. The evenly matched game saw the lead change five times and the score tie at eight different points. The Broncos biggest hindrance was their 19 turnovers; several weak passes and 13 steals by CSUB led the Roadrunners to their fourth win of the season, as they improve to 4-3.
Leading Bakersfield's attack was Nikki Leon, who collected a game-high 23 points. Leon was able to find clearances past defensive pillars Elizabeth Doran and Gipson, who each notched a block. Doran scored four three-pointers in the game, three of which came in the final four minutes. At the 56 second mark, she brought the game to within three, but SCU could not gain enough momentum to get the lead, as they had been trailing the Roadrunners throughout the second half.
Seeing season firsts were sophomore Kathy Willinsky and freshman Victoria Lokhorst. Willinsky garnered her first season start, after coming off the bench in Santa Clara's initial eight games, and Lokhorst saw her first career minutes as she subbed in midway through the second half.
The Broncos remain on the road, as they travel to Salt Lake City, Utah to take on Utah on Saturday, December 13 at 2 p.m.