Thanks in part to a game-high 19 points from senior Chelsie Morrison () on Senior Night, the Seattle University women’s basketball team completed the first undefeated season at home in the 32-year history of the program with a 78-69 victory over Cal State Bakersfield Saturday night at the Connolly Center, SeattleU’s 11th straight victory overall.
Cal State Bakersfield (16-10) was ahead through most of the first half, but a three-pointer by Elle Kerfoot (, B.C.) at the buzzer tied the game at 35-35 at halftime. used the momentum from that shot to its advantage, scoring the first six points of the second half, followed by an 18-7 run midway through the second half that extended the lead to 67-55 with 7:26 remaining in regulation.
The Roadrunners would not quit, outscoring SeattleU 14-4 over the next six and a half minutes thanks to eight points from Morgan Saso and six free throws by Christine Kepenekian to pull within two at 71-69 with 56 seconds remaining. Morrison converted on a traditional three-point plat, and Mercedes Alexander (, ) and Cassidy Murillo () each hit two free throws to close out the contest.
Morrison shot 8-of-16 from the field, including two three-pointers, in earning her 19 points, plus she contributed six rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots, and three steals. Breanna Salley () finished with 18 points, six rebounds, and two blocked shots, and Alexander earned her seventh double-double of the season with 17 points and 17 rebounds.
The Seattle University starting backcourt also contributed to the victory, as Kerfoot hit three shots from behind the three-point line and finished with 11 points and five rebounds, while Murillo added nine points, seven rebounds, and six assists to the winning effort. For the game, shot 41.7 percent from the field (25-of-60), including 8-of-18 from the three-point line, and 80 percent (20-of-25) from the free throw line.
Saso shot 9-of-11 from the field to lead CSU Bakersfield with 18 points, plus she pulled down six rebounds and earned two steals. Kepenekian scored 16 points, Katie Williams earned 11 points, eight rebounds, and three steals, and Krista Arase contributed six points, three rebounds, seven assists, and seven steals, as the Roadrunners forced Seattle University into 32 turnovers.
After allowing Cal State Bakersfield to hit 7-of-12 shots from the three-point line in the first half, the SeattleU defense clamped down, as the Roadrunners hit only 1-of-8 shots from long distance after halftime. won the rebounding battle, 52-33, and forced Cal State Bakersfield into 20 turnovers during the game.
The 11-game winning streak is now the third-longest in women’s basketball history and the longest since a 13-game winning streak from Jan. 7 to Jan. 31, 1980. The ten-game home winning streak is tied for the fourth longest in program history and is the longest since the 1992-93 season, when SeattleU won its first ten home games before losing to Simon Fraser on Feb. 22, 1993 (76-66).
(18-7) makes the first of two trips to , and faces the University of North Dakota Friday, Feb. 27, at 4 p.m. local time (2 p.m. Seattle time).