Seattle University women's basketball finished their regular season facing CSU Bakersfield (7-22) for the second game in a row, this time on the Roadrunners' home court. Despite a win in last week's contest in Seattle, the Redhawks fell to CSUB in the final seconds, 89-87.
The Redhawks took the early lead, scoring the first 10 points of the game, and leading 15-2 with 15:17 left in the first half.
CSUB brought it to within ten, 27-19, with 10:23 left before halftime as Kristine Herman hit a three-point basket.
Seattle U outscored CSU Bakersfield, 16-11, over the next seven and a half minutes to extend their lead to 13, with 2:59 left in the first half. They kept a ten point lead at the halftime buzzer and went into the locker room leading the Roadrunners, 50-40.
The Roadrunners came out of the halftime break on a roll, as they went on a 13-6 run to cut the lead to three with 14:11 left in the second half.
The margin continued to be close throughout the rest of the game, as the Redhawks led by less than six until a Sylvia Shephard (Alta Loma, Calif.) three-pointer with 8:09 left in the game put Seattle U back up by seven. Another three-pointer by Shephard put the Redhawks back up by 11 with 6:31 left in the contest and they again led by 11 with a Kacie Sowell (Ventura, Calif.) layup at 5:35, but this proved to be the largest lead by Seattle U for the remainder of the game.
With 1:03 left in the game, CSU Bakersfield took their first lead of the game, leading by one, 83-82, after a three-pointer by Lauren Carter.
The teams traded baskets over the final minute and with three seconds left, Carter hit the game-winning layup to give CSUB the win, 89-87.
Sowell led Seattle U with 23 points and added 14 rebounds, recording her 15th double-double of the season. Shephard, Elle Kerfoot (Surrey, B.C.), and Talisa Rhea (Juneau, Alaska) also scored in double figures for the Redhawks. Despite the loss, Seattle U led in field goals (55.0 percent), three-point field goals (44.4 percent), and free-throws (86.7 percent). The Redhawks also out-rebounded the Roadrunners, 34-31.
Herman led CSU Bakersfield with 27 points and nine rebounds, and three other Roadrunners scored in double figures, with Carter adding 21 points.
Seattle U (18-11) will hold their team banquet at the Space Needle on Monday, Mar. 12, where they will also announce their potential postseason destiny.