Kacie Sowell (Ventura, Calif.) put the Redhawks on the board with a layup at 19:35 and Seattle U jumped out to a nine point lead, 9-3, by 16:43.
Melissa Sweat hit the Roadrunners’ first five points but following a layup at 16:29, SU would hold CSUB scoreless for the next five straight minutes to lead, 18-5.
Dajy Vines put Bakersfield within eight, 20-12, at 8:34 on a pair of free throws, but Taelor Ross (Vancouver, Wash.) hit a pair of her own to increase the Redhawk lead back to double digits, 22-12, at 8:20.
Tyonna Outland and Makenna Clark (Lake Tapps, Wash.) traded a pair of free throws apiece over the next minute to start a 12-0 SU run as they led 32-17 with 4:40 left in the half. Outland ended the Roadrunners’ second four-minute scoring draught of the half with a layup at 4:19.
The teams traded baskets over the next two minutes before Bakersfield scored the final three points of the half. Despite the 9-4 CSUB run to close the half, SU remained in the lead, 37-28, at halftime.
The Redhawks narrowly outscored the Roadrunners, 9-6, in the opening three minutes of the second half to extend their lead back out to double digits. The teams would trade baskets as SU led by as many as 14, 58-44, at 11:32.
On a 7-2 run, the Redhawks extended their lead to 16, 62-46, their largest lead of the game, at 9:18 but the Roadrunners answered back with a 10-0 run to trail by just seven, 63-57, at 5:46. Sweat and Outland each contributed four points on the run.
Each team scored six straight points before Ross drove in a fastbreak layup at 3:08 to keep Seattle U ahead, 72-63.
Bakersfield got hot from behind the three-point line as Outland and Vines hit back-to-back three pointers to put CSUB down by just one, 72-71, after a 8-0 run.
Sowell drove in a layup and Ward added three on a three-point play, with extra free throw, but Outland and Brooklynn Hinkens tied the score twice, bringing CSUB’s back-to-back three-pointer tally to four.
Sowell was fouled with 33 seconds remaining to give SU a one point lead, 78-77, but Alyssa Shannon and Outland combined to go 3-for-4 from the line and give CSUB the 80-78 win.
Ross led the Redhawks with a career high 22 points, while Ashley Ward (Irvine, Calif.) tied her season high with 16. Sowell also contributed 21 points and 13 rebounds, good for her fifth double-double of the season.
Outland led all players with a career-high 33 points. Despite the loss, Seattle U led from the field (42.6 to 39.4 percent) as well as from the line (78.8 to 71.9 percent). The Redhawks also outrebounded the Roadrunners, 47-37.
Seattle U (8-10, 3-2 WAC) looks to rebound as they face Utah Valley in Orem, Utah on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 3 p.m. MT/2 p.m. MT. Links to available live coverage are on the women’s basketball schedule page at GoSeattleU.com. Fans can also follow @su_athletics and @su_wbb on Twitter as well as su_redhawks and su_wbb on Instagram throughout the road trip and season for updates on the team.