The Cal State Bakersfield women’s basketball team survived an emotion-filled game to defeat Chico State 79-77 on Jennifer Hansen’s (Porterville HS) late basket Friday night in Chico. The win keeps the No. 22 ranked (NCAA Division II) Roadrunners in a first place tie with Cal Poly Pomona at 16-3 (20-4 overall).
Chico, playing the night after the death of long-time Coach Mary Ann Lazzarini to cancer, had the emotional edge, but it was Hansen, the unexpected star, who changed the emotional tide in the closing seconds.
Chico had the ball with 46 seconds to play and the score tied at 77-77. CSUB made perhaps its best defensive stand of the night on the possession, but with four seconds left on the shot clock, Hansen kicked an entry pass, giving the Wildcats a chance at the final shot with 20 seconds to play.
Chico got the ball inside to leading scorer Jennifer Kern, but Kern missed a turnaround jumper and then a short put back of her original miss.
The ball found its way into the hands of CSUB point guard Holly Armstrong who dribbled out of traffic before making a long pass down the right wing to Hansen. After a two-dribble drive, Hansen stopped, pump faked and nailed a 10-foot jumper with four seconds remaining.
Chico guard Smilie Glenn heaved the ball down court, but the ball bounced out of bounds well ahead of the pack as time expired.
Junior center Heather Garay, the nation’s leading scorer at 24.6 points per game, poured
in 33 points with 11 rebounds for her conference-leading 17th double-double of the season. Junior guard Diane Dittburner, the No. 5 scorer in the nation, added 18 points. Armstrong finished with eight assists.
Runner@csubak.edu