1 minute read
UCSB women’s basketball takes on Roadrunners in Big West semifinals
By KRISTEN KELLER UCSB SPORTS
The UCSB women’s basketball team (20-11, 12-8 Big West) have made it to the semifinals of The Big West Championships as they get ready to fight for a spot in the Championships this afternoon. The fifth-seeded Gauchos will take on the ninth-seeded Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners. The Gauchos swept both legs of the series during the regular season while boasting a 10-4 record against CSU Bakersfield.
Last Time Out
The Gauchos played in the quarterfinal round of The Big West Championships against UC Davis, who came into this game seeded fourth in the tournament. UCSB could not be stopped as they only allowed the Aggies to score 13 points in the first half, the lowest number of points scored in a half during The Big West Championships, as The Gauchos were up 41-13. The lower-seeded Gauchos continued their pursuit into the second half and didn’t let up as they took down the Aggies 70-36 to move onto the semifinals.
SCOUTING THE ROADRUNNERS
• Cal State Bakersfield defeated two higher seeds on their way to The Big West Semifinals. They took down the eighth-seeded CSUN Matadors in the opening round on Tuesday before defeating No.
1 UC Irvine in a double overtime thriller. Taylor Caldwell, Hennie Van Schaik and Sophia Tougas have been the offensive leaders for the Roadrunners. Caldwell is averaging 17.5 points per game through the tournament while Van Schaik and Tougas are averaging 12.0 and 11.5 points per game.
• Throughout the regular season, the Roadrunners ranked highly in the NCAA in blocks per game and field goal percentage defense. Cal State Bakersfield are first in The Big West and 17th in the NCAA in this category, holding their opponents to just a 35.9 field goal percentage. Along with that, they were 18th in the country and No. 1 in the league in blocks per game, averaging 4.9 a game. The Roadrunners also hold their opponents to just 28.1 percent from beyond the arc, the lowest number in The Big West.
• The team’s blocks per game average is in huge part to Kayla Morris. She is 10th in the NCAA and Please see UCSB on A8
