Claesey Tarver scored 21 pts and Nakia Page scored 18 as #11 Bakersfield won a key WSC-South game Saturday 73-59 over #15 Canyons in Santa Clarita.
Bakersfield (15-3, 4-2) came into the game on a 2-game losing streak following a stellar 14-1 start to the season. And Canyons (13-8, 3-3) held a six-point lead late in the first half. But Bakersfield held the host Cougars to just one field goal in the first seven-plus minutes of the second half to take control of the game.
Early on, Canyons got the first basket of the game when Monica Freidl scored from in close, but then Bakersfield went on a 13-0 run to take what would be the largest lead of the first half for either team. Canyons quickly battled back from that 13-2 deficit to get within a point at 17-16 midway through the half, and took a lead when Amber Evans made two free throws to put her team ahead, 23-22, with 6:16 left in the first half.
Canyons extended its lead to as many as six points when Hannah Green scored off a pass from Evans with 3:41 left in the half and added a free throw with 2:25 left before the break to make it 32-26. But Bakersfield cut into that six-point deficit when Alex Green hit a 3-pointer in the final minute of the half to make it 34-31 at intermission.
Then in the second half, Bakersfield quickly drew even when Alex Green scored on a driving lay-up to tie the score at 37. Tarver made a three and Rosebrooke Hunt scored two baskets to give Bakersfield a 48-39 lead seven minutes into the half.
A 3-pointer by Haley Plaze pushed Bakersfield's lead back to 11 points at 54-43 midway through the second half, and Tarver followed with a driving lay-up to make it 56-43. Bakersfield led by double figures the rest of the way, even after Page and Hunt both fouled out near the four-minute mark.
Tarver led all scorers with 21 pts, which included a pair of threes, and she also had 8 rebs, 2 asts, a block and a steal. Page had 18 pts on 9-for-12 from the floor. Alex Green had 14 pts and 3 asts.
For Canyons, Freidl scored 16 pts and grabbed 8 rebs, both team-highs. Jordan Oster scored 12 pts, including 3 three-pointers, and had 2 asts and 2 steals.
The win lifts Bakersfield out of a third-place tie with Canyons and into a second-place tie with Glendale, one game behind division leader Santa Monica.
box score
Saturday, January 24, 2015 - 5 pm
at College of the Canyons, Santa Clarita
WSC-South (women)
Bakersfield 73:
1-Alex Green, PG - 4/9 fg, 5/8 ft, 1 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 4 pf, 14 pts
10-Claesey Tarver, SF - 7/12 fg, 5/5 ft, 8 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 1 pf, 21 pts
15-Rosebrooke Hunt, C - 3/8 fg, 0/2 ft, 8 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 2 stl, 5 pf, 6 pts
20-Yoemma Esparza, SG - 2/9 fg, 4/6 ft, 3 reb, 5 ast, 1 blk, 4 stl, 4 pf, 8 pts
24-Nakia Page, PF - 9/12 fg, 2 reb, 4 stl, 5 pf, 18 pts
11-Khiylah Dean, G - 0/1 fg, 2 stl, 1 pf, 0 pts
23-McKaiela Tyler, G - 1/3 fg, 3 reb, 5 ast, 4 stl, 3 pf, 3 pts
12-Marissa Jones, F - 1 reb, 1 pf, 0 pts
2-Emily Esnoz, G - 1 reb, 1 pf, 0 pts
22-Melissa Duggins, F - 1 pf, 0 pts
14-Haley Plaza, G - 1/2 fg, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 pf, 3 pts
32-Jula De La Rosa, G - 1 pf, 0 pts
team rebounds: 4
Totals: 27/56 fg (.482), 14/21 ft (.667), 32 reb, 17 ast, 4 blk, 18 stl, 28 pf, 73 pts
3-pt fg (5): Tarver 2, Green, Tyler, Plaza
Fouled Out: Page 4:44 left, Hunt 3:59 left
Turnovers (23): Green 5, Tarver 5, Page 3, Tyler 3, Dean 2, Jones 2, Hunt, Esparza, De La Rosa
Canyons Cougars 59:
13-Amber Evans, SF - 2/5 fg, 3/4 ft, 6 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 7 pts
14-Qimmah Russo, PG - 2/5 fg, 0/2 ft, 6 reb, 2 ast, 3 pf, 4 pts
23-Jordan Oster, SG - 3/7 fg, 3/5 ft, 1 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 3 pf, 12 pts
32-Monica Freidl, C - 5/11 fg, 6/6 ft, 8 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 4 pf, 16 pts
34-Nayiri Aslanian, PF - 2/8 fg, 2/2 ft, 6 reb, 2 ast, 2 blk, 1 stl, 3 pf, 7 pts
24-Julie Ilsby, G - 2/5 fg, 1/3 ft, 1 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 2 pf, 6 pts
25-Hannah Green, F - 1/7 fg, 2/4 ft, 2 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 2 pf, 4 pts
22-Tamara Smith, G - 1/2 ft, 1 reb, 1 pf, 1 pt
43-Lizeth Guzman, F - 0/1 fg, 2/2 ft, 1 ast, 2 pts
team rebounds: 7
Totals: 17/49 fg (.347), 20/30 ft (.667), 38 reb, 15 ast, 3 blk, 9 stl, 19 pf, 59 pts
3-pt fg (5): Oster 3, Aslanian, Ilsby
Turnovers (29): Russo 8, Evans 5, Ilsby 5, Aslanian 4, Friedl 3, Green 2, Smith 2
Halftime Score: Canyons 34, Bakersfield 31
Updated Records: Bakersfield (#11-South, #13-Calif) 15-3, 4-2 in WSC-S; Canyons (#15-South) 13-8, 3-3 in WSC-S
Bakersfield led 13-2 early after a 13-0 run. Canyons led 32-26 late in the 1st half.
Bakersfield held Canyons to 1 FG in the 1st 7+ mins of the 2nd half to take a 48-39 lead.
A three by Plaza pushed Bakersfield's lead to 54-43 and BC led by double digits the rest of the way.
