BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Utah Valley women's basketball clawed its way back from a fourth-quarter deficit, but CSU Bakersfield received a timely three-pointer from junior guard Jazmine Johnson to hold off the Wolverines, 63-58, in Saturday's WAC opener inside the Icardo Center.
 
With 58 seconds remaining in the contest, the Wolverines (6-10, 0-1 WAC) fell short of a completed comeback as CSUB sophomore guard Kate Tokuhara found a wide open Johnson in the left corner for the Roadrunners' (7-8, 1-0 WAC) go-ahead basket. CSUB's late three-pointer cut short a comeback attempt that saw UVU regain the lead heading into the final two minutes of play.

"I thought we were really good tonight with our mentality," said Utah Valley head coach Cathy Nixon. "We've grown and learn a lot. We stayed focused and were resilient when things didn't go our way. It was really disappointing to not get the win, but I'm really proud of the way the girls competed and I feel very optimistic about the rest of the year if we continue to play that well."
 
Senior guard Taylor Christensen scored a team-best 19 points, including a season-best 11 free throws (11-of-12), to lead a pair of double-digit scorers for UVU in the loss. Utah Valley Sophomore guard Gabrielle Leos poured in 12 point and made a team-high three three-pointers (3-of-6 3-pt FG) to match her career high from beyond the arc.
 
Christensen sank eight of her 11 made foul shots during the third quarter to help keep UVU afloat within single digits of the 'Runners. The 5-8 senior also finished on a layup from the right side to finish with 10 of the Wolverines' 14 third-quarter points.
 
Facing a five-point deficit to start the fourth quarter, the Wolverines went on a 13-6 run to take a 57-55 lead on free throws from sophomore forward Jordan Holland with 2:03 left in the game.  The two made foul shots followed two straight three-pointers by senior guard Mariah Seals to end a personal slump of 11 consecutive missed shot and even bring UVU even with CSUB, 55-55.
 
After their go-ahead basket, the 'Runners sank 3-of-4 free throws to close the game and short hand the Wolverine comeback attempt. Johnson made one free throw and junior guard Alexxus Gilbert hit her two foul shots down the stretch for CSU Bakersfield.
 
The fourth-quarter push by UVU also included an 8-4 scoring burst that started with the third three-point bucket by Leos. During their quarter-opening offensive streak, Seals made her first three of the afternoon from the left wing to bring the Wolverines within one point of the 'Runners, 53-52, with just over five minutes left in the contest.
 
Along with her free throw makes in the final period, Holland pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds – seven of which came on the offensive end – to help Utah Valley to win the offensive rebound battle, 23-17, on it's new season high in offensive boards. Those extra possessions gave UVU a 16- 10 advantage in second-chance points despite suffering its second straight defeat.

"We did a good job on the boards, which we knew was going to be a key part of the game. One of the interesting things was how close this game really was. This was a really tight game," said Nixon.
 
However, CSUB made a game-high 10 three-point shots as a team and shot a game-best 39.3 percent to take the victory. Behind their 10 made shots from downtown, the Roadrunners hit five in the second quarter as part of a 13-5 run to end that period with their first lead on the Wolverines, 33-30.
 
The Wolverines will continue their three-game road swing to begin WAC play with a pair of contests at UMKC on Jan. 11 at 6 p.m. MT. Following that game, Utah Valley heads to Chicago State for a game on Jan. 13 at 1 p.m. MT.