Henderson, Nev. - With the game on the line, Vanessa Austin must have had a moment of déj vu as she snatched an offensive rebound from a rumble of hands with two seconds remaining in overtime.
Cal State Bakersfield had previously traveled to the Metadome to face CSUN on February 12th and was left heartbroken. On that occasion, Jordan Jackson hit a pair of free throws for the Matadors, Jaden Eggleston missed a shot from close, and Austin could not connect on a putback that went short.
This time, Jordan Jackson hit a pair of free throws, Lexus Green missed a shot from close, and Austin found himself in game-winning position.
"So this time I was like, 'Let me kiss this over the glass,'" she said.
The desperate shot bounced in less than a second, the culmination of a crucial run for Austin with 12 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, and the Roadrunner on the following possession to lead Tess Amundsen to a 63–62 victory and the lead. Blanket given. The next round of the Big West Conference tournament.
Eggleston, playing just outside his hometown of Las Vegas, had 15 points in the first half which was a red-hot start for the Roadrunners. But the Matadors bounced back from a deficit that stretched to 13 points and took their first lead at the start of the fourth quarter.
Eggleston finished with 29. Austin posted 16 points and 11 rebounds after spending the majority of the game on fouls.
"When I'm posting, I really take my time so that, obviously, I don't pick up another foul," Austin said. "I knew my team needed me, so I had no choice but to bow down."
CSUB coach Greg McCall said it required a change of strategy: "We told them, 'Stop setting the screen. Don't move. Just stay where you are.'"
CSUN was led by 24 points from Amundsen. Fresno's junior joined the deep four times in the second half. Jackson came alive late for a series of key baskets, including back-to-back 3-pointers and go-forward free throws in overtime, ending with 19.
Practically everyone was closed early for the CSUN. Amundsen missed his first two attempts from long distance, and Kayna Spriggs and Jackson were called to the early charge, which scored 16–3 for CSUB.
But in the second quarter, some strong moves for Michel Duchemin reduced CSUN to just 23-17. The Roadrunner entered the half with the same margin at 27-21.
CSUN's 3-point drought did not last long. Upon their initial possession of the quarter, the Matadors obtained it to Amundsen, who was immediately attached to the deep. Later, there was a crucial crash with the Roadrunner 33–28 when Duchemin accused Austin of sending three fouls down the bench back to center.
Powered by another Amundsen 3-pointer, CSUN entered the final quarter to take a 35-33 lead. He then got a second chance immediately after the break to give the Matadors the lead.
Soon, Austin returned and turned the game into a post-war game. First he put back a missed 3-pointer. She then received an inbound and passed it back to Tatyana Claiburn for a 3-pointer that extended CSUB to 43-39. In the end, she collided with Olivia Smith at the bottom of the basket while going for the lay-up. The layoff fell through, and Smith was called for a foul. After time ran out, Austin added another basket to make it 47–39.
But the Matadors linked on three 3-pointers in the last five minutes, including a game-tying effort from the corner by Anayah Tua with one minute left.
CSUN had a chance to win on lay-up by Spriggs, with 11 seconds to spare, but it went wide to send the game to overtime.
With the CSUB one point late in the extra period, the Saxons, while attempting to defend Jackson on the drive to the basket, were called for a foul. Jackson made both free throws. This set up the Roadrunner with 15 seconds remaining for the final game.
The play was blanketed, and Greene had to toss a competitive layup that hit the back rim. Austin jiggled the ball over Amundsen and Tu'aa, driving home for the win.
It went down as the Roadrunners' first win outside the Ecardo Center this year after a 4–19 regular season.
"We've done something special here," McCall said.