CSUB women's basketball has home opener canceled due to COVID-19
Nov. 26—In an announcement that evoked memories of last winter, Cal State Bakersfield put out a press release Saturday stating that its women's basketball home opener has been canceled due to COVID-19 protocols in the Fresno Pacific program.
The Roadrunners were slated to play the Division II Sunbirds Sunday in the Icardo Center after more than three weeks away from home.
That absence, which dates back to a Nov. 5 scrimmage against Biola, will now extend to nearly a month before CSUB hosts Omaha next Sunday.
Fresno Pacific would have been ostensibly the weakest opponent in the Roadrunners' schedule, which has already included road dates with USC, Fresno State and UNLV — CSUB beat the Bulldogs and is 1-2 so far — and after Omaha will feature another set of away games at Pepperdine, Sacramento State and UCLA.
After facing the Bruins, the Roadrunners will host Pacific before kicking off their third Big West season at home against UC Riverside Dec. 29.
Last season's CSUB team had seven of eight games canceled due to COVID-19 between December and January, at the height of the omicron variant, during a period in which the Roadrunners went nearly three months without a win.
Women's basketball now becomes the first CSUB team with a canceled game on its schedule in the 2022-23 school year.
Reporter Henry Greenstein can be reached at 661-395-7374. Follow him on Twitter: @HenryGreenstein.
