The Bakersfield College women's basketball team claimed an impressive 73-66 victory over visiting Antelope Valley College at the Gil Bishop Sports Center on Wednesday night.
The Renegades turned in their highest scoring performance of the season in beating the Marauders, who had won three of their four previous games and came into the night one game out of first place in the Western State Conference South.
"Oh my gosh, this is just awesome," BC coach Paula Dahl said. "This is huge. I'm so proud of these kids."
Julie Olvera had a monster game for BC, scoring a game-high 28 points while grabbing six rebounds and dishing out five assists.
Kennedy Nielson, the team's top scorer this season averaging 16.4 points per game, had 16 points. Veronica Slade contributed 10 points and nine rebounds to the Renegades cause.
Tied 30-30 at halftime BC pulled for good on a basket by Olvera midway through the third quarter.
"This is a big upset for us tonight," an emotional Dahl said. "We talked about how we had to slay the giant and those kids just did it. They battled. They played with confidence the whole time and they're finally starting to realize what they can do. It's exciting…This is phenomenal. I am very, very, very, very, happy."
The Renegades (3-12, 2-3 WSC) out-scored the Marauders (8-12, 3-2 WSC) in each of the final two quarters to win their second straight game.
Destini Price had 24 points and 11 rebounds for Antelope Valley, which jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead.
The lead changed hands 14 times in the first half and 19 times overall.
But BC finally took control with a 12-3 third-quarter run that featured a three-pointer and a pair of free throws by Nielson.
The Renegades freshmen laden lineup got veteran leadership from sophomore MacKaiela Tyler, who had 10 rebounds to go along with four points and four assists.
Tyler and Olvera played all 40 minutes for BC.
The 28 points by Olvera more than doubled her season-high of 13 points. She came into the game averaging 5.8 points per game.
Olvera was 9 of 18 from the field including 4 of 6 from behind the arc.
"She has just kept coming on stronger and stronger, Dahl said. "I am just so proud of her. She has really bought in to what we are doing and listening to the coaches and making stuff happen. Her performance these last several games is what keeps us driving. They (Antelope Valley) thought they were going to be able come in and just shut down Kennedy and MacKaiela. We have other players."