HENDERSON, Nev. (KGET) — In a quarterfinals game against top-seed UC Irvine, the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners were on the brink of defeat, but Taylor Caldwell rose to the occasion, carrying the weight of an entire season and a hometown’s expectations.
Caldwell, a Bakersfield native who transferred back home for her final collegiate season, knew the pressure was immense. “It was definitely a lot of pressure coming back home,” she said. However, with the game tied in double overtime, Caldwell knew what she had to do. “We had to get a bucket somewhere. Somehow we had to find a way. And that’s all that was going through my mind,” she said.
With seconds left, Caldwell took the shot that would define her CSUB career. “It’s exciting. It’s a blessing. And it’s so surreal,” she said. The dream of a conference championship still burns bright for Caldwell and the Roadrunners, who faced their fair share of adversity this season.
“You know, we’ve had a rough, rough season,” Greg McCall said. “I know she’s had a rough season that’s at times, you know, some games where she didn’t look like she was supposed to look,” he added.
However, the team’s script flipped with Caldwell’s game-winning shot, proving that it’s never too late to rewrite your fate.
The Roadrunner’s next game is against (5) UC Santa Barbara on Friday, March 10 at noon.
