POMONA, Calif. – The Cal State Bakersfield men's basketball team said farewell to Cal Poly Pomona by breaking a five-game losing streak at Kellogg Gym with a 65-59 victory over the Broncos Friday night. It was Bakersfield's first win in Pomona since the 2001 season.
Senior forward Richard Andrews led a balanced Roadrunner effort with 14 points and eight rebounds. Junior guard Zack Grasmick (Strathmore/Granite Hills HS) and freshman forward Trent Blakley (Alta Loma HS) each chipped in 10 points.
Dion Cook led Cal Poly (11-4, 7-3 CCAA) with a game-high 16 points. Larry Gordon added a game-high nine rebounds for the Broncos.
After a rare two-game losing streak at home last weekend, Bakersfield (8-9, 7-3 CCAA) bounced back with its best effort since ending the NCAA Division I portion of its schedule in December. The Roadrunners played a suffocating, trapping defense that Cal Poly all but gave up trying to attack early, settling for a season-high 31 three-point attempts of which it made just eight.
The game was close early with both defenses playing reasonably well. But Bakersfield took control midway through the first half when a Blakley three-pointer ignited a 12-0 run that turned a slim 17-14 lead into a 15-point advantage at 29-14.
The Roadrunners carried a 15-point lead, 34-19, into the second half before Cal Poly made its first run. Three-pointers by Billy Hofman and former Roadrunner Luis Pulido trimmed the Bakersfield advantage to seven points less than three minutes into the second half.
Head Coach Keith Brown called a time out to settle the troops and Bakersfield responded by getting its lead back to as many as 14 points, 60-46, with six minute remaining.
In foul mode to preserve the clock, Cal Poly made the final moments interesting by sending the Roadrunners to the free throw line, from where they struggled. Bakersfield missed nine of 14 free throws in the final 1:44 of regulation as Cal Poly trimmed the lead to 63-59 with 14 seconds remaining. But Pulido turned the ball over on Broncos' ensuing possession and Rice made two free throws to seal the win.
The Roadrunners return to action Saturday night when they play at CCAA-leading Cal State San Bernardino. Bakersfield trails San Bernardino by one game in the standings.
CS BAKERSFIELD (8–9, 7–3 CCAA): Dwuan Rice 3-6 2-4 9; Richard Andrews 6-11 2-4 14; Zack Grasmick 3-5 1-2 10; Trent Blakley 4-7 0-0 10; Carl Damus 3-5 3-4 9; Randall Harding 0-4 0-3 0; Brandon Robinson 0-0 0-0 0; Demarcus Hall 1-3 3-4 5; Rick Robinson 4-5 0-0 8. TOTALS: 24-46 11-21 65.
CAL POLY POMONA (11–4, 7–3 CCAA): Billy Hofman 3-10 0-0 9; Luis Pulido 2-7 0-0 5; Dion Cook 5-15 4-6 16; Kaelen Daniels 3-6 1-1 7; Bill Forelli 3-6 0-1 7; Donnelle Booker 1-1 3-3 5; Kevin Neveu 0-1 1-2 1; Kyle Krause 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 21-56 9-13 59.
HALFTIME: CSUB 34-19. 3-PT. FG: CSUB 6-10 (Grasmick 3-5, Blakley 2-2, Rice 1-2, Harding 0-1); CPP 8-31 (Hofman 3-9, Cook 2-8, Forelli 1-3, Pulido 1-5, Gordon 1-6). REBOUNDS: CSUB 37 (Andrews 8); CPP 28 (Gordon 9). ASSISTS: CSUB 16 (Rice 7); CPP 12 (Booker 3). TURNOVERS: CSUB 17, CPP 14. BLOCKS: CSUB 2 (Damus, Harding); CPP 3 (3 with 1). STEALS: CSUB 4 (Damus, B. Robinson 2); CPP 3 (3 with 1). TECHNICALS: None. FOULED OUT: Pulido. OFFICIALS: Bannowsky, Mallory, Starkins. ATTN: 1,710.
