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UP NEXT: The Roadrunner men's basketball team begins a three-game roadtrip Saturday night traveling to Big West Conference member Cal Poly Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

ON THE AIR: As always, you can follow all of the Roadrunner men's basketbakk action on the radio at KERN NewsTalk 1410 AM. Corey Costelloe will call the play-by-play.

LIVE WEBCAST: Saturday night's game at Cal Poly Saturday will be available as a pay-per-view event through BigWest.TV's video streaming initiative.For a cost of $4.95 fans interested in subscribing to the broadcast can visit www.bigwest.org for more information or log in directly to the CSTV website by clicking here.

As a bonus, fans who sign up to view the Roadrunners' game against Cal Poly will gain free access to view the Dec. 22 game at UC Riverside. Both games are set to tip off at 7 p.m.

MUSTANG NOTES (4-5 overall): Cal Poly enters Saturday's game having lost 2 straight and 3 of 4...defeated Utah State 83?69 on Nov. 15...Mustangs are picked to finish second in the Big West by both the coaches and the media...no Cal Poly player is averaging in double figures but 6 are between 9.3 and 7.3 ppg...Trae Clark and Lorenzo Keeler top the list at 9.3 ppg...Dreshawn Vance adds a team?best 5.0 rpg

SERIES HISTORY: CSUB leads the all?time series 27?22...Cal Poly leads the series in San Luis Obispo 14?9...CSUB has won the last 5 vs. Cal Poly...CSUB has won the last 2 in San Luis Obispo...The teams have met 3 times in the postseason, with CSUB winning all 3 games.

LAST 10 MEETINGS
1994 -- @'RUNNERS 97, Cal Poly 76
1994 -- 'RUNNERS 61, @Cal Poly 58
1993 -- @'RUNNERS 87, Cal Poly 56
1993 -- 'RUNNERS 69, @Cal Poly 53
1993 -- @'RUNNERS 90, Cal Poly 56
1992 -- @Cal Poly 70, 'RUNNERS 67
1992 -- @'RUNNERS 81, Cal Poly 65
*1991 -- @'RUNNERS 79, Cal Poly 70
1991 -- Cal Poly 90, @'RUNNERS 75
1991 -- @Cal Poly 73, 'RUNNERS 71

*CCAA Tournament Game

THIS DATE IN ROADRUNNER HISTORY: The Roadrunners have not lost on December 15 since dropping a 65?61
decision at (then NCAA Division I) Cal State L.A. in 1973. For the record, Cal State L.A. won the PCAA (precursor to the Big West) title that season and advanced to the NCAA Division I Tournament round of 32.

RENEWING ACQUAINTANCES: Saturday night's game at Cal Poly will be the rebirth of one of the great rivalries in NCAA Division II history. The Roadrunners and Mustangs met 49 times in 23 seasons at the NCAA Division II level, with Bakersfield winning 27 of those.
The teams have not met since Feb. 24, 1994 when the 'Runners took a 97?76 decision in the Icardo Center. The last time these teams met in Mott Gym, CSUB squeaked out a 61?58 decision on Jan. 20, 1994.

EXPECT A CLOSE ONE... Not only is the all?time series between these teams close, but they have played more than their share of nail?biters as well. Nearly half of the games ? 23 to be precise ? have been decided by five or fewer points. That includes two overtime decisions (both won by CSUB) and six games decided by a single point (CSUB leads 4?2 in those games).

...BUT IN A BLOWOUT, TAKE THE 'RUNNERS: The 'Runners and Mustangs have played 16 games decided by 10 or more points. Bakersfield holds a 12?4 lead in those games.

GRASMICK MOVES UP CAREER ASSIST LIST: Senior guard Zack Grasmick (Strathmore/Granite Hills HS) added three more assists to his larder Tuesday versus Oregon State, giving him 118 for his career. That total earns Grasmick the No. 36 spot on the CSUB career list. He needs 19 more assists to catch Marcus Moss and crack the top 25 at 137.

CLOSING IN ON ANOTHER MILESTONE: Grasmick sank one more three?pointer Tuesday night, giving him 17 for the season and 124 for his career. He needs just nine more treys to catch Dwuan Rice for No. 2 on the all?time list (133).

...AND THE LITTLE ONES SHALL LEAD THEM: With an eye towards the future, the Roadrunners continue to play a rotation that leans heavily on their younger players. Freshmen and sophomores account for 18 of CSUB's 45 total starts this season and have played 919 of a possible 1,800 minutes this season (51 percent).

AVERAGING MORE ASSISTS THAN SIDNEY CROSBY: Sidney Crosby isn't the only Canadian youngster dishing the assists this season. CSUB freshman point guard Alex Johnson (Toronto/Vaughan Road Academy) has put his passing proficiency on display more and more as he grows accustomed to the collegiate game. Johnson had three more assists versus Oregon State, giving the youngster 28 helpers in his last five games (5.6 apg).

SECOND?HALF BLUES: Given Bakersfield's reliance on youth this season, it probably comes as little surprise that the 'Runners have shot much better earlier in games than late in games as the youngsters make the adjustment to NCAA Division I play. Through the first nine games, Bakersfield is shooting 64 points higher in the first half (.437, 100-of-229) than in the second half (.373, 94-of-252).
Saturday versus Utah State, the 'Runners connected on a healthy 52 percent (14-of-27) in the first half before falling off to 21 percent (6-of-28) in the second half.

WHERE OTHERS HAVE GONE BEFORE: Making the leap from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I play is a big step. It's also a step taken by several Roadrunner rivals over the past few seasons. Bakersfield will be the sixth West Region school to make the jump since 1990. The others are: Cal Poly, Cal State Northridge, Sacramento State, UC Davis and UC Riverside.

In fact, DII and the California Collegiate Athletic Association have been jumping off points for many of the current DI programs in the West. All nine Big West Conference members are former DII schools and all but UC Irvine were formerly in the CCAA. Other former DII and CCAA schools from the West include Fresno State, Pepperdine, San Diego State and San Jose State.

'RUNNERS VS. DI COMPETITION: Although 2007?08 is the first time the Roadrunners take on a full NCAA Division I schedule, it does not mark the first Bakersfield foray into NCAA Division I play. The 'Runners own an all?time mark of 18?52 in 70 games against 35 different Division I opponents. Note that this mark does not include games against current DI teams that were not DI when they met.

36 YEARS OF CSUB BASKETBALL: The 2007?2008 season marks the 37th anniversary of Roadrunner men's basketball at CSUB. Since the program's inception in 1971?72, the Roadrunners have posted an impressive all?time record of 730?314 (.700).