BAKERSFIELD, Calif. ? In a battle of former NCAA Division II men's basketball powers, CSUB overcame a late six-point deficit to upend South Dakota State in overtime, 73?71 Friday night at Rabobank Arena.
SDSU (5-7 overall) led 61-56 with five minutes remaining when senior center Ben Beran knocked down a 17-foot jumper for the last of his game-high 25 points. But Zack Grasmick drilled a pair of three-pointers as CSUB (3-10) closed the game on a 9-3 run to force the extra period.
The game was every bit as close as the final score indicated, with the teams playing through 12 ties and 13 lead changes. SDSU nearly forced a second overtime, but Garrett Callahan's 15-foot jumper circled the rim and came back out as time expired.
Sophomore forward Trent Blakley posted career highs of 23 points and nine rebounds to lead CSUB to its second consecutive victory. It marks the first time the Roadrunners have won consecutive games as an NCAA Division I program.
Blakley saved his best for when it counted most, grabbing a defensive rebound then knocking down a pair of free throws with 1:05 remaining in regulation to force overtime. With CSUB clinging to a two-point, 69-67 lead late in overtime, he grabbed his fifth offensive rebound then made two more free throws to give Bakersfield a 73-69 lead it would not relinquish.
In addition to Blakley, Grasmick scored 14 points, including 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Terrence Johns and Alex Johnson also reached double figures for Bakersfield, finishing with 13 and 10 points respectively.
Beran led all scorers for SDSU (5-7) with 25 points on 11-of-16 shooting. Callahan was the only other Jackrabbit in double figures with 16 points.
CSU Bakersfield 73, South Dakota State 71 (ot)
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (5?7 overall): BERAN 11-16 3-4 25; CALLAHAN 5-12 4-5 16; SARGENT 3-6 0-0 8; WILLIAMS 3-7 1-2 8; LONEY 2-3 0-0 4; BASSETT 1-1 1-2 3; PALARCA 1-3 0-0 3; CORDOVA 1-3 0-0 2; MOHAMED 1-3 0-0 2; MOSS 0-0 0-2 0. Totals 28-54 9-15 71.
CSU BAKERSFIELD (3?10 overall): BLAKLEY 8-19 7-13 23; GRASMICK 5-10 0-0 14; JOHNS 4-9 4-5 13; JOHNSON 3-6 2-4 10; C. BROWN 3-5 1-1 7; HALL 1-6 0-2 2; ROBINSON 1-3 0-0 2; BRAGG 0-5 2-2 2; LEE 0-0 0-0 0; R. BROWN 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 25-66 16-27 73.
3-point goals--SDSU 6-17 (CALLAHAN 2-7; SARGENT 2-4; PALARCA 1-3; WILLIAMS 1-2; BERAN 0-1), CSUB 7-15 (GRASMICK 4-7; JOHNSON 2-4; JOHNS 1-2; BRAGG 0-1; BLAKLEY 0-1). Fouled out--SDSU-BERAN, CSUB-None. Rebounds--SDSU 39 (CORDOVA 7; WILLIAMS 7), CSU Bakersfield 36 (BLAKLEY 9). Assists--SDSU 19 (SARGENT 7), CSU Bakersfield 12 (GRASMICK 5). Total fouls--SDSU 20, CSU Bakersfield 13. Technical fouls--SDSU-None, CSU Bakersfield-None. A-1489.
