BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Senior center Carl Damus (Port St. Lucie, Fla./Pensacola CC) came up big when the Cal State Bakersfield men's basketball team needed him most, scoring a career-high 25 points to lead the Roadrunners past upset-minded Cal State Stanislaus 90-78 at Rabobank Arena Saturday night.
Damus scored 10 first-half points then poured in 15 in the second half to help Bakersfield parry several Warrior comeback attempts. Damus also chipped in a game-high nine rebounds as the Roadrunners built a 41-29 advantage on the glass.
The win lifts Bakersfield (12-11, 11-5 CCAA) above .500 for the first time this season. The Roadrunners opened the season by playing a school record 12 games on the road, including seven against NCAA Division I competition. Bakersfield is in its first year of transition to NCAA Division I status.
Stanislaus (11-11, 7-9) jumped out quickly, building a 12-2 lead before the game was five minutes old. But Bakersfield responded with a 14-2 run of its own to take a 16-14 lead within five minutes.
The Roadrunners got the lead to nine points, 43-34, by halftime then held on as Stanislaus cut its deficit to three points twice in the second half, the last time at 58-55 with 10:37 remaining.
A pair of Damus free throws stopped the run and Bakersfield eased away. The 'Runners built their lead to as many as 19 points at 83-64 before a late Warrior surge made the final margin 12.
In addition to Damus, freshman guard Trent Blakley (Alta Loma HS) scored 13 points and matched Damus' game-high nine rebounds in his second consecutive start. Heath Colvin led four Warriors in double figures with 19 points.
Bakersfield hits the road for four consecutive games, beginning Friday at UC San Diego. Stanislaus returns home to host Cal Poly Pomona Friday at Warrior Arena.
CS STANISLAUS (11–11, 7–8 CCAA): Heath Colvin 7-11 5-5 19; Cameron Quick 3-10 4-6 10; Rick Cardoso 1-3 4-7 6; Rondell Howard 4-6 0-1 10; Marcus Martinez 3-5 2-2 10; Nci Pederson 1-3 1-2 3; Calvin Westbrook 1-2 0-0 2; Dominique Pennix 2-7 2-3 7; Kevin Maloney 0-0 0-0 0; Kenyata Madison 3-6 2-2 9; Casey Fletcher 0-1 2-2 2; Scott Behrs 0-2 0-0 0; Jon Schraeder 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 25-56 22-30 78.
CS BAKERSFIELD (12–11, 11–5 CCAA): Richard Andrews 4-7 3-4 11; Trent Blakley 5-11 3-6 13; Carl Damus 8-14 9-11 25; Dwuan Rice 3-9 0-0 6; Brandon Robinson 2-6 0-0 6; Randall Harding 1-1 3-6 5; Robert Rose 4-6 0-0 8; Zack Grasmick 1-4 0-0 3; Brandon Nevens 1-1 3-4 5; Demarcus Hall 3-4 1-2 7; Rick Robinson 0-0 1-2 1. TOTALS: 32-63 23-35 90.
HALFTIME: CSUB 43-34. 3-PT. FG: CSS 6-21 (Howard 2-3, Martinez 2-4, Madison 1-2, Pennix 1-6, Cardoso 0-1, Pederson 0-1, Quick 0-2, Behrs 0-2); CSUB 3-14 (B. Robinson 2-4, Grasmick 1-4, Rice 0-1, Andrews 0-1, Hall 0-1, Blakley 0-3). REBOUNDS: CSS 29 (Quick 6); CSUB 41 (Blakley, Damus 9). ASSISTS: CSS 8 (Howard 3); CSUB 20 (Grasmick 5). TURNOVERS: CSS 25, CSUB 21. BLOCKS: CSS 1 (Howard); CSUB 2 (Damus, Harding). STEALS: CSS 9 (Colvin 4); CSUB 10 (Andrews 3). TECHNICALS: None. FOULED OUT: Cardoso. OFFICIALS: Williams, Kelley, Hackett. ATTN: 2,759.
