FOR THE FULL VERSION OF THIS RELEASE, COMPLETE WITH STATISTICS, SCHEDULES AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK ABOVE (IF AVAILABLE) OR VISIT WWW.GORUNNERS.COM.

UP NEXT: The Roadrunner men's basketball team its stretch in which it plays seven of eight games on the road Tuesday at Big Sky Conference member the Sacramento State Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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

HORNET NOTES (3-12 overall): Sac State will be playing the 3rd game of a 4?game homestand...the Hornets split the 1st 2, defeating Montana State and falling to Montana to open Big Sky Conference play...the win over MSU snapped a 5?game losing streak...Jr. G Loren Leath leads Sac State at 15.5 ppg...Fr. G Vinnie McGee adds 11.1 ppg and 5.5 apg (No. 35 NCAA)...Jr. C Randy Adams adds 4.8 rpg.

SERIES HISTORY: CSUB leads the series 15?4...CSUB leads the series on the road, 7?3...All previous meetings came when both schools were in Division II...They have not met since the 1991 season...CSUB has won 2 in a row and 8 of the last 9...CSUB won the only NCAA Tournament meeting, 90?89, in 1988.

LAST 10 MEETINGS
1991 at CSUB 83, Sac State 55
1990 CSUB 99, at Sac State 83
1989 Sac State 80, at CSUB 73
1988 at CSUB 90, Sac State 89++
1988 at CSUB 90, Sac State 81
1987 CSUB 75, at Sac State 63
1986 at CSUB 91, Sac State 86
1982 CSUB 70, at Sac State 68
1981 at CSUB 83, Sac State 66
1980 at Sac State 77, CSUB 69

++NCAA Tournament game

THIS DATE IN ROADRUNNER HISTORY: The Roadrunners are a dazzling 7?1 all time in games played on Jan. 15. The only Division I win in that octet was an 89?81 win over Fresno State on 1976.

ANOTHER FORMER DII FOE: The Roadrunners will have a reunion with another former NCAA Division II rival when the play at Sacramento State Tuesday night. The teams have not met since 1991 (when both were still at the Division II level).
Sacramento State is one of eight different opponents the 'Runners will face this season after previously meeting them as NCAA Division II foes (Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Northridge, Cal Poly, UC Riverside, South Dakota State and San Diego are the others).

FINALLY, SOME GOOD NEWS ON THE INJURY FRONT: For the first time this season, the Roadrunners received some good news on the medical front. Freshman guard Alex Johnson (Toronto/Vaughan Road Academy) has been cleared to resume practice following last week's shoulder injury suffered in the UC Davis game. He will dress for Tuesday's game at Sacramento State though he is not expected to start.

Johnson has made an immediate impact as a freshman, leading CSUB with 51 assists (3.6 apg) through 14 games. He also is shooting a team?best 47 percent (22-of-47) from beyond the arc this season.

“HALL” OF FAME NIGHT FOR DEMARCUS: Head Coach Keith Brown gave senior forward Demarcus Hall (Richmond/College of the Sequoias) the starting nod Monday versus Loyola Marymount to add some defensive intensity to the 'Runner front line. Hall made the most of his first start this season, setting career highs in the following categories: Points (23); Field Goals (9); FG Attempts (14); FG Pct. (.643); Free Throws (4); FT Attempts (8); Rebounds (13); Assists (3) and Minutes (27).

STREAKING ROADRUNNERS: The 'Runners will look to make it three consecutive wins Tuesday night in Sacramento. It would be their first three?game win streak since winning four in a row from Feb. 8?17, 2007. They also will look to win back?to?back road games for the first time as an NCAA Division I program.

INDEPENDENT MINDED: Several Roadrunners find themselves ranked among the NCAA Division I Independent leaders in this week's statistical rankings. Freshman guard Alex Johnson is the highest?ranked 'Runner, leading all independent players in three?point shooting at 46.8 percent. Senior guard Zack Grasmick (Strathmore/Granite Hills HS) checks in at No. 3 on the list at 42.7 percent.

Johnson also ranks No. 3 among the assist leaders (3.6 apg) while fellow freshman Donavan Bragg (Inglewood/Serra HS) is sixth at 3.0 apg.

Other 'Runners among the independent top 10 are freshman center Cory Brown (Lakeside/El Capitan HS), who is No. 5 in blocks (1.2 bpg) and junior guard Terrence Johns (Chicago/Bakersfield College), who is No. 7 in scoring (14.6 ppg).

HE'S NUMBER TWO WHEN IT COMES TO THREES: Senior guard Zack Grasmick (Strathmore/Granite Hills HS) has firmly established himself as the No. 2 three?point shooter in CSUB history. He enters Tuesday's game against Sacramento State with 142 treys in his career, nine better than former teammate Dwuan Rice.
In case you're wondering, Kenny Warren owns the CSUB career record at 278.

...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 43 of CSUB's 85 total starts this season and have played 1,773 of a possible 3,425 minutes this season (52 percent).

'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 22?56 in 78 games against 37 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 735?318 (.698).

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 is 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.