ROADRUNNERS (3-2 overall) vs.
UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO (3-3 overall)
DECEMBER 1, 2008 ? 7:00 p.m.
RABOBANK ARENA ? BAKERSFIELD, CALIF.
KERN NEWSTALK 1410 AM ? BRIGHTHOUSE CH. 26
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TORERO NOTES
USD bounced back from tough losses to nationally?ranked Wisconsin and Miami to beat San Diego Christian Saturday...other loss was at UNLV...other wins were over Nevada and Valparaiso...Sr. G Brandon Johnson paces a trio of Toreros in double figures at 13.3 ppg...also leads at 3.7 apg...Sr. C Gyno Pomare adds 10.6 ppg while So. F Rob Jones chips in 10.3 ppg and 5.8 rpg.
SERIES HISTORY
CSUB leads 3?2. . .CSUB pulled off the 80?72 upset last season. . .the first three meetings came during the 1973 season. . .prior to 2007, the teams last met in 1973. . .CSUB and USD met in the Roadrunners' first?ever NCAA Tournament game. . .the 'Runners won their only NCAA Postseason meeting, 50?44, in Bakersfield.
PREVIOUS 10 MEETINGS
2008 'RUNNERS 80, at USD 72
2007 at USD 92, CSUB 72
1973 at 'RUNNERS 50, USD 44++
1973 at USD 70, 'RUNNERS 69
1973 at 'RUNNERS 73, USD 56
++NCAA Tournament game
THIS DATE IN ROADRUNNER HISTORY
CSUB played its first?ever game on Dec. 1, 1971. The Roadrunners posted a 62?60 win over U.S. International Univ. (located, coincidentally, in San Diego)
THE LAST TIME WE MET: With both teams missing their starting point guards due to injury (CSUB Alex Johnson, USD Brandon Johnson), the Roadrunners led for the final 24:20 to take an 80?72 decision at the Jenny Craig Pavilion on Jan. 9, 2008. Then freshman guard Donavan Bragg (Inglewood/Serra HS) led all scorers with a career?high 20 points while Terrence Johns (Chicago/Bakersfield College) chipped in 18. Gyno Pomare led USD with an 18?point, 16?rebound double?double.
A BIT OF HISTORY: The Roadrunners and Toreros met three times during the 1972?73 season, including an historic match?up in the NCAA Division II West Regionals. CSUB won that game 50?44, becoming (at the time) the first team to reach NCAA Basketball Tournament in just its second season of existence. That feat was not surpassed until the Roadrunner women became the first (and, to date, only) men's or women's team in NCAA Basketball history to reach the NCAA Tournament in their first season of existence in 2001.
BABY STREAK, PART I: Saturday's win at Pepperdine was CSUB's third consecutive victory. It matches last season's three?game win streak as the longest streak in CSUB's 1+ season Division I history. Lasting from Jan. 7?15, 2008, that streak included wins over Loyola Marymount (98?64), USD (80?72) and Sacramento State (73?61).
BABY STREAK, PART II: Tuesday's 72?62 win over Sacramento State gave the 'Runners their first two?game home winning streak as an NCAA Division I program.
A BETTER THAN 50?50 CHANCE: CSUB shot 51 percent (24?for?47) in Tuesday's win over Sacramento State. The 'Runners have now won 34 consecutive games when shooting 50 percent or better from the field. The last time CSUB made more than half of its field goal attempts and lost, you ask? CSUB hit 56.4 percent (31?for?55) but dropped an 84?79 decision at Chico State on Feb. 18, 2000.
BLAKLEY CONTINUES TO DOUBLE HIS PLEASURE: Junior forward Trent Blakley (Alta Loma HS) continued his roll of double?figure scoring games when he popped for 15 points at Pepperdine Saturday night. Blakley has now scored in double figures in 10 consecutive games and 13 of his last 15 dating back to Jan. 23, 2008.
BRYAN BREAKS OUT: Freshman guard Bryan Emanuel (Bellflower/Mayfair HS) started the first four games of his collegiate career thanks to his stellar defensive play. In his fifth game at Pepperdine, he displayed his offensive chops, pouring in 14 points (all after halftime) with three assists. He had totaled just 14 points and three assists in his first four games.
DONALD DOES IT AGAIN: Senior forward Donald Lee (L.A. Pierce College) posted one of the greatest halves in CSUB history in the 2008 season finale vs. Cal State Fullerton, exploding for 20 points and 15 rebounds (all in the second half). He nearly matched that feat at Pepperdine Saturday, scoring all of his team?high 15 points while grabbing 11 of his game?high 13 rebounds after halftime to lead CSUB to an epic come?from?behind win.
'RUNNERS vs. DI COMPETITION: Although 2008?09 will be just the second time the Roadrunners take on a full NCAA Division I schedule, Bakersfield already has a bit of history in NCAA Division I play. The 'Runners own an all?time mark of 28?68 in 96 games against 42 different Division I opponents. Note that this mark does not include games against current DI teams that were not DI when they met CSUB.
WE MEET AGAIN: The 'Runners may be relative new kids on the block at the NCAA Division I level, but they possess a wealth of experience against the Division I opponents they will meet this season. CSUB owns an aggregate 152?114 all?time record against this season's opposition. Note that most of those results came when both CSUB and its opposition were competing at the Division II level.
37 YEARS OF CSUB BASKETBALL: The 2008?2009 season will mark the 38th 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 740?329 (.692).
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.
