BAKERSFIELD, Calif. ? Sophomore guard Donavan Bragg (Inglewood/Serra HS) capped a scrappy comeback effort by the CSUB, completing a three-point play with 11 seconds remaining to lift the Roadrunners past Big West Conference favorite Cal State Northridge, 67-65, Friday night at Rabobank Arena.
Junior guard Pat Carlson (Reno/Lassen College) gave CSUB (1-2 overall) life by stripping Josh Jenkins of the ball with 27 seconds remaining and the Roadrunners trailing 65-64. After a timeout, Bragg took the inbounds pass at the top of the key, drove around one defender then kissed a layup off the glass as Rodrigue Mels fouled him at the rim.
Bragg sank the freethrow to put CSUB up by two, but the Matadors nearly forced overtime. Jenkins slipped and fell at the top of the key with five seconds remaining, but recovered the ball and fed Tremaine Townsend alone in the paint. Perhaps further under the hoop then he realized, Townsend pushed his layup attempt off the bottom of the rim and Santwon Latunde (Landover, Md./Cowley County College) secured his game-high 14th rebound to seal the win.
Bragg and Latunde shared game-high honors with 17 points apiece. Latunde's 14 rebounds completed his second consecutive double-double. Junior forward Trent Blakley (Alta Loma HS) also reached double figures with 11 points for CSUB.
Deon Tresvant led three CSUN (1-2) players in double figures with 15 points. Townsend shared game-high honors with 14 rebounds.
CSUB returns to action Tuesday when it host Sacramento State. Northridge continues a six-game road trip at New Mexico Monday evening.
CSU Bakersfield 67, CSU Northridge 65
CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE (1-2) -- Tresvant 4-13 6-6 15; Haynes 5-10 0-0 13; Galick 5-7 1-2 11; Townsend 4-12 1-1 9; Jenkins 2-8 2-2 7; Crawford 1-4 4-4 6; Smith 0-1 2-2 2; Daniels 1-2 0-0 2; Rutherford 0-1 0-0 0; Wallace 0-1 0-0 0; Mels 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 22-62 16-17 65.
CSU BAKERSFIELD (1-2) -- Latunde 5-8 7-10 17; Bragg 6-14 4-6 17; Blakley 4-12 2-2 11; Johnson 1-6 3-4 6; Carlson 2-5 0-0 6; C. Brown 1-4 2-2 4; Emanuel 0-2 4-5 4; Lara 1-2 0-0 2; R. Brown 0-0 0-0 0; Johns 0-3 0-0 0; Machado 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-56 22-29 67.
CSU Northridge 34 31 65
CSU Bakersfield 31 36 67
3-point goals--CSUN 5-19 (Haynes 3-6; Jenkins 1-5; Tresvant 1-5; Mels 0-2; Townsend 0-1), CSUB 5-17 (Carlson 2-4; Johnson 1-4; Blakley 1-4; Bragg 1-1; Johns 0-2; Emanuel 0-1; C. Brown 0-1). Fouled out--CSUN-None, CSUB-None. Rebounds--CSUN 48 (Townsend 14), CSUB 32 (Latunde 14). Assists--CSUN 13 (Jenkins 5), CSUB 8 (Bragg 3). Total fouls--CSUN 28, CSUB 17. Technical fouls--None, CSUB. A-1976
