BAKERSFIELD, Calif. ? The CSUB basketball team overcame a seven-point second-half deficit and pulled away late to earn a 72-62 win over visiting Sacramento State Tuesday night at Rabobank Arena.
Sophomore guard Donavan Bragg (Inglewood/Serra HS) and junior forward Trent Blakley (Alta Loma HS) each scored 10 second-points to lead CSUB (2-2 overall) to its second consecutive victory. Blakley finished with 14 points and Bragg finished with 10, but it was junior forward Santwon Latunde (Landover, Md./Cowley County CC) who lead the Roadrunners in scoring and rebounding for the third consecutive game, finishing with 17 points and eight boards.
Junior center Justin Eller recorded his first career-double-double for Sac State (0-4), finishing with career highs of 20 points and 11 rebounds.
CSUB Head Coach Keith Brown described the game as a chess match in his postgame press conference, and that was an apt description. The on-the-fly adjustments made by both coaches created and entertaining game until the Roadrunners finally pulled away in the final minute for the double-digit win.
The Hornets raced to an early six-point lead and led by five at 21-16 midway through the first half when CSUB made its first counter attack. A 13-3 run over the next five minutes turned the five-point deficit into a five-point, 29-24 lead for CSUB.
Sac State responded in the second half, quickly pulling even before building its biggest lead at 53-46 with 8:06 remaining. But the Hornets missed a chance to expanded their lead when Stephen Calton was called for a charge on their next possession. The 'Runners needed just two minutes to equalize, tying the game at 53-53 on a Latunde layup and freethrow.
After exchanging leads four times in 36 seconds, Blakley put CSUB ahead to stay when his three-point play with 4:22 remaining ignited an 8-0 run that gave CSUB a 66-59 lead with just over two minutes remaining.
Sac State had a chance to cut the lead to two points with 1:04 to play, but Bragg blocked Loren Leath's baseline jumper and the 'Runners made their final six freethrow attempts to seal the win.
CSUB heads to Malibu to take on Pepperdine University Saturday night. The 'Runners return home to host 2008 NCAA Tournament qualifier the University of San Diego Monday night. USD posted wins over Gonzaga, Kentucky and Saint Mary's last season, but CSUB upset the Torero's 80?72 in San Diego.
CSU Bakersfield 72, Sacramento State 62
SACRAMENTO STATE (0-4) -- Eller 7-14 6-6 20; Leath 4-11 1-1 10; Adams 4-4 1-3 9; Flaggs 1-2 4-4 7; Edwards 2-4 1-1 5; Calton 2-4 0-0 4; Stigall 1-2 0-0 3; Thomas 0-3 2-2 2; Blockmon 1-2 0-0 2; Malloy 0-0 0-0 0; Wilson 0-2 0-0 0; Marcial 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 22-49 15-17 62.
CSU BAKERSFIELD (2-2) -- Latunde 6-9 5-7 17; Blakley 6-10 1-1 14; Johns 4-7 3-3 12; Bragg 1-4 8-8 10; Johnson 2-3 0-3 6; Carlson 2-7 0-0 5; Emanuel 1-3 2-3 4; C. Brown 1-2 0-0 2; Lee 1-2 0-0 2; Lara 0-0 0-0 0; R. Brown 0-0 0-0 0; Dennis 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-47 19-25 72.
Sacramento State.............. 28 34 - 62
CSU Bakersfield............... 32 40 - 72
3-point goals--SAC 3-11 (Leath 1-5; Flaggs 1-2; Stigall 1-1; Calton 0-1; Thomas 0-1; Blockmon 0-1), CSUB 5-12 (Johnson 2-2; Blakley 1-2; Johns 1-2; Carlson 1-3; Emanuel 0-2; Bragg 0-1). Fouled out--SAC-None, CSUB-None. Rebounds--SAC 27 (Eller 11), CSUB 28
(Latunde 8). Assists--SAC 7 (Marcial 3), CSUB 11 (Johnson 4). Total fouls--SAC 21, CSUB 18. Technical fouls--None. A-1474
