ROADRUNNERS (3-6 overall) at
CAL STATE FULLERTON (4-6 overall)
DECEMBER 13, 2008 ? 6:00 p.m.
TITAN GYM ? FULLERTON, CALIF.
KERN NEWSTALK 1410 AM ? NO TELEVISION FOR THIS GAME
TITAN NOTES
The Titans have played a tough early season schedule that has included road games against Hawaii, Wake Forest, Saint Mary's and LSU...Sr. G Josh Akognon averages an impressive 23.9 ppg and ranked No. 5 nationally in the latest NCAA stats...Jr. F Gerard Anderson is the only other Titan in double figures at 10.3 ppg...the Titans and 'Runners will meet in Bakersfield on Mar. 3.
SERIES HISTORY
Fullerton leads the all?time series 7?2. . .Fullerton leads the series in Titan Gym, 5?1. . .Akognon scored 22 points in the Titans' win at Fullerton last season. . .Terrence Johns posted a 26?point, 10?rebound double?double for CSUB in that game. . .Demarcus Hall scored a game?high 25 when CSUF won 84?80 at CSUB.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
2008 CSUF 84, @'RUNNERS 80
2008 @CSUF 92, 'RUNNERS 75
1986 @CSUF 83, 'RUNNERS 46
1976 CSUF 101, @'RUNNERS 69
1975 CSUF 64, @'RUNNERS 59
1974 CSUF 37, @'RUNNERS 35
1974 @CSUF 76, 'RUNNERS 63
1973 'RUNNERS 64, @CSUF 57
1973 @'RUNNERS 69, CSUF 54
THIS WEEK IN ROADRUNNER HISTORY
The 'Runners picked up their first win over an NCAA Division I opponent as an NCAA Division I program with an 82?76 win at Pepperdine on Dec. 14, 2006.
THE LAST TIME WE MET: With Fullerton rolling to a Big West Conference title and an NCAA Tournament berth, the Roadrunners nearly put a speed bump in the way before the Titans prevailed with an 84?80 win at Rabobank Arena. The 'Runners trailed by as many as 20 points (73?53) midway through the second half before a furious rally brought them to within four at 84?80. CSUB had a chance to pull closer, but missed six consecutive, unanswered shots in the final 28 seconds.
Playing his final collegiate game, Demarcus Hall led all scorers with 25 points for CSUB. Scott Cutley posted a 23?point, 11?rebound double?double for the Titans.
FIRE AND ICE: The 'Runners have been a hot?and?cold team this season. When they've been hot, they've been red hot, shooting 51 percent against Sacramento State and 54 percent at UC Davis. When they've been cold, they've been ice cold. Wednesday's game at Fresno State marked the fourth time this season CSUB has shot less than 35 percent from the field.
IN A FOUL MOOD: So far this season, the foul count has been sure indicator of Roadrunner fortunes each game. CSUB is 0?5 when it is whistled for more fouls than its opponents and 3?1 when the count is reversed.
BOMBS AWAY FOR BLAKLEY: Coming into the 2008?09 season, junior forward Trent Blakley (Alta Loma HS) had hit his share of big three?point field goals. But never has he been more prolific?nor as deadly accurate?as he has been recently. Blakley is on a tear in which he has made 13 of his last 22 three?point attempts (59 percent). For the season, he is shooting 46 percent from beyond the arc (18?for?39).
JOHNS ENJOYING NEW ROLE: Senior shooting guard Terrence Johns (Chicago/Bakersfield College) is fitting into his new role as sixth man quite nicely. He was averaging just 6.0 points per game as a starter this season but is playing more minutes and averaging 11.0 ppg the last six games while coming off the bench.
JOHNSON LENDS A HAND: Although he has yet to make his first start as a sophomore?after starting 17 games as a freshman?Alex Johnson (Toronto/Vaughan Road Academy) has come on to lead the 'Runners in assists in five of the last six games. He has passed fellow sophomore Donavan Bragg (Inglewood/Serra HS) for most times leading the team this season (5?4), although Bragg still leads in total assists (30?25).
SPREADING THE WEALTH: As is typical for a Keith Brown coached team, the 'Runners are doing spreading the wealth offensively so far in 2008?09. Entering Saturday's game at Cal State Fullerton, six different players have led the team in scoring in the first nine games (see page six for a complete list).
BUT NOT SPREADING THE WEALTH: While the 'Runners have spread the scoring wealth this season, junior forward Santwon Latunde (Landover, Md./Cowley County CC) has hogged the rebounding glory. Latunde, who averages a team?leading 7.4 rebounds per game, has been CSUB's top rebounder in seven of nine games.
”MISSED IT BY THAT MUCH“: That wasn't Control Agent Maxwell Smart uttering that classic television line last week, but rather sophomore guard Alex Johnson. At UC Davis Saturday night, Johnson went for 14 points, three three?pointers, five rebounds and seven assists. All four of those totals missed his career highs by one.
'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?72 in 100 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?118 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?333 (.690).
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.
