ROADRUNNERS (3-8 overall) at
BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY (6-3 overall)
DECEMBER 20, 2008 ? 7:00 p.m.
RABOBANK ARENA ? BAKERSFIELD, CALIF.
KERN NEWSTALK 1410 AM ? BRIGHTHOUSE NETWORKS CH. 26
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BRONCO NOTES
The Broncos are the defending WAC champions and will challenge for the title again in '09...Boise finished 3rd nationally in FG% (.508) last season and have CSUB's best opponent mark this season (.480)...Sr. F Mark Sanchez and So. F Paul Noonan are the only Broncos in double figures at 16.0 and 10.6 ppg respectively...Sr. G Aaron Garner had a career?high 19 at BYU last week.
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the second?ever meeting between these school in men's basketball. . .Boise State took an 81?56 decision last season in Boise. . .Boise and CSUB belong to the same conference?in wrestling. Both are members of the Pac?10.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
2008 @Boise 81, 'RUNNERS 56
THIS DATE IN ROADRUNNER HISTORY
CSUB set a (then) school record for points and margin in a 113?58 win over The Master's College on Dec. 20, 1982.
WHEN LAST WE MET: In their first?ever meeting, Boise State used a 22?7 run late in the first half to blow open a close game en route to an 81?56 win at Taco Bell Arena. CSUB got 12 points from Demarcus Hall and 10 from then sophomore forward Trent Blakley (Alta Loma HS). Reggie Larry poured in 23 points and Matt Nelson added 21 to pace the Broncos.
ICE, ICE BABY: In deference to the minus?17 degree temperatures that greeted the team in South Dakota, the three?point arc became the equivalent of the arctic circle for the Roadrunners over the last two games. After Donavan Bragg (Inglewood/Serra HS) knocked down a trey with the first shot at Cal State Fullerton Dec. 13, CSUB proceeded to miss its next 16 three?point attempts. The drought lasted until Bryan Emanuel (Bellflower/Mayfair HS) knocked one down 4:19 into the second half at South Dakota State?a span of 64:43.
On the plus side, Justin Dennis (Toronto/Panola CC) and Alex Johnson (Toronto/Vaughan Road Academy converted CSUB's final two three?point attempts at SDSU to give the 'Runners a mini streak entering the Boise State game.
IN A FOUL MOOD: So far this season, the foul count has been sure indicator of Roadrunner fortunes each game. CSUB is 0?6 when it is whistled for more fouls than its opponents and 3?1 when the count is reversed.
BLAKLEY COOLS OFF: Although he still ranks as CSUB's top three?point shooter, Trent Blakley has cooled off considerably over the last few games. Blakley was on a tear in which he made 13 of his last 20 three?point attempts (65 percent). Since then, he has missed seven in a row. For the season, he is shooting 41 percent from beyond the arc (18?for?44).
LATUNDE COMES UP BIG IN FIRST START OF 2008?09... Junior forward Santwon Latunde (Landover, Md./Cowley County CC) not?so?quietly contributed off the bench in CSUB's first 10 games. CSUB's leading rebounder and second?leading scorer averaged 11.4 points and 7.6 rebounds, all in relief, over the first 10 games. He made his first start of the season at South Dakota State and led all players with 16 points and nine rebounds.
...SO DOES JOHNSON: At South Dakota State, Alex Johnson made his first start as a sophomore?after starting 17 games as a freshman. He came up with another big passing day, leading the 'Runners with four assists. He has now led the 'Runners in assists in six of the last eight games. He has passed fellow sophomore Donavan Bragg for most times leading the team this season (6?4), although Bragg still leads in total assists (31?29).
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 vs. Boise State, six different players have led the team in scoring in the first 11 games (see page six for a complete list).
BUT NOT SPREADING THE WEALTH: While the 'Runners have spread the scoring wealth this season, Santwon Latunde has hogged the rebounding glory. Latunde, who averages a team?leading 7.7 rebounds per game, has been CSUB's top rebounder in nine of 11 games.
'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?74 in 102 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?120 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?335 (.688).
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.
