ROADRUNNERS (3-9 overall) vs.
CAL POLY (3-5 overall)
DECEMBER 23, 2008 ? 7:00 p.m.
RABOBANK ARENA ? BAKERSFIELD, CALIF.
KERN NEWSTALK 1410 AM ? BRIGHTHOUSE NETWORKS CH. 26
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MUSTANG NOTES
Cal Poly has won 2 of its last 3 games, including a 65?62 win over Portland State in its last contest...other wins were over North Florida (76?42) and San Francisco (61?40)...the Mustangs feature a balanced attack, led by Sr. G Chaz Thomas (the son of former SFSU Coach Charlie Thomas) at 11.0 ppg...Former Bakersfield HS star, Sr. F Titus Shelton, chips in 10.8 ppg and 1.9 bpg.
SERIES HISTORY
CSUB leads the all?time series 27?23. . .CSUB leads the series in Bakersfield, 17?8. . .This will be the first meeting in Bakersfield since a 97?76 CSUB win on Feb. 26, 1994. . .CSUB has won five straight over Cal Poly in Bakersfield dating to 1991. . .The teams have met three times in the postseason, with CSUB winning all three games.
LAST 10 MEETINGS
2008 @Cal Poly 66, 'RUNNERS 56
1994 @'RUNNERS 97, Cal Poly 76
1994 'RUNNERS 61, @Cal Poly 58
1993 @'RUNNERS 87, Cal Poly 56
1993 'RUNNERS 69, @Cal Poly 53
1993 @'RUNNERS 90, Cal Poly 56
1992 @Cal Poly 70, 'RUNNERS 67
1992 @'RUNNERS 81, Cal Poly 65
*1991 @'RUNNERS 79, Cal Poly 70
1991 Cal Poly 90, @'RUNNERS 75
*CCAA Tournament Game
THIS DATE IN ROADRUNNER HISTORY
CSUB set the school record for most points in a game in a 118?65 win over the University of La Verne on Dec. 23, 1995.
WHEN LAST WE MET: Playing their first game without the injured Santwon Latunde (Landover, Md./Cowley County CC), the 'Runners stayed close but couldn't catch Cal Poly in a 66?56 Mustang win. Then freshman guard Alex Johnson (Toronto/Vaughan Road Academy) scored a career?high 15 points to lead CSUB. Trae Clark led three Mustangs in double figures with 15 points of his own.
TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK: The 'Runners nearly pulled off the upset of Boise State thanks in large part to their ability to protect the basketball. Factoring in their 11 assists, it marked the first time they posted a positive assist?to?turnover ratio since their game at Air Force on Nov. 16 (14 and 12).
HAND IT OVER: One area in which the 'Runners have excelled this season is forcing turnovers. CSUB is forcing an average of 16.4 turnovers per game. They've forced 197 turnovers while giving up just 173 of their own.
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?3 when the count is reversed.
LATUNDE FOURTH AMONG INDEPENDENT REBOUNDERS: Junior forward Santwon Latunde has moved up to the number four spot in the nation among NCAA Division I Independent rebounders. He enters the week averaging 7.6 rebounds per game. Emmanuel Jones of UT?Pan American tops the list at 8.5 rpg.
OTHER 'RUNNER NOTABLES IN THE INDY RANKINGS: Junior forward Trent Blakley (Alta Loma HS) checks in at No. 11 on the Independent scoring list at 12.8 points per game. Senior guard Terrence Johns (Chicago/Bakersfield College) is No. 4 in free throw percentage at 81.8 percent (min. 2.0 FTM per game). Sophomore guards Alex Johnson and Donavan Bragg (Inglewood/Serra HS) are tied for 10th in assists at 2.8 apg. Senior forward Donald Lee (Los Angeles/Pierce College) is fourth in field goal percentage at 57.1 percent (min. 1.5 FGM per game).
SPREADING THE WEALTH: As is typical for a Keith Brown coached team, the 'Runners are spreading the wealth offensively so far in 2008?09. Entering Tuesday's game vs. Cal Poly, six different players have led the team in scoring in the first 12 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 has been CSUB's top rebounder in nine of 12 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?75 in 103 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?121 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?336 (.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.
