ROADRUNNERS (4-11 overall) at
LOYOLA MARYMOUNT (0-15 overall)
JANUARY 4, 2009 ? 3:00 p.m.
GERSTEN PAVILION ? LOS ANGELES, CALIF.
KERN NEWSTALK 1180 AM ? NO TELEVISION FOR THIS GAME
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LION NOTES
LMU will be looking for its first win of the season when it hosts the 'Runners Sunday afternoon...LMU is averaging just 52.8 ppg overall...the Lions have conceded 50 more turnovers (243 to 193) than their opponents...Fr. G Jared DuBois leads the team in scoring at 10.9 ppg...Fr. F LaRon Armstead adds 9.3 ppg and is LMU's top rebounder at 5.7 rpg.
SERIES HISTORY
LMU leads 4?1. . .The Lions won the previous three meetings at LMU. . .CSUB rolled in Rabobank Arena last season, 98?64, behind 21 points from Terrence Johns. . .LMU took the last meeting at Gersten Pavilion, 83?75, in November 2006. . .Then freshman forward Trent Blakley reached double figures for the first time with 15 points that day.
LAST 10 MEETINGS
2008 at 'RUNNERS 98, LMU 64
2007 at LMU 83, 'RUNNERS 75
1978 at LMU 96, 'RUNNERS 85
1977 LMU 75, at 'RUNNERS 71
1974 at LMU 91, 'RUNNERS 72
THIS DATE IN ROADRUNNER HISTORY
Ramel Curry swiped a 'Runner record seven steals in a 59?54 win at San Francisco State on Jan. 4, 2002.
WHEN LAST WE MET: CSUB exploded out of the gate to earn its first?ever win against Loyola Marymount, racing to a 56?26 halftime lead before cruising to the 98?64 victory?it's largest margin as an NCAA Division I program Demarcus Hall dominated on both ends for CSUB, posting a 23?point, 13?rebound double?double. Then junior guard Terrence Johns (Chicago/Bakersfield College) added 21 points of his own.
NEVER LOOK A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH: Sophomore guard Donavan Bragg (Inglewood/Serra HS) has made the most of his opportunities for free points this season. Shooting a healthy 81.5 percent from the charity stripe this season, Bragg saw his streak of 17 consecutive free throws made end when he missed from the line with 11 seconds left in Friday's game with Saint Mary's College. He is 20?for?23 (.870) from the line over the past four games.
WORKING OVERTIME: After winning their previous three overtime games, the Roadrunners dropped their second extra?time decision in a row with Tuesday's 79?76 heartbreaker vs. Portland. The 'Runners are now 10?6 in overtime games with Keith Brown on the bench. During his tenure as head coach (2006?current), they are 4?2.
HAND IT OVER: Sunday's match?up should be an interesting one. While LMU has shown a propensity to turn the ball over (16.2 per game), the 'Runners have excelled in causing turnovers this season. CSUB is forcing an average of 16.4 turnovers per game. They've forced 246 turnovers while giving up just 215 of their own.
A BETTER THAN 50?50 CHANCE: The 'Runners shot better than 50 percent (26?for?49, 53.1 percent) for the fourth time this season in the win over Cal Poly. Since February 2000, the 'Runners are now 36?1 when shooting 50 percent or better from the field.
The 'Runners shot a season?high 54.1 percent (33?for?61) in their loss at UC Davis. It marked the first time in 35 games that the 'Runners lost when shooting 50 percent or better from the field. Prior to that, CSUB hadn't wasted such an effort since shooting 56.4 percent (31?for?55) but dropping an 84?79 decision at Chico State on Feb. 18, 2000.
CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR: Close games have not been friendly to the 'Runners as of late. After earning a two?point, 67?65 win over Big West Conference favorite Cal State Northridge in their home opener, the 'Runners have dropped four of their last five games decided by four or fewer points.
LATUNDE IN TOP 5 AMONG INDEPENDENT REBOUNDERS: Junior forward Santwon Latunde (Landover, Md./Cowley County CC) is now tied for No. 4 in the nation among NCAA Division I Independent rebounders. He enters the LMU game averaging 7.6 rebounds per game. Stevy Worah-Ozimo of North Carolina Central tops the list at 8.9 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 13.2 points per game. Sophomore guard Donavan Bragg and Terrence Johns are No. 3 and 4 in free throw percentage at 81.5 and 79.2 percent (min. 2.0 FTM per game). Sophomore guard Alex Johnson (Toronto/Vaughan Road Academy) is 11th in assists at 2.8 apg. Senior forward Donald Lee (Los Angeles/Pierce College) is fifth in field goal percentage at 56.4 percent (min. 1.5 FGM per game).
BOMBS AWAY FOR JOHNSON: Sophomore guard Alex Johnson (Toronto/Vaughan Road Academy) dialed long distance to set a career high with 23 points vs. Portland last week. Johnson nailed 7?of?9 from beyond the arc (both also career bests). His seven treys are a Rabobank Arena record and rank No. 4 all?time at CSUB. Kenny Warren made a (then) NCAA record 11 in a home win over Grand Canyon on March 12, 1993.
WCC TOUR COMES TO A CLOSE: Sunday's game at LMU will close the book on CSUB and the West Coast Conference this season. The 'Runners are 1?2 vs. the WCC.
HOME SWEET HOME: The 'Runners will be gunning for their fourth home win of the season when Saint Mary's visits on Jan. 2. That would equal their home win total from last season?their first playing a full NCAA Division I schedule. After the Saint Mary's game, the 'Runners will still have five home dates to add to their total.
'RUNNERS vs. DI COMPETITION: Although 2008?09 is just the second time the Roadrunners have taken 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 29?77 in 106 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 153?123 all?time record against this season's opposition. Note that many 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 741?338 (.687).
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.
