ROADRUNNERS (3-5 overall) at
FRESNO STATE (3-4 overall)
DECEMBER 10, 2008 ? 7:00 p.m.
SAVE MART CENTER ? FRESNO, CALIF.
KERN NEWSTALK 1410 AM ? NO TELEVISION FOR THIS GAME
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BULLDOG NOTES
Fresno State begins a 5?game homestand against CSUB...snapped a 2?game losing streak with a 66?64 win over Pacific Saturday night...Fr. F Paul George and Jr. F Sylvester Seay have led the team in scoring in 6 of 7 games and account for all 4 20?point games by the Bulldogs this season...George leads 4 Bulldogs in double figures at 15.9 ppg...also leads at 6.1 rpg.
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the sixth meeting all?time between CSUB and Fresno State. . .CSUB holds a 4?1 series lead. . .CSUB won last season in Bakersfield, 65?64 behind Cory Brown's 10?point, 10?rebound double?double. . .Prior to that game, the teams have not met since Fresno took a 61?50 decision in Fresno on Dec. 10, 1977.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
2008 @'RUNNERS 65, Fresno 64
1978 @Fresno 61, 'RUNNERS 50
1977 @'RUNNERS 89, Fresno 81
1977 'RUNNERS 79, @Fresno 70
1976 'RUNNERS 92, @Fresno 86
THIS WEEK IN ROADRUNNER HISTORY
The 'Runners are 5?2 all?time on Dec. 10 games, including a 61?50 defeat at Fresno State on Dec. 10, 1977.
THE LAST TIME WE MET: It was 20 years in the making, but CSUB's first home game against an NCAA Division I opponent since 1977 proved worth the wait for Roadrunner fans. CSUB pulled out an entertaining 65?64 victory in a game which featured nine ties and 12 lead changes. Then freshman forward Cory Brown (Lakeside/El Capitan HS) led the way with 10 points and 10 rebounds for his first collegiate double?double. Kevin Bell led all scorers with 19 points for Fresno State.
A BETTER THAN 50?50 CHANCE: CSUB shot a season?high 54.1 percent (33?for?61) in Saturday's 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. When was the last time CSUB made more than half of its field goal attempts and lost, you ask? CSUB hit 56.4 percent (31?for?55) but dropped an 84?79 decision at Chico State on Feb. 18, 2000.
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 20 three?point attempts (65 percent). For the season, he is shooting 49 percent from beyond the arc (18?for?37).
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 11.6 ppg the last five games while coming off the bench.
...SO IS LEE: After coming off the bench in his first 24 collegiate appearances, senior forward Donald Lee (L.A. Pierce College) has jumped into a new role as starting center the past three games. He enjoyed a fine night at Pacific, chipping in 11 points and six rebounds before fouling out late in the game.
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 Wednesday's game at Fresno State, six different players have led the team in scoring in the first eight 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 7.8 rebounds per game, has been CSUB's top rebounder in six of eight 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 (Toronto/Vaughan Road Academy). 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?71 in 99 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?117 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?332 (.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.
