BAKERSFIELD, Calif. ? Youth continues to be both the promise and the bane of the CSUB basketball team as the Roadrunners saw another close game slip away in the closing seconds of a 64-63 loss to former archrival UC Riverside Saturday night in Rabobank Arena.
With the heart-breaking loss, CSUB has now dropped six of its last seven games decided by four or fewer points.
The game saw 14 total lead changes, including eight in the second half, but the only two that mattered occurred in the final 21 seconds. Santwon Latunde (Landover, Md./Cowley County CC) fought through a foul to make a layup with 21 seconds remaining to put CSUB on top 63-62. But he missed the ensuing freethrow, and that proved decisive.
On UCR's final possession, Latunde blocked Kyle Austin's shot out of bounds with nine seconds remaining. Junior forward Trent Blakley (Alta Loma HS) nearly sealed the win for the Roadrunners when he knifed in front of the Highlanders' Rudy Meo on the inbounds play, but he was whistled for a foul just as he was about to break away for the clinching fast break.
Shooting the bonus, Meo knocked down two freethrows to put UCR back on top. CSUB could manage only a desperation shot as time expired.
Blakely led a balanced CSUB (5-13 overall) scoring effort with 17 points. Latunde and sophomore guard Alex Johnson (Toronto/Vaughan Road Academy) added 14 points each.
Meo came off the bench to score a career-high 19 points for UCR (10-7). Austin was the only other Highlander to reach double figures, finishing with 13 points.
CSUB hits the road for its next two games, starting with a showdown against former longtime Head Coach Pat Douglass and his UC Irvine Anteaters Wednesday night in Irvine.
UC Riverside 64, CSU Bakersfield 63
UC RIVERSIDE (10?7): Scott 3-7 0-0 6; Austin 6-12 0-0 13; Soto 1-1 0-0 2; Borum 0-2 0-0 0; Cunningham 2-4 0-0 4; Diggs 2-2 0-0 4; LoBue 3-5 2-2 9; Dowdy 1-2 0-0 3; Meo 6-10 5-6 19. TOTALS: 26-50 7-8 64.
CSU BAKERSFIELD (5?13): Blakley 7-13 1-1 17; Emanuel 2-3 1-6 6; C. Brown 0-0 0-0 0; Johnson 5-10 2-2 14; Johns 4-10 0-0 10; Bragg 1-2 0-0 2; Carlson 0-2 0-0 0; Lara 0-0 0-0 0; Latunde 6-9 2-4 14; Lee 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 25-49 6-13 63.
Halftime: UCR 36-30. 3-point goals--UCR 5-9 Meo 2-4, Austin 1-1, Dowdy 1-1, LoBue 1-3); CSUB 7-20 (Blakley 2-5, Johns 2-5, Johnson 2-6, Emanuel 1-2, Bragg 0-1, Carlson 0-1). Fouled out--None. Rebounds--UCR 29 (Scott 6); CSUB 24 (Blakley/Latunde 6). Assists--UCR 15 (Cunningham 5); CSUB 11 (Johnson 4). Total fouls--UCR 15, CSUB 14. Technical fouls--None. A-1,884.
