ROADRUNNERS (5-15 overall) vs.
UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY (9-8 overall, at Chicago State Jan. 29)
JANUARY 31, 2009  ?  2:00 p.m.
RABOBANK ARENA  ?  BAKERSFIELD, CALIF.
KERN NEWSTALK 1180 AM  ?  BRIGHT HOUSE CH. 21

  DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE VERSION OF THIS RELEASE

WOLVERINE NOTES
Utah Valley plays at Chicago State Thursday before traveling to Bakersfield...UVU is playing as an independent this season but will be in the Great West Conference in 2009?10...Sr. G Ryan Toolson ranks No. 2 among independent scorers and No. 12 in NCAA Div. I scoring at 22.4 ppg...Sr. G Josh Olsen is the only other Wolverine in double figures at 10.6 ppg.

SERIES HISTORY
UVU took the only two previous meetings, both in 2008. . .UVU overcame a 36?35 halftime deficit to win 85?74 at Rabobank Arena last season. . .Ryan Toolson led UVU with 32 points. . .Donavan Bragg had 17 to lead CSUB UVU took the rematch in Orem, 78?51.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS
2008    @UVU 78, 'RUNNERS 51
2008    UVU 85, @'RUNNERS 74

THIS DATE IN ROADRUNNER HISTORY

The 'Runners set a CSUB record, coming from 19 points down in the final 12 minutes to defeat Cal Poly Pomona 72?69 on Jan. 31, 1998.

WHEN LAST WE MET: In the penultimate game of the 2008 season, Utah Valley blew open a close game after halftime to win going away, 78?51, in Orem, Utah. CSUB trailed just 32?29 at the break when the Wolverines used a pair of 8?0 runs early in the second half to break the game open. Terrence Johns (Chicago/Bakersfield College) led CSUB with 12 points and six rebounds. Jordan Brady posted a 19?point, 17?rebound double?double for UVU.

HALF AS GOOD: Perhaps the oddest trend to come out of the CSUB season so far in 2008?09 has been this: the Roadrunners have actually won more games when trailing at the half (3) than when they were leading going into intermission (2). That trend continued in their last game when they held a 38?35 halftime lead before falling at UC Irvine.

50 WOULD BE NIFTY: Head Coach Keith Brown will be looking to pick up his 50th win as CSUB's head coach Saturday afternoon against Utah Valley. Note that his win total does not include three victories he picked up while subbing for then head man Henry Clark during his eight seasons as an assistant coach.

HIGH 5: The CSUB offense produced five double?figure scorers last week at UC Irvine. In descending order, they were: Trent Blakley, 18; Terrence Johns (Chicago/Bakersfield College), 11; Alex Johnson (Toronto/Vaughan Road Academy), 11; Donavan Bragg (Inglewood/Serra HS), 10; Santwon Latunde (Landover, Md./Cowley County CC), 10.

It marked the first time five 'Runners have scored in double figures since a 76?74 victory over Cal State Monterey Bay on Feb. 1, 2007 ? a span of 59 games. For the record, the five that scored in double figures that night were Richard Andrews, Carl Damus, Dwuan Rice, and Blakley, who led the 'Runners with 13 points.

A BETTER THAN 50?50 CHANCE: The 'Runners shot better than 50 percent (22?for?41, 53.7 percent) for the sixth time this season Monday at Oregon State, yet, shockingly, did not win the game. Since February 2000, the 'Runners are now 36?3 when shooting 50 percent or better from the field, with all three losses coming this season.

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 six of their last seven games decided by four or fewer points, including Jan. 17's 64?63 heart?breaker vs. UC Riverside.

DEPENDENT ON INDEPENDENTS: The 'Runners will be looking for their first win over a fellow NCAA Division I independent school Saturday against Utah Valley. CSUB is 0?4 all?time against Division I independents, including an 0?2 mark against the Wolverines. The 'Runners have two other games on the schedule against independents this season: home vs. Seattle University on Feb. 16 and at Utah Valley on Feb. 20.

LATUNDE IN TOP 5 AMONG INDEPENDENT REBOUNDERS: Junior forward Santwon Latunde (Landover, Md./Cowley County CC) checks in at No. 5 in the nation among NCAA Division I Independent rebounders. He enters the Utah Valley game averaging 7.5 rebounds per game. Gordan Watts of Houston Baptist tops the list at 8.9 rpg.

OTHER 'RUNNER NOTABLES IN THE INDY RANKINGS: Junior forward Trent Blakley is the No. 10 spot on the Independent scoring list at 13.6 points per game. He is also No. 9 in rebounding at 5.7 rpg. Donavan Bragg is No. 56 in free throw percentage at 80.3 percent (min. 2.0 FTM per game). Alex Johnson is No. 11 in assists at 3.0 apg.

'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 30?81 in 111 games against 43 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 154?127 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 742?342 (.685).

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.