SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Something about the Central Coast must resonate with the CSUB men's basketball team. After several close opportunities eluded the Roadrunners away from Bakersfield earlier this season, they picked up their first road win of 2009–10 with a 57–53 victory at long–time rival Cal Poly Saturday night in Mott Gym.
The win was the first on the road for CSUB since it defeated the Mustangs on Feb. 25, 2009. It also completed a second consecutive season sweep of Cal Poly. CSUB took the first meeting in Bakersfield, 70–63, on New Year's Eve.
The victory was both hard–fought and tumultuous. The Roadrunners built their biggest lead of the season at 14 points several times, but cold–shooting Cal Poly frenetically crashed the boards, compiling a 16–rebound advantage and 26 second chance points to battle back and take a lead before CSUB pulled out the win.
Senior forward Santwon Latunde (Landover, Md./Cowley County CC) led the CSUB effort with a 19–point, 10–rebound double–double, his fourth of the season. Fellow senior forward Trent Blakley (Alta Loma HS) added 17 points, including 15 in the first half to help the Roadrunners build a 32–20 halftime lead, their biggest of the season.
CSUB came out on fire, opening an 11–2 lead less than four minutes into the game. The Roadrunners then shut out Cal Poly over the final 4:54 of the half to extend a 24–20 lead to their 12–point edge at the buzzer.
The Mustangs began chipping away at their deficit after Latunde gave the Roadrunners their final 14–point lead at 36–22 early in the second half. Cal Poly caught CSUB for the first time, completing a 16–2 run to forge a 38–38 tie midway through the half. Four minutes later, the Mustangs took their only lead of the game, 43–42, on a pair of David Hanson free throws at the 5:53 mark.
It took the Roadrunners just 24 seconds to respond. Latunde powered through traffic, where his layup and subsequent free throw put the Roadrunners back up at 45–43. They would never trail again.
CSUB continues its run of six consecutive games against the Big West Conference when its hosts former Head coach Pat Douglass and UC Irvine Wednesday in Rabobank Arena. The Roadrunners will travel to Irvine to complete the home–and–home series Saturday.
