ROADRUNNERS (5–5) vs. PORTLAND STATE (6–2)
DECEMBER 15, 2009 • 7:00 p.m.
RABOBANK ARENA • BAKERSFIELD, CALIF.
ESPN RADIO 1230 AM • BRIGHT HOUSE CH. 21
PORTLAND PUTBACKS
The Vikings enter Wednesday's game on a roll, having won 5 of their last 6 games…only loss in that span was a 68–49 setback at Oregon…like the 'Runners, PSU likes life beyond the 3–point arc…the Vikings are attempting 19 treys per game and making 6.5…are shooting exceptionally well from the FT line, making 77.2 pct., a mark that ranks No. 16 nationally…So. G Chris Harriel leads 4 Vikings averaging in double figures at 15.5 ppg…Jr. F Chehales Tapscott adds 11.6 ppg and a team–high 7.8 rpg…Jr. G Dane Johnson is PSU's top assist man at 3.9 apg.
SERIES HISTORY
- This will be the first meeting between Portland State and CSUB in men's basketball.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
First Meeting
WHEN LAST WE MET: Even though they were both West Region NCAA Division II rivals for most of their existences, oddly, this first–ever meeting between Portland State and CSUB in men's basketball will take place at the Division I level.
BAKERSFIELD .500: CSUB enters Wednesday's game against Portland State with a 5–5 record. It is the team's best record after 10 games since making the jump to NCAA Division I play. With a win, the Roadrunners will be above .500 this late in the season for the first time since finishing the 2007 season 15–14.
20–20–20–20–20 VISION: While no 'Runner has scored 20 points in three consecutive games at the NCAA Division I level, as a team, the 'Runners saw a unique streak snapped at Utah State. CSUB has seen its leading scorer post 20 or more points in five consecutive games leading into Saturday's contest in Logan.
Prior to that run, CSUB had not had 20–point efforts in more than three consecutive games at the NCAA Division I level. The last time it happened at all came when Antonio Griffin (4) and Tim Barnes (1) did it in five straight from Feb. 4–18, 2006. To find the last time it happened in more than five games, one has to travel all the way back to the 2000 season, when All–American Ron Selleaze scored 20+ in six straight from Feb. 11–26. He also teamed with Jamal Livingston and Jonathan Nelson on a seven–game streak from Dec. 17 through Jan. 14 that season
THIRTYSOMETHING: When sophomore guard Stephon Carter (Garces HS) hung 32 points on San Jose State on Nov. 24, he sailed into uncharted waters. He became the first player in CSUB's NCAA Division I era to score 30 points in a game. Santwon Latunde held the previous high water mark of 29 against Longwood University (Jan. 9, 2010).
Carter's 32 marked the first 30–point effort by a Roadrunner since Terri Miller scored 34 points against Central Washington on Dec. 28, 2002.
SAVAGE ON THE REBOUND: Junior forward Rashad Savage (Philadelphia/Odessa JC) is already making a splash on the glass. He entered this week's action ranked No. 28 nationally with a 10.0 rebounds per game average. He has led CSUB in rebounding in all 10 games this season.
GIVE THAT MAN A HAND: Since returning from an early season injury, freshman point guard Reynaul Baker (Los Angeles/Crenshaw HS) has been integrating himself into the CSUB offense nicely. In his four games back, Baker has dished 15 assists (3.8 apg), including a team season–high six in Dec. 4 win over San Francisco.
IN FACT, GIVE THEM ALL A HAND: The 'Runners showed great ball movement in the win over USF, passing for a team season–high 20 assists. The 20 dimes were CSUB's second most ever at the NCAA Division I level and the most since a 22–assist night in a 98–64 win over Loyola Marymount on Jan. 7, 2008.
LEADER OF THE PACK: In its Dec. 7 win over Idaho State, CSUB built its second–biggest lead in a game (34 points) since joining the NCAA Division I ranks. The only time the 'Runners led by more was a 36–point spread in what would become a 98–64 win over Loyola Marymount on Jan. 7, 2008.
BROWN ON THE BLOCKS: Senior big man Cory Brown (Lakeside/El Capitan HS) blocked two more shots Saturday at Utah State to bring his career total to 62. He slipped past Andre Hardwick into seventh place. Next up are Troy Price and Kebu Stewart (67) in fifth.
For the record, Jamal Livingston is the all–time leader, needing just two seasons in blue and gold (1999–00) to collect 107 blocks.
WHAT A STEAL: Stephon Carter added three steals to his larder at Utah State, running his streak of consecutive games with a steal to 20 dating back to last season. He owns a team–leading 23 for the season and 73 over his one season plus 10 games at the collegiate level. Those steals move him into 19th place on the CSUB career list. While 19th might not sound impressive, if he keeps up his current pace, he will end his sophomore season No. 6 all–time with 114 steals.
TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK: The 'Runners have done a secure job taking care of the basketball. CSUB is averaging just 10.0 turnovers per game over its last seven contests. Its 12.0 turnovers per game over the first 10 games of the season would translate to its lowest rate at the NCAA Division I level. CSUB ranked 42nd in the last week's NCAA Division I rankings.
BOMBS AWAY: The 'Runners enter the week as one of the nation's most dangerous perimeter teams, connecting on 39.5 percent (68–172) from beyond the arc through the first 10 games. That mark ranks No. 34 nationally in this week's NCAA Division I rankings. It would rank No. 4 all–time in CSUB history (45.1 in 1987) and No. 1 in CSUB's Division I era (35.0 in 2008).
SINGLE ENGINE BOMBER: Junior guard Alex Johnson (Toronto/Vaughan Road Academy) has been the most prolific bomber in the CSUB arsenal this season, draining 32 of the team's 68 three–pointers. His 3.2 per game ranks No. 20 in NCAA Division I play this season while his 43.8 percentage puts him at No. 40.
KEEPING IT ON THE DOWN LOW: Last week's 75–56 win over Idaho State was to be expected given CSUB's solid defensive effort. The 'Runners have won 19 of their last 30 when holding an opponent under 70. They've won their last 10 games when holding opponents to 60 or fewer points.
LIVING IN THE 80's: With a youthful, more athletic team this season, the 'Runners are averaging 74.1 points per game, their highest average so far as an NCAA Division I program. With that should come more 80–point efforts like Nov. 24th's against San Jose State. Those have been a rarity for Div. I CSUB. It was just the sixth time that CSUB scored 80 points in a home game at the Division I level. It was just the second time that Division I CSUB scored 80 points and won and the first since a 98–64 win over Loyola Marymount on Jan. 7, 2008.
AND DYING IN THE 80's: While 80–point offensive games have generally been a good sign for CSUB, 80–point defensive efforts have be harbingers of doom. After Nov. 30's 81–77 loss to Northern Arizona, CSUB is 0–32 at the NCAA Division I level when allowing 80 or more points. The 'Runners are on an 0–34 streak overall when allowing 80 or more points. Their last win in such a game was a 90–87 victory over Cal State Monterey Bay on Feb. 25, 2006.
A HALF NOTE: For the first time since last Feb. 3, the 'Runners put together two halves to make one victory in last Saturday's win over San Francisco. They led at halftime, 38–31. By then winning the second half, 39–38, the 'Runners won both halves of a game for the first time since defeating UC Irvine last February. It marks only the second time they have pulled that off in the last 54 games—despite having 17 victories over that run.
THE OTHER HALF NOTE: Oddly, the 'Runners won at Sacramento State on Nov. 14 despite not winning either half. That's because the game was tied at both the half and, of course, at the end of regulation.
WE MEET AGAIN: The Roadrunners entered 2010–11 with a 133–122 record all–time versus this season's opponents. Note that many of those games were played while both CSUB and their respective foes were competing at the NCAA Division II level.
39 YEARS OF CSUB BASKETBALL: The 2010–2011 season marks the 40th 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 757–375 (.669).
LOOKS LIKE WE MADE IT: The CSUB Athletics program successfully completed its five–year transition to active NCAA Division I status in August. All Roadrunner teams are now fully postseason eligible at the Division I level.
