ROADRUNNERS (4–4) vs. IDAHO STATE (2–4)
DECEMBER 7, 2010 • 7:00 p.m.
RABOBANK ARENA • BAKERSFIELD, CALIF.
ESPN RADIO 1230 AM • BRIGHT HOUSE CH. 26
BENGAL BITS
After dropping their first 2 games of the season, the Bengals have split their last 4, including a 70–53 loss at Iowa Saturday night…will be seeking their first road win of the season after a tough quarter of road openers (at Colorado, Arizona, South Dakota State and Iowa)…Sr. G Broderick Gilchrest leads the ISU offense at 14.5 ppg, including a team–best 13 3–pointers…he also shoots 43 pct. from beyond the arc and has hit 14–of–15 free throws…Sr. C Deividas Busma, a 7–foot native of Lithuania, chips in 12.3 ppg and a team–high 6.8 rpg.
SERIES HISTORY
- This will be the third meeting between ISU and CSUB in men's basketball.
- The teams split their previous 2 meetings — both in Pocatello.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
2010 'RUNNERS 82, at Idaho State 79
1977 at Idaho State 88, 'RUNNERS 73
WHEN LAST WE MET: CSUB overcame a shaky start to hold off Idaho State 82–79 on Feb. 15 in Pocatello. The Roadrunners trailed by as many as seven and led by as much as 10, but they never trailed after halftime. The Bengals made several late runs, but couldn't get over the hump as CSUB made clutch shots and free throws down the stretch to hold on for the win.
Trent Blakley nailed five three–pointers as part of his team–high 20 points for the 'Runners. Stephon Carter (Garces HS) chipped in 17 points and a career–high seven assists. Demetrius Monroe came off the bench to score a game–high 24 points for Idaho State.
The only previous meeting between Idaho State and CSUB came on Jan. 3, 1977, when the Bengals took an 88–73 win in Pocatello. Greg Johnwell led the Roadrunner offense with 17 points that night. Vance Walberg grabbed a team–high six boards for the 'Runners.
HE LOOKS SPRY FOR 100: Tuesday's opponent carries a special place in the legacy of CSUB Head Coach Keith Brown. Brown picked up his 100th career victory with the 82–79 win at Idaho State on Feb. 15, 2010.
BAKERSFIELD .500: CSUB enters Tuesday's game versus Idaho State with a 4–4 record. It is the team's best record after eight games since making the jump to NCAA Division I play.
20–20 DOUBLE VISION: Stephon Carter notched his fourth 20–point game of the season in Saturday's win over San Francisco and his second in a row. Senior guard Donavan Bragg (Inglewood/Serra HS) also has reached 20 points in consecutive games this season, making the duo the first CSUB players in the Division I era to post consecutive 20–point efforts in the same season.
YET ANOTHER SHOT AT 20–20–20 TRIFECTA: Stephon Carter will look to become the first player in the NCAA Division I era of Roadrunner basketball to score 20–plus points in three consecutive games Tuesday against Idaho State. The last 'Runner to score 20–plus in three consecutive games was Antonio Griffin, who turned the trick against Cal State Dominguez Hills (20), Sonoma State (23) and San Francisco State (24) from Feb. 11–18, 2006.
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 last week's action ranked No. 23 nationally with a 10.5 rebounds per game average. He has led CSUB in rebounding in all eight games this season.
SPEAKING OF REBOUNDING: Although its individual game statistics do not extend back into the 1970's, CSUB's 20 rebounds at Cal State Fullerton were its lowest total on record. The 'Runners twice posted 21–rebound games: At San Diego (Dec. 1, 2008) and at Utah State (Feb. 20, 2009).
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 two games back, Baker has dished for 10 assists, including a team season–high six in Saturday's 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 Saturday night. 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.
BROWN ON THE BLOCKS: Senior big man Cory Brown (Lakeside/El Capitan HS) blocked another shot last Saturday at Cal State Fullerton to bring his career total to 59. He slipped ahead of Russell Jarvis for sole possession of eighth place. On the horizon is Andre Hardwick in seventh place (61), just behind 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 collected another steal against San Francisco, running his streak of consecutive games with a steal to 18 dating back to last season. He owns a team–leading 16 for the season and 66 over his one season plus eight games at the collegiate level. Those steals move him past Lamar Gayle and Ron Selleaze for No. 25 on the CSUB career list. While 25th might not sound impressive, if he keeps up his current pace, he will end his sophomore season No. 7 all–time at CSUB with more than steals.
TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK: The 'Runners have done a secure job taking care of the basketball. CSUB is averaging a just 9.0 turnovers per game over its last five contests. It's 11.8 turnovers per game over the first eight games of the season would translate to its lowest rate at the NCAA Division I level. CSUB ranked 28th in the last week's NCAA Division I rankings.
KEEPING IT ON THE DOWN LOW: Saturday's 77–69 win over San Francisco was to be expected given CSUB's solid defensive effort. The 'Runners have won 18 of their last 29 when holding an opponent under 70. They've won their last nine 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 73.6 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 last Tuesday'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 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 53 games—despite having 16 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.
WORKING OVERTIME: The 'Runners have been solid in overtime during Keith Brown's tenure on the CSUB bench. Nov. 14th's extra period win at Sacramento State brings CSUB's OT record under Brown to 11–6. Despite that record, the win snapped a four–game overtime losing streak.
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 756–374 (.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.
