ROADRUNNERS (5–4) at UTAH STATE (6–2)
DECEMBER 11, 2009  •  7:05 p.m. (MST)
DEE GLEN SMITH SPECTRUM  •  LOGAN, UTAH
ESPN RADIO 1230 AM  •  NO TELEVISION FOR THIS GAME

AGGIE AGATE
Utah State is off to a solid start once again and has won 5 of its last 6 entering Saturday's date with CSUB…is coming off an 81–53 win over Long Beach State which was the 300th of highly–respected Head Coach Stew Morrill's career…defense has been the statistical key for the Aggies, who hold opponents to just 60.8 ppg…they are also limiting opponents to just 39 pct. shooting from the floor…Sr. F Tai Wesley paces USU in scoring (14.5 ppg) while adding 7.5 rpg…Sr. G Brian Green adds 11.8 ppg to a balanced attack…Sr. F/G Pooh Williams is the top rebounder at 8.8 rpg.

SERIES HISTORY

• This will be the 6th meeting all–time with Utah State.
• USU won the first 5.
• USU is 3–0 vs. CSUB in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
• USU won last season in Bakersfield, 68–51.
• USU took the last meeting in Logan, 78–57, during the 2008–09 season.
• This will be the fifth game of a five–year contract between the Aggies and 'Runners.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS
2010    Aggies 68, at 'RUNNERS 51
2009    at Aggies 78, 'RUNNERS 57
2008    Aggies 88, at 'RUNNERS 66
2007    at Aggies 65, 'RUNNERS 49
1977    at Aggies 110, 'RUNNERS 89

WHEN LAST WE MET: After CSUB grabbed an early lead, Utah State caught fire midway through the first half and rolled to a 68–51 win Dec. 16, 2009 in Rabobank Arena. The Roadrunners led 9–7 when Utah State embarked on a 27–2 run to essentially put the game on ice.

CSUB got 11 points from Stephon Carter (Garces HS), 10 from Trent Blakley and 10 rebounds from Santwon Latunde. The Aggies rode a 15–point, 10–rebound double–double by Tai Wesley to the win.

BAKERSFIELD .500: CSUB enters Saturday's game at Utah State with a 5–4 record. It is the team's best record after nine games since making the jump to NCAA Division I play. It's also the first time the team has been above .500 this late in the season since finishing the 2007 season 15–14.

20–20 DOUBLE VISION: Stephon Carter notched his fourth 20–point game of the season in last Saturday's win over San Francisco. 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.

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 are on a unique streak. CSUB has seen its leading scorer post 20 or more points in five consecutive games and eight of nine this season. The only hiccough in that stretch was the Nov. 20 win at Pepperdine, where Alex Johnson (Toronto/Vaughan Road Academy) led the way with 18.

Prior to this 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 10.3 rebounds per game average. He has led CSUB in rebounding in all nine 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 three games back, Baker has dished 14 assists (4.7 apg), including a team season–high six in last Saturday's win over San Francisco.

IN FACT, GIVE THEM ALL A HAND: The 'Runners showed great ball movement in last Saturday's 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 Tuesday's 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 another shot Tuesday vs. Idaho State to bring his career total to 60. 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 a season–high four steals versus Idaho State, running his streak of consecutive games with a steal to 19 dating back to last season. He owns a team–leading 20 for the season and 70 over his one season plus nine games at the collegiate level. Those steals tie him with CSUB's TV color analyst, Beau Redstone, for 21st on the career list. While 21st might not sound impressive, if he keeps up his current pace, he will end his sophomore season tied with Wade Green for No. 6 all–time at CSUB with 112 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 six contests. Its 12.0 turnovers per game over the first nine 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: Tuesday'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 757–374 (.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.