BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Senior forward Trent Blakley (Alta Loma HS) made what will no doubt go down as the shot of the season for CSUB, nailing a 19-foot running jumper as time expired to lift the Roadrunner men's basketball team to a 59-57 win over defending Big West Conference champion Cal State Northridge Wednesday night in Rabobank Arena.
Blakley led CSUB with 16 points, returning to double figures after his 25-game streak of scoring in double figures ended Saturday at UC Irvine. Freshman guard Stephon Carter (Garces HS) added 14.
Senior guard Kenny Daniels, CSUN's leading scorer, came off the bench for just the fifth time this season to lead all scorers with 24 points.
CSUB (6-17 overall) took the lead five minutes into the first half and controlled most of the balance of the game, building their lead to as many 14 points at 24-10 late in the first half. The lead was still 12 five minutes into the second half when Northridge began chipping away.
The Roadrunners managed to parry every Northridge run, keeping the lead in the five to nine point range until the Matadors made a final push late to tie the game. A pair of Carter free throws put CSUB up 54-46 with 4:32 remaining before a Daniels three-point play capped a 9-1 spurt by the Matadors to tie the game at 55-55.
Two Santwon Latunde (Landover, Md./Cowley County CC) free throws and a short Lenny Daniels jumper left the score knotted at 57-57 with the Roadrunners in possession and 20 seconds remaining. Freshman guard Marcus Hall (Bakersfield Christian HS) missed a three from the right corner, but Blakley scrapped for the rebound and the CSUB bench called time out with three second remaining.
Carter inbounded in front of the Roadrunner bench to the left-handed Blakley, who dribbled right to the top of the key before launching a high-arcing jumped that found the bottom of the net as the final horn sounded.
CSUB concludes its stretch of six consecutive games against Big West Conference opponents Saturday when it hosts conference-leading University of the Pacific at noon.
