FRESNO, Calif. -- The CSUB men's basketball team opened both halves a combined 6-for-27 and Fresno State took advantage, racing to a quick lead then holding the Roadrunners at arm's length in a 79-68 win Tuesday night at the Save Mart Center.
CSUB (7-20 overall) got balanced scoring, including career highs of 11 points from Jose Lara (Santa Paula/College of the Sequoias) and eight points from James Albright (Oakland/Fremont HS). But Fresno State (14-15) got twin 17-point nights from Greg Smith and Mike Ladd and a 16-point, seven-assist game from Paul Ladd to offset the Roadrunner balance.
The Roadrunners came out of the gate ice cold, connecting on just 4-of-16 from the field. Fresno, meanwhile, opened on fire, nailing nine of its first 11 shots to build a 13-2 lead four minutes into the game.
To their credit, the Roadrunners battled back on several occasions. They got within six with the ball at 31-25, but turned the ball over on two of their next three possessions. The Bulldogs quickly built their lead back to 15.
The Roadrunners then weathered a 2-for-11 slump to open the second half, fighting back to within 60-52 with the ball 10 minutes into the second half. This time, three consecutive turnovers stunted the run and Fresno never let them within single digits again.
Freshman guard Stephon Carter (Garces HS) led CSUB with 13 points and four steals. Donavan Bragg (Inglewood/Serra HS) added 11 points and matched his season high with five assists.
CSUB heads to Washington state to play the final two games of its transition to Division I era. The 'Runners play at fellow Division I independent Seattle University Saturday night before heading to NCAA contender Gonzaga for the season finale Mar. 2.
