ROADRUNNERS (8–7) at UNIVERSITY OF THE PACIFIC (9–7)
JANUARY 11, 2011  •  7:00 P.M.
SPANOS CENTER  •  STOCKTON, CALIF.
ESPN BAKERSFIELD 1230 AM  • NO TELEVISION FOR THIS GAME

TIGER TALES
UoP enters Tuesday's game after snapping a two–game skid with a last–second win over Big West favorite UC Santa Barbara Saturday night…had won 4 of 5 from Dec. 11–28…the Tigers don't score a lot (62.3 ppg) but are among the nation's stingiest teams as well, ranking 35th nationally at 60.1 ppg allowed…Sr. F/C Sam Willard leads the offense at 15.4 ppg…Sr. G Demetrece Young is the only other Tiger in double figures at 11.9 ppg…Willard (10.7) is the only Tiger averaging more than 4.1 rebounds per game…Young is connecting on 91 pct. (29–32) from the line.

SERIES HISTORY

• This will be the fifth regular– season meeting between the 'Runners and the Tigers.
• The last time these teams met in Stockton, UoP came back in the final minute before upending CSUB in OT during the 2009 season, 67–63.
• CSUB led (62–60) in the final 3:30 but UoP came back to win 75–67 at the Spanos Center in the 2007 season opener.
• UoP broke on top early and won 71–44 in Rabobank Arena last season.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS
2010    Pacific 71, at 'RUNNERS 44
2009    at Pacific 67, 'RUNNERS 63 (ot)
2008    Pacific 67, at 'RUNNERS 58
2007    at Pacific 75, 'RUNNERS 67

WHEN LAST WE MET: The Tigers spoiled senior day at Rabobank Arena last season, racing to an early lead en route to a 71–44 victory. Trent Blakley (12) and Santwon Latunde (10) were the only Roadrunners able to muster double figure points. Sam Willard led three Pacific players in double figures with 21 points. He chipped in a game–high nine rebounds for good measure.

RACE FOR NO. 1 IN 3s: Junior guard Alex Johnson (Toronto/Vaughan Road Academy) began the new year in a tie for first among all NCAA Division I players. Playing just one game in the last week, he dropped back to No. 2 in the latest NCAA Division I national rankings.

Johnson also ranks No. 3 nationally in three–pointers made per game (3.4) and No. 22 in three–point field goal percentage (45.1). His seven treys in the Dec. 7 win over Idaho State and Dec. 22 win over UCR rank No. 10 in NCAA Division I play this season.

BOMBS AWAY: The 'Runners enters the week as one of the nation's most dangerous perimeter teams, connecting on 40.1 percent (105–262) from beyond the arc through 15 games, a mark that ranks 18th in Division I this season. It would rank No. 3 all–time in CSUB history (45.1 in 1987) and No. 1 in CSUB's Division I era (35.0 in 2008).

BOMBS AWAY II: The 'Runners matched their NCAA Division I record for three–pointers made in a game (No. 2 all–time) when they buried 14 treys in the win over UC Riverside on Dec. 22. Ironically, they hit that mark the first time in a win over UC Riverside in 2007 on — you guessed it — Dec. 22.

SINGLE ENGINE BOMBER: Alex Johnson (Toronto/Vaughan Road Academy) has been the most prolific bomber in the CSUB squadron this season, draining nearly half (51) of the team's 105 three–pointers.

A NEW WEAPON IN THE ARSENAL: Junior guard Robert Hayes (San Diego/San Francisco State) is porviding a new weapon to the CSUB ariel assault. Hayes drained four of his five three point attempts at New Mexico last week as part of his season–high 16–point effort. For the season, Hayes is now 8–of–12 from beyond the arc.

MISSLE COMMAND: While it's been bombs away for the CSUB offense, the CSUB defense has been stalwart in its ability to protect against the long–range attack. The 'Runner defense has been ranked nationally most of the season in three–point defense, and holds opponents to just 30.3 percent from beyond the arc this season.

BAKERSFIELD .500: The 'Runners enter Tuesday's game at Pacific with an 8–7 record. This is the latest in a season the Roadrunners have been above .500 since finishing the 2007 season 15–14.

THIRTYSOMETHING: Already the only player to score 30 points in a game in CSUB's NCAA Division I era, sophomore guard Stephon Carter (Garces HS) became the first CSUB player in more than a decade to reach 30 points twice in the same season when he hung 30 on Portland State Dec. 15. Carter also scored 32 points in an 82–77 win over San Jose State on Nov. 24.

Prior to Carter's efforts this season, no Roadrunner had reached the 30–point plateau since Terri Miller scored 34 points against Central Washington on Dec. 28, 2002.

SAVAGE ON THE REBOUND: Just as Carter is making his mark on the CSUB scoring charts, junior forward Rashad Savage (Philadelphia/Odessa JC) is doing the same thing on the Roadrunner rebounding charts. Savage grabbed 17 boards in the win over Portland State. While 17 is a healthy number, it was four rebounds shy of Santwon Latunde's 21–rebound game against Loyola Marymount last season. Latunde's mark tied the school record set three times previously and is CSUB's Division I era record.

Savage enters this week's play ranked No. 13 nationally with a 10.7 rebounds per game average. He has led CSUB in rebounding in all 15 games this season, reaching double figures nine times in the process.

GIVE THESE LADS A HAND: The 'Runners showed great ball movement in their Dec. 22 win over UC Riverside, posting a team season–high 23 assists. The 23 dimes were CSUB's most ever at the NCAA Division I level, eclipsing the previous high of 22 assists in a 98–64 win over LMU on Jan. 7, 2008.

TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK: Although they encountered a little turblulance in their game at New Mexico, committing a season–high 22 turnovers, the 'Runners have done a secure job taking care of the basketball. Prior to that, CSUB averaged just 10.9 turnovers per game over its previous nine contests. Its 12.4 turnovers per game over the first 14 games of the season would translate to its lowest rate at the NCAA Division I level.

BANK ROBBERS: While the 'Runners jealously guard the ball, they have no qualms about taking it away from their foes, especially in Rabobank Arena. CSUB collected a season–high 14 steals against Portland State and 12 more against Cal State Northridge on Dec. 18. The 'Runners average 7.7 steals per game.

WHAT A STEAL: Stephon Carter has been CSUB's leading pickpocket this season. With another steal at New Mexico, Carter ran his streak of consecutive games with a steal to 25 dating back to last season. He owns a team–leading 34 for the season and 84 over his one season plus 15 games at the collegiate level. Those steals put him in 12th place on the CSUB career list. He is five steals away from catching Dock Ellis for 10th place. If he keeps up his current pace, he will end his sophomore season No. 6 all–time with 115 steals. His 2.3 steals per game average in 2010–11 ranks No. 26 in NCAA Division I play.

BROWN ON THE BLOCKS: Senior big man Cory Brown (Lakeside/El Capitan HS) set a personal career high with five blocks in the Dec. 18 win over Cal State Northridge. That mark is No. 4 all–time at CSUB and No. 1 in the NCAA Division I era, eclipsing his previous best of four set versus Utah Valley on Jan. 31, 2009. His five blocks bring his career total to 67, vaulting him into a tie with Troy Price and Kebu Stewart for fifth place. Next up is Victor Green in fourth place with 73 blocks. If he maintains his current pace, Brown will finish his career No. 4 all–time at CSUB with 80 career blocks.

For the record, Jamal Livingston is the all–time leader, needing just two seasons in blue and gold (1999–00) to collect 107 blocks.

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.

KEEPING IT ON THE DOWN LOW: The 75–56 win over Idaho State on Dec. 7 was to be expected given CSUB's solid defensive effort. They've won their last 10 games when holding opponents to 60 or fewer points. Including the Dec. 18 70–69 win over Cal State Northridge, the 'Runners have won 20 of their last 31 when holding an opponent under 70.

LIVING IN THE 80's: With a youthful, more athletic team this season, the 'Runners are averaging 74.9 points per game, their highest average so far as an NCAA Division I program. With that should come more 80–plus point efforts like Dec. 22nd's 89–80 win over UC Riverside. Those have been a rarity for Div. I CSUB. It was just the eighth time that CSUB scored 80 points in a home game at the Division I level. It was just the fourth time that Division I CSUB scored 80 points and won (the others: 92–77 over Portland State on Dec. 15; 82–77 over San Jose State on Nov. 24 and 98–64 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. By allowing 80 points to UC Riverside and winning on Dec. 22, CSUB snapped 0–32 streak at the NCAA Division I level when allowing 80 or more points. The 'Runners had gone 0–34 overall when allowing 80 or more points before the win over UCR. Their previous win in such a game was a 90–87 victory over Cal State Monterey Bay on Feb. 25, 2006.

With last week's 102–62 loss at New Mexico, CSUB is now 1–34 at the Division I level when allowing 80 or more points.

A HALF NOTE: For the first time since last Feb. 3, the 'Runners put together two halves to make one victory in the Dec. 4 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 57 games—despite having 20 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 760–377 (.668).

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.