CEDAR CITY, Utah — The CSUB men's basketball team fought all the way back from an 11–point deficit midway through the second half only to run out of gas in the waning seconds of a 63–59 loss to Southern Utah Wednesday at the Centrum Arena.

CSUB (9–13 overall) got a balanced scoring effort, led by sophomore guard Stephon Carter (Garces HS) who came off the bench for the first time this season and led the Roadrunners with 14 points. CSUB also got 13 points from junior forward Rashad Savage (Philadelphia/Odessa JC) and 10 from Alex Johnson (Toronto/Vaughan Road Academy).

The 'Runners led 32–31 early in the second half when the game appeared to slip away under a 14–2 Thunderbird run that gave SUU its biggest lead, 45–34. Despite shooting just 35 percent from the floor in the second half, CSUB battled and kept chipping away at the lead until a Savage layup knotted the game at 56–56 just inside the two–minute mark.

But CSUB missed three free throws in the final 52 seconds as SUU retook the lead. The 'Runners had one final chance to tie, but Donald Johnson (Lancaster/Eastern Arizona) was called for an illegal screen as he tried to free Alex Johnson for a game–tying three–pointer with 10 seconds to play.

The 'Runner comeback was due to a diligent work ethic that produced a season–high 19 offense rebounds, including 13 in the second half. But cold shooting sabotaged that hard work and CSUB recorded just 15 second chance points for its effort on the boards.

“There were just a number of possessions that didn't go our way,” said CSUB Head Coach Keith Brown. “We missed 13 free throws and committed 19 turnovers and that's on us. We did come back and made some big plays, but when it goes down to the wire, anything can happen.”

CSUB returns to California to begin a big home–and–home series with Central Valley rival Fresno State. The 'Runners visit Fresno Feb. 7 before the Bulldogs return to Rabobank Arena for the first time in five seasons on Feb. 16.

CSU BAKERSFIELD (9–13)
Carter, Stephon 4–12 6–13 14; Savage, Rashad 6–9 1–4 13; Johnson, Alex 2–7 5–7 10; Bragg, Donavan 2–11 2–2 7; Robinson, De'Aundray 2–4 0–0 5; Johnson, Donald 2–5 0–0 4; Hayes, Robert 1–4 1–2 4; Brown, Cory 1–1 0–0 2; Albright, James 0–0 0–0 0; Baker, Reynaul 0–5 0–0 0. Totals 20–58 15–28 59.

SOUTHERN UTAH (7–15)
Brimley, Ryan 4–10 3–4 14; Taylor, Ramell 5–8 1–5 11; Massey, Matt 4–6 2–2 10; Davis, Kyle 4–8 1–5 9; Stevenett, Jackson 4–7 0–0 8; Jones, Ray 0–1 7–8 7; Hodgson, Matt 1–1 0–0 2; Nielson, Jake 0–1 1–4 1; Heuir, Damon 0–1 1–2 1; Koehler, Tyson 0–0 0–0 0; Cameron, Brian 0–0 0–0 0. Totals 22–43 16–30 63.

CSU Bakersfield...............   27   32  –   59
Southern Utah.................   29   34  –   63

3–point goals––CSU Bakersfield 4–21 (A. Johnson; Robinson 1–2; Bragg 1–7; Hayes 1–2; Baker 0–1; Carter 0–3), Southern Utah 3–9 (Brimley 3–8; Heuir 0–1). Fouled out––CSU Bakersfield–Carter; D. Johnson, Southern Utah–Massey; Stevenett. Rebounds––CSU Bakersfield 42 (D. Johnson 9), Southern Utah 33 (Brimley 6; Taylor 6). Assists––CSU Bakersfield 9 (Carter 3), Southern Utah 16 (Jones 6). Total fouls––CSU Bakersfield 28, Southern Utah 22. Technical fouls––None. A–1315