“They did something that a lot of team's don't do to us and that's make us turn the ball over,” said CSUB head coach Rod Barnes. “That was the difference in the game, our turnovers led to them getting easy baskets, we've got to go back to the drawing board and play better defense than we did tonight.”

The first half saw leads and runs from both squads with turnovers determining the momentum. The Matadors (6-12) led by as many as nine in the first half before Donald Johnson scored three of this team-high 18 points with seven seconds remaining to pull the 'Runners within six points at the break.

Cal State Northridge however would open the second half on a 9-3 run and built their lead to as many as 13 points. The Roadrunners would battle back, pulling within four points on three occasions down the stretch, but turnovers hurt CSUB's efforts late following Northridge's 11^th steal of the game in the final minute which led to two more free throws from the Matadors to seal the win.

Johnson led the way for CSUB with his first double-double of the season as he scored 18 points while grabbing 10 rebounds on 7 of 10 from the field.  Issiah Grayson(Jr., Atlanta, Ga., Southern Idaho CC) added 15 points, but managed just 3 of 8 from the field as CSUB's starters were a mere 9 of 22 from the field and a combined 3 of 13 from three-point range in the loss.

Northridge had one of their best offensive games of the season combining for 25 of 41 from the field for 61% and 8 of 15 from three-point range for 53%. Stephan Hicks led the way with 26 points on 8 of 11 from the field while Josh Greene added 16 points on a perfect 5 of 5 night from the field and 3 of 3 from beyond the arc. Northridge also turned the ball over 21 times but limited CSUB's points to 29 off those turnovers.

“They're a team that effects what we do,” Barnes said. “They have guys that can put the ball on the floor and get in the gaps of our team and we don't defend those types of teams well.”

Stephon Carter (Jr., Bakersfield, Calif., Garces HS) added 12 points on 3 of 4 shooting while Zachary Lamb (Jr., Norcross, Ga., Miami-Dade CC) scored 12 as well on 5 of 6 from the field.

CSUB will return to action Wednesday night at New Mexico State at 5:30 P.M. That game will also be televised locally on My 45 in Bakersfield and as always available on the Roadrunner radio flagship KERN Newstalk 1180 beginning at 5 P.M. with the Three Way Chevrolet Shoot Around Show.