BAKERSFIELD, Calif.- The CSUB Roadrunners secured their first winning season as a Division I men's basketball program with an 84-63 win Saturday night over Nebraska-Omaha at the Icardo Center as they closed out the regular season on a three-game winning streak to finish 16-14 under first year head coach Rod Barnes.

"Congratulations to this team for having a winning season, it's just been a joy to work with them," Barnes said. "I'm sorry that this season could be over but hopefully we can get into a tournament, they deserve to play in a tournament for all they've accomplished this season."

The Roadrunners, who defeated the Mavericks 75-65 two weeks ago in Omaha, built a 19-point first half lead as they went on a 15-2 run following a brief 2-2 tie to go up by double figures for good with just over 12 minutes remaining in the half. Stephon Carter (Jr., Bakersfield, Calif., Garces HS) scored a game-high 23 points including 14 in the first half as the 'Runners led 41-22 at the break.

In the second half, UNO hit two quick three-pointers in their first two possessions but the Roadrunners continued to dictate the pace scoring 25 fast breaks points while outscoring the Mavericks in the paint 45-30. UNO pulled within 14 points with 6:29 remaining but CSUB jumped back up to a 19-point lead less than two minutes later as senior forward Donald Johnson (Sr., Lancaster, Calif., Eastern Arizona CC) jammed home two consecutive dunks and ended with a career-high 21 points in what could be his final game as a Roadrunner.

Johnson scored the final points of the game with a base line dunk and fellow senior Rashad Savage (Sr., Philadelphia, Penn., Odessa CC) recorded his eighth rebound of the game on a Tyler Egli missed jumper as time expired putting a fitting end to senior night for the two 'Runner seniors.

"Donald had a great, great season, probably our most consistent player, what a way to go out for him," Barnes said. "On senior night to have your career-high is a great honor."

The Roadrunners pressured the perimeter on defense in the first half holding Nebraska-Omaha to just 23% shooting from the field and 2 of 16 for 23% from beyond the arc. While the Mavericks managed to shoot 56.5% in the second half from the floor and 45% from beyond the arc, CSUB kept leading scorer Mitch Albers to just 8 points on 3 of 9 shooting, well below his 18 point average. He scored 23 against the 'Runners on Feb. 12.

CSUB's 16-14 record is not only the best record at the Division I level, but is the best record since the team went 21-8 during their final season as a Division II program in the '05-'06 season.

"We knew from the very beginning we had to learn how to win, but this team wanted to win from the very first day we started practicing," Barnes said. "They've got a lot of confidence in what they are doing, they were a great group to coach, I'm awfully excited about the foundation they have laid and now we have to just build on it."

With the 16-14 record, CSUB is eligible for a potential postseason bid into either the Collegeinsider.com Tournament (CIT) or the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). The 'Runners will have to wait a couple weeks before the fields are announced.