OREM, Utah- Tyrone White (Sr., Portland, Ore., North Idaho CC) made sure he would remember his final game as a Roadrunner. White scored a career-high 30 points on 12-19 shooting and 6-10 from three-point range as the CSUB Roadrunners swept the season series against future Western Athletic Conference foe Utah Valley 73-58 in Orem, Utah.
"This was a great game for us to win and put us in a position to go into next season on a positive note," said CSUB head coach Rod Barnes. "It's a shame we're not going to a tournament this season because the way we're playing there would be some teams worried about us."
It marked the end of CSUB's time as an NCAA Independent as they fittingly won a season-high four straight games ending the year 14-16.
CSUB trailed briefly in the first half but took control when White made the first of three-consecutive three-pointers that stretched the Roadrunners lead to eight points with just over eight minutes remaining in the half. Bakersfield would extend their first-half lead to as many as 11 before settling for a 35-25 lead at the break.
White would put CSUB on the board immediately in the first possession of the second half scoring under the basket on a Stephon Carter (Sr., Bakersfield, Calif., Garces HS) feed from the top of the key, he would score 18 in the second half including his final three-pointer as a Roadrunner from the near corner with 5:52 to go as he surpassed his previous career-high of 28 scored earlier this season vs. Westmont. He scored 27 on Wednesday night against Seattle.
"That's the way you want to go out as a senior." Barnes said. "Obviously his best two games were his last two games and he was huge for us tonight."
The Roadrunners never trailed in the second half, built their lead to as many as 23 points with Utah Valley cutting the deficit to single digits just once, following a 7-0 run and a Jason Johnson three-pointer which made the score 49-40 CSUB. The 'Runners would answer with a 6-0 run to get back to a commanding lead for the remainder of the game.
Bakersfield shot well all night connecting on 51% of their shots from the field and a 55% from three-point range where the 'Runners were 10-18. Utah Valley was led by Johnson's 20 points while Ben Aird added 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Wolverines who shot just 25% in the second half and 4-20 from three-point range in the contest.
"It says a lot about this team to be going down to the end of the season and not have a conference, not have postseason to play for to see them finish the way they finished was just huge for us," Barnes said. "I'm just proud of them, that's all I can say."
CSUB sweeps the season series with Utah Valley after their 75-62 win on Feb. 2nd in Bakersfield. The Roadrunners played their 176th and final game as an NCAA Division I Independent finishing with a six-year record of 62-114. CSUB finished the season with four-straight wins, the third time in two seasons under Barnes the 'Runners have had a four-game winning streak.
