Box Score BAKERSFIELD, Calif.- Issiah Grayson (R-Sr., Atlanta, Ga., Southern Idaho CC) scored a game-high 22 points while leading five Roadrunners in double figures as Bakersfield (11-14, 4-7 WAC) won back-to-back Western Athletic Conference games Saturday night downing Seattle (12-12, 4-7 WAC) 83-67 at Rabobank Arena.
The win completes the weekend sweep of conference play for Bakersfield and the regular-season sweep against Seattle as the 'Runners won their most lopsided conference game by 18 points. Bakersfield also defeated Idaho on Thursday night 76-67.
CSUB led for most of the game and trailed just three times in the first half, the last time following a 7-0 run by Seattle who took a one-point lead with 7:30 to play. Bakersfield would close out the half on a 14-5 run sparked by six points from Grayson who finished the night shooting 7-of-12 from the field.
Bakersfield never trailed in the second half and started to pull away from the Redhawks with about seven minutes remaining in the game when CSUB built a 13-point lead. They would lead by as many as 20 in the game with 2:38 to play.
For the second game in a row the Roadrunners shot over 55% from the field in the second half knocking down 14-of-25 field goal attempts (56%) while also converting on 4-of-5 from three-point range. The 'Runners were 28-of-54 from the field in the game (51.9%) and 6-of-9 from three-point range (66.7%). Bakersfield managed high-percentage shots in the low block while also breaking through a half-court trap defense by the Redhawks for much of the second half. Aly Ahmed (So., Alexandria, Egypt, Midlands CC) who scored a career-high 16 points on Thursday night against Idaho, backed up that performance with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and eight rebounds in the win.
CSUB also shared the ball well logging a season-high 20 assists to just eight turnovers while their defense gave Seattle fits all evening. Bakersfield turned Seattle over 18 times in the game while also holding leading-scorer Isiah Umipig to just 12 points, six of which game when the game was out of reach for Seattle. Umipig had scored 32 in Seattle's win on Thursday at Utah Valley. Seattle was 23-of-64 from the field in the game for just shy of 36% while they managed just 9-of-34 from three-point range in the loss.
Brandon Barnes (R-Jr., Atlanta, Ga., Lipscomb) and Javonte Maynor (R-Jr., Atlanta, Ga., Georgia State) both added 11 for Bakersfield. Barnes has scored in double figures for three-straight games. Maynor was 3-of-6 from three-point range hitting critical three-pointers to end a pair of Seattle runs.
CSUB posted back-to-back wins for the first time since late November, the tail end of their season-high five-game winning streak. The Roadrunners also jumped two-spots in the conference standings into a tie for fifth place with Kansas City who fell Saturday night at UT Pan American. Bakersfield will play at Kansas City Thursday night at 7 P.M. (CST).