BAKERSFIELD, Calif.- The Bakersfield Roadrunners struggled from the floor in their final home game Saturday night while also falling victim to the large post of New Mexico State in a 72-57 loss at Rabobank Arena.

The Roadrunners started the game leading 8-0, but were outscored 33-12 during the final 15 minutes of play while also going over six minutes without a field goal while New Mexico State would hit 11 of their next 17 shots from the field and three of their next four from three-point range.

CSUB (12-17, 5-10 WAC) finished the half shooting just 25% while they turned the ball over nine times.

The Aggies (22-9, 11-4 WAC) would build an 18-point lead in the second half and would never trail. Bakersfield cut the lead to 11 points twice in the second half but the Aggies would keep them at bay shooting over 53% from the field while also scoring 46 points in the paint.

“Plain and simple they were the better team tonight, they played the game the way they needed to play it,” said head coach Rod Barnes. “We didn't score it enough to make it a transition game; it was a slow game so they were able to pound the ball inside and we tried to double but those guys just drove to the basket on us when we tried to recover.”

Bakersfield was led by three seniors who scored 10 points each in their final home game. Issiah Grayson (R-Sr., Atlanta, Ga., Southern Idaho CC) was 3-of-14 from the field while Brandon Barnes (R-Sr., Atlanta, Ga., Lipscomb) was 4-of-10 from the field and Corey Hall (Sr., Chicago, Ill., Ventura CC) was 4-of-5 from the field and 2-of-3 from three-point range. CSUB was just 21-of-66 from the field for 31% while NM State managed 26-of-51 for 51% in the game and had four five players in double digits led by Tshilidzi Nephawe's 15 points and 16 rebounds.

The biggest difference came in the post where the large front line of New Mexico State scored 46 points in the paint while also blocking 10 Roadrunner shots.

“They have a lot of shot blockers and I think we got kind of intimidated but they were a better basketball team, there's no excuse, they were better than we were,” Barnes said. “We had mid-range shots that we didn't make then we started to try to get deeper and deeper and there was no response there as far as us making shots.”

Bakersfield has one game remaining in the WAC regular season as they travel to first-place Utah Valley on Friday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 P.M. (MST).