BAKERSFIELD, Calif.-- Behind a hot first half and solid defense, CSU Bakersfield picked up its first Western Athletic Conference win as the 'Runners downed Texas Pan-American 66-53 at the Icardo Center. Kevin Mays (Jr., Queens, N.Y., Odessa College) led the 'Runners with a double-double while Javonte Maynor (R-Sr., Atlanta, Ga., Georgia State) paced all players with 15 points.

Rod Barnes, head coach of the 'Runners, was pleased with the team's performance and the first conference win: “It was huge. I think the first one is, most of the time, the hardest one to get. More importantly to me, our guys executed like I wanted them to, especially on the defensive end. We got a big enough lead and, down the stretch, we made plays defensively to help us win the game. That's what we trust and believe in.” The CSU Bakesfield defense held the Broncs to 19-for-51 shooting on the night.

Mays helped the 'Runners to a fast start, scoring six points in the opening four minutes. UTPA held tight in the first half behind a strong start from 6-9 forward Dan Kimasa, who scored 12 points by halftime and finished with a double-double. A 12-4 run in the middle of the half would give the 'Runners some breathing room.

Some of that space came from the offense of Cortez Conners (Jr., St. Louis, Mo., St. Louis CC), who picked up his first start since the Fresno State game on Dec. 6. The 6-2 guard scored back-to-back buckets to give CSUB five points and a 25-18 lead over UTPA with 7:57 to play. Conners would go on to score eight points in the first half, his second most in any half since scoring 10 in the first half against Portland State.

The 'Runners surged into halftime, leading by as many as 17 and taking a 15-point lead into the locker room. Mays and Aly Ahmed (Jr., Alexandria, Egypt, Midland College) led the offensive charge in the first half, scoring 10 points apiece while Mays pulled down five rebounds. CSUB shot 50% both from the field and from behind the arc in the first half while sinking 6-of-8 free throws.

CSU Bakersfield held its lead through the first ten minutes of the second half, but a switch to zone defense by Texas-Pan American caused the CSUB offense to stumble. From the 15:28 mark until 7:36, the 'Runners made just 2-of-11 shots while the Broncs climbed to within nine points. Barnes' squad would finish the game shooting 40% from the field after the hot first half.

Maynor hit a clutch three-pointer with 6:17 to play, giving CSUB a 10-point lead. The Broncs fought back, bringing the score within six with five minutes to go after Isaiah Hobbs tipped in a missed shot.

Ahmed, who is in the Top 5 of all WAC players in free throw shooting this season, hit two clutch free throws with 3:45 to play and gave the 'Runners an eight-point lead. The CSUB defense held strong throughout the game which turned into a free throw shooting contest as UTPA could only hope the 'Runners would miss down the stretch. Jaylin Airington (R-So., East Chicago, Ind., Ventura College) and Maynor both knocked down a pair in the final minutes of the game to extend the 'Runner lead while redshirt freshman Brent Wrapp (Boulder, Colo., Fairview HS) went on to hit 3-of-4 in the final 1:31 to ice the game.

Maynor finished the contest with a game-high 15 points on 5-for-11 shooting while adding two assists and four steals. Mays wrapped up his fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds. The WAC's leading scorer coming into the game, Janari Joesaar, was stifled by the 'Runner defense. The 6-6 forward from Estonia, who scores 18.5 points per game, only managed to score seven in the first half and 12 in the game as he went 3-for-9 from the field.

The 'Runners (5-13, 1-2 WAC) will continue conference play next week with two road games. Thursday will see CSUB taking on Missouri-Kansas City (6-13, 1-1 WAC) before the 'Runners head to Chicago State (4-15, 0-2 WAC) for a Saturday afternoon game. Both of those games will be available on the WAC Digital Network.

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