BAKERSFIELD, Calif.-- In front of an energetic crowd of 1,946 fans, the CSU Bakersfield men's basketball team defeated Fresno Pacific 81-68 Friday afternoon at the Icardo Center. Senior forward Kevin Mays reset his career high with 29 points while pulling down 13 rebounds to lead the Roadrunners.

“You have to give [Fresno Pacific] credit,” said Rod Barnes, Head Coach of the 'Runners. “They really did a good job of coming in and fighting us. Having a great crowd and all of the kids gave a great energy to the game. Ours guys stepped up and played well.” Friday's game saw hundreds of Bakersfield school children come to watch CSUB play as a part of Education Day. The crowd of 1,946 was the largest the 'Runners have seen since returning to the Icardo Center as their full-time home gym two years ago.

The Sunbirds were neck and neck with CSUB until the final minutes of the first half. A pair of free throws by FPU's Suhail Mohammadi with 7:01 to play in the period provided the fifth tie of the game. From there, the 'Runners pulled away while back-to-back three pointers from redshirt freshman Damiyne Durham gave CSUB an 11-point advantage with 46 seconds left in the half.

“I told our penetration guys, 'we have people out on the wing and we have to make that extra pass',” Barnes said about his team's push to go ahead. “That's what our guys did. We drove the basketball and got some open shots. We had been holding on to the ball a little bit.”

CSUB led for the vast majority of the game and never trailed by more than two points. The 'Runners gained their biggest advantage early in the second half when Dedrick Basile's layup put CSUB ahead by 22 points. The Sunbirds clawed through the entire second period, but were unable to bring the deficit back into single digits.

Mays, a senior from Queens, N.Y., came into the game with a previous career high of 18 points and registered his second double-double of the season on Friday. While the 6-4 forward did not contribute any points to the push that gave CSUB breathing room against the Sunbirds, Mays' 17 points and nine boards in the second half alone helped the 'Runners keep FPU from climbing back into the game.

Durham continued to shoot well from behind the arc, going 5-for-11 from distance on Friday. The native of Houston, Texas scored 18 points in the game while adding four rebounds and two steals for the 'Runners. Redshirt sophomore Brent Wrapp earned his first start of the season and had an impressive line with eight points, six assists, six rebounds, and his second career block.

Aly Ahmed had one of his lowest scoring efforts in recent history, but the senior center contributed to the win with six rebounds, two blocks, and one steal to complement his seven points. Tyrone Viney, Jr. and Mohammadi paced the Sunbirds, scoring 17 and 15 points, respectively.

With the win, Bakersfield improved to 3-0 on the season and is chasing the 2005-06 squad which started its season 5-0. CSUB will begin a three-game road trip next week with a midweek matchup against Wyoming on Nov. 25 before heading to Saint Mary's on Nov. 29.

“Our bench has got to get better,” Barnes said when asked about how to win the upcoming games. “We need them right now. We have to continue to work. Hopefully we'll get a couple wins and we'll back here with more momentum.”

~GoRunners.com~