BAKERSFIELD, Calif.- The CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners (6-4) host Portland State (3-6) Tuesday night as the Roadrunners look to maintain their unbeaten mark at the Icardo Center this season while also potentially winning a milestone victory for their on-campus home as they enter with an all-time record of 199-29 at the venue.
The Icardo Center served as the Roadrunners primary home from 1989-1998 before the program moved men's basketball to downtown Rabobank Arena almost exclusively from 1998-2011. The Roadrunners played a split schedule between the downtown venue and the Icardo Center from 2011 to 2014 before moving back on-campus exclusively last season.
CSUB is 6-0 this season at home and 34-11 at the Icardo Center under head coach Rod Barnes who says winning number 200 in the building would be special.
“We want to hopefully do that, hopefully we have a great crowd out here,” Barnes said. “I really appreciate people coming to support us during the holidays and we have a really good team coming in here in Portland State so we need everyone to come out and yell and get behind the 'Runners.”
CSUB's first win at the Icardo Center (then known as the CSUB Activities Center) was on November 21,1989 78-68 over Fresno Pacific.
The Roadrunners enter having won four of their last five games including Saturday's 82-50 blowout of Menlo College which came on the heels of CSUB's eight-point loss at Fresno State last Wednesday. In Saturday's game Damiyne Durham led the way on offense with 22 points including a 6-of-13 mark from three-point range but it was CSUB's defense that sparked the big win. The Roadrunners forced 21 turnovers and recorded 15 steals, one shy of CSUB's Division I single-game record. The 'Runners scored 20 fast break points as well en route to the win.
Portland State enters on the heels of a four-game losing streak as they fell at home last Thursday 77-71 to Cal State Northridge. The Vikings led by four at half but after shooting 64% in the first half from the field they managed just 28% in the second half while letting the game slip away. Calaen Robinson who normally starts at point guard came off the bench in a shooting guard situation and led the Vikings with a career-high 21 points including 7-of-11 from three-point range. Isaiah Pineiro added 17 points for the Vikings on 6-of-9 from the field in the loss.
Georgia graduate-transfer forward Cameron Forte leads the Vikings with 18 points and nine rebounds per game. He is shooting just 34% however during this four-game losing streak for Portland State. Bryce White who missed three games with an ankle injury and returned versus Cal State Northridge is averaging 12 per contest after scoring 10 against CSUN last week. Guards Pineiro and Robinson are averaging 11 per contest with Robinson leading the team at 43% from three-point range.
The Roadrunners enter the week with Brent Wrapp leading the Western Athletic Conference in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.43. Wrapp dished out eight assists versus Menlo. CSUB as a team leads the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio as well while leading in turnover margin at +3.2 and interestingly enough, total turnovers at 13.9 per contest. CSUB is holding opponents to 65.5 points per game this season while Portland State enters averaging 78 points per contest and allowing 75 per game.
The 'Runners are led by Durham's 15 points per game while senior center Kevin Mays is averaging 14 points per contest and is second in the Western Athletic Conference with nine rebounds per game. Mays is also shooting 55% this season from the field scoring 12 points and pulling down eight boards against Menlo. Aly Ahmed (13) and Dedrick Basile (11) round out the Roadrunners leading scorers.
Tuesday's game can be heard live on Newstalk 1180 & 96.1 FM KERN with pregame coverage beginning at 6:30 P.M. The game will also be carried live on the WAC Digital Network at www.WACSports.com/live. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 P.M.
