BAKERSFIELD, Calif.- After being unable to hold on to a four-point lead with 18 seconds to play, the CSUB Roadrunners put to rest their inability to close out a win, outscoring Seattle 17-7 in overtime while using their defense to spark a 71-61 win over the Redhawks Saturday night at the Icardo Center.

It was the first overtime win for the 'Runners (8-14, 3-3 WAC) this season who matched their season-best three-game winning streak with the victory.

“I thought in overtime our guys really got up and guarded, made the plays the needed to make to close out and for us to win the game,” said CSUB head coach Rod Barnes. “Just a great team win for us.”

In a game dominated by defense, CSUB forced 14 turnovers, outrebounded Seattle 40-27 and managed to limit two of the Western Athletic Conference's best scorers in Isiah Umipig to just five points and Jarell Flora to nine points in the win.  Umipig who entered leading the conference in three-pointers made with 78, was 0-of-3 from three-point range before fouling out. Umipig came into Bakersfield averaging 18 ppg, third best in the conference.

“We've been talking about our identity and who we are and I think tonight that showed,” Barnes said. “I believe our guys are starting to believe and trust in what we do, it's taken some time but I knew the type of players we had, the type of character our young men have and the way they feel about defense and what they want our program to be.”

The tightly-played contest featured 13 ties and 12 lead changes including a back-and-forth first half that saw the Redhawks (10-10, 3-3 WAC) score the final four points of the frame including a buzzer-beating jumper by Flora to send the teams knotted at 29 heading into the break.

Seattle set the pace early in the second half while the CSUB offense struggled, the Roadrunners managed just a pair of made field goals through the first 14 minutes of the half, and went 9:18 without a field goal allowing the Redhawks to build a 47-41 lead.

The Roadrunners however responded with one of their quickest offensive strikes of the season as CSUB went on a 12-0 run that included nine points from Aly Ahmed who was 3-of-3 from the field and 3-of-4 from the free throw line during the run.

“We're going to go to Aly, we're going to make people stop him,” Barnes said. “I just thought in the first half he's such an unselfish kid he wanted to kick the ball out all the time but I told him we can't win that way and we really have to attack on the inside and I thought the second half we really did that.”

Bakersfield built a five-point lead with 3:39 to play but Seattle would exploit some of the issues CSUB has had this season closing out games. First following a CSUB turnover, Umipig was fouled on a three-point attempt by Javonte Maynor (R-Sr., Atlanta, Ga., Georgia State) on the next possession and sank all three free throws.

Following a missed Maynor three-pointer the Roadrunners got an offensive rebound from Jaylin Airington (R-So., East Chicago, Ind., Ventura CC) and Brent Wrapp (R-Fr., Boulder, Colo., Fairview HS) made just one of two free throws before Emerson Murray made a free throw and William Powell tied the game with 10 seconds to play following the team rebound and layup to force overtime tied at 54.

After making a three-pointer to start overtime and take a 57-54 lead, Seattle was 0-3 from the field committing three turnovers while the Roadrunners flourished. CSUB took the lead on a pair of Aly Ahmed free throws with 2:40 to play and never looked back.

The defensive play of the night came with the 'Runners leading 62-57 with 1:04 to play following a Kevin Mays (Jr., Queens, N.Y., Odessa CC) layup. Mays, then matched up one-on-one with a breakaway dunk attempt from Powell, managed to block the jam before controlling the basketball and being fouled. Mays made one of two free throws, and then earned a steal and a foul on the next possession where he made both free throws en-route to his seventh double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

CSUB made each of their last nine free throw attempts to close out the 10-point victory. Aly Ahmed recorded his fifth double-double of the season with 21 points and 12 rebounds while shooting 5-of-12 from the field. Maynor added 11 for the 'Runners while Airington scored seven points while grabbing five rebounds, four on the offensive glass.

The Roadrunners, who were 6-of-22 from the field in the second half, were 3-of-4 from the field in overtime while shooting 81% from the free-throw line in the game (25-of-31).

The Roadrunners join a log jam of teams at 3-3 in the Western Athletic Conference and move into a third-place tie with Utah Valley in the standings amongst championship-eligible teams. The 'Runners face the Wolverines Thursday night at the Icardo Center.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 P.M., tickets are available at Vallitix.com. CSUB will also host Grand Canyon next Saturday night in a nationally-televised game on the American Sports Network at 7:30 P.M.