SEATTLE, Wash.- Playing in their third-straight road game to open Western Athletic Conference play, the CSUB Roadrunners travel to Seattle on Saturday night as they look to start WAC play 3-0 for the first time in school history.
Bakersfield, who swept last week's conference-opening road trip at Missouri-Kansas City and Chicago State, will now look to win their fourth road game in a row for the first time since the 2007-2008 season, CSUB's final year as a NCAA Division II program.
The Roadrunners have won four-straight games and six of their last seven dating back to December 19. CSUB has also played better on the road after starting the season 0-4 outside of Bakersfield, the 'Runners are now 4-4 on the road this season and will look for that all-important third conference win on Saturday night.
Most recently the Roadrunners defeated Chicago State 67-56 in Chicago on Monday night. Bakersfield led wire-to-wire in the game and led by as many as 19 points in the second half while earning the 11-point victory. Senior center Aly Ahmed, an All-WAC preseason selection has lived up to his billing on conference games thus far scoring 21 against the Cougars, that came on the heels of a season-high 24 points at Kansas City in that 11-point victory on Saturday. Ahmed is averaging 23 points through the first two WAC games and shooting 68% from the field.
Ahmed has scored 20 points in three of the last four contests for the Roadrunners and is now averaging a team-best 15 points per game. Ahmed is averaging 20 points per game during the four-game winning streak as well. Damiyne Durham, who scored 18 points on 6-of-9 from three-point range at Kansas City, is averaging 13 per contest along with senior forward Kevin Mays who is bringing in 13 per game as well to go along with his team-best eight rebounds per game.
CSUB has used a variety of scoring options during their most-recent four-game winning streak. Kevin Mays and Jaylin Airington have been solid, averaging 13 points apiece during this run, although Airington missed the Chicago State game with an injury, he had scored in double figures in each of the last four games. Airington is a game-time decision for Saturday's game.
Seattle U is coming off a weekend split to open up their WAC schedule as they fell 84-69 at UMKC on January 7 before defeating Chicago State 66-50 on January 9. Guard Jadon Cohee and center Jack Crook led the way in the Chicago State game with 12 points apiece. Junior guard Brendon Westendorf also added 11 points in the win. Through two conference games thus far guard Manroop Claire, who scored nine against Chicago State, is leading the way with an average of 14 points per game. Westendorf leads the Redhawks this season with 12 points per game while Claire is averaging 11 for Seattle.
Seattle's post presence should make for a good matchup with the Roadrunners as Crook is averaging 11 points and six rebounds and forward William Powell is averaging nine points while pulling down six rebounds per game as well. CSUB boasts a plus-5.6 rebounds-per-game margin over their opponents, currently second-best in the WAC behind NM State.
Saturday's game will be the first of two-straight nationally-televised games for the Roadrunners on the American Sports Network. Coverage in Bakersfield will be available on local affiliate THIS TV HD channel 58.2 and on Bright House Networks channel 240. Direct TV subscribers can watch on MASN channel 640 and on MASN on DISH Network channel 432. That game can also be heard on Newstalk 1180 and 96.1 FM KERN. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 P.M. from Key Arena.
