BAKERSFIELD, Calif.- Dedrick Basile scored 20 points as the Roadrunners shook off a slow start from their leading scorers to use a balanced offensive and defensive effort defeating Missouri-Kansas City 77-66 Thursday night.

The 'Runners led 35-27 at the half despite leading scorer Aly Ahmed going scoreless and 0-for-2 from the field in the first frame. Damiyne Durham was also scoreless in the first half but the Roadrunners managed to shoot 47% and build their first-half lead behind Basile's timely perimeter shooting and an additional nine points from Kevin Mays and Jaylin Airington. Airington finished the game with 15 points while Mays scored 13 for Bakersfield and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.

“I didn't think we were as sharp as we needed to be but I thought we were pretty good,” said head coach Rod Barnes. “It's great to have enough people that we can shift people in and out and make plays.”

CSUB (16-7, 6-2 WAC) never trailed in the game and managed to get Ahmed going in the second half where he scored 11 points including 5-of-6 from the free throw line.  The second half saw both teams at the stripe quite a bit as CSUB was 15-of-20 from the line while UMKC was 18-of-25. The Roadrunners managed to sink their final five free-throws in the game after the 'Roos cut their lead to six points with just over eight minutes remaining. Bakersfield also responded by going 6-of-8 from the field in the final eight minutes with Basile hitting his fourth three-pointer of the night with just over three minutes remaining to put the 'Runners lead at nine. That sparked an 8-0 CSUB run capped by Durham's first three-pointer to put the Roadrunners in charge 73-59 with two minutes to play and ended the game with a two more field goals and a pair of free throws.

“People would be amazed the amount of free-throws we've shot in the last week and a half,” Barnes said. “Guys are coming in and shooting free-throws because we don't want our season to end because we're not prepared from the free-throw line.”

CSUB had four players in double figures in the win and shot 61% in the second half (14-of-23) while also shooting 53% from the field in the game. The Roadrunners also forced 15 UMKC turnovers and blocked five shots, four of which came from Justin Hollins who now has 43 blocks on the year. CSUB also outscored UMKC 44-26 in the paint.

“I thought Justin Hollins did a great job late of defending the basket for us,” Barnes said. “There at the end Damiyne was Damiyne, he separated us with a big three and kind of closed the game.”

The 'Roos were led by Martez Harrison who used the free-throw line to his advantage scoring 12 of his game-high 21 points from the stripe. Shayok and Dashawn King added 10 each for UMKC (9-14, 2-6 WAC).

The 16 wins match a Division I record for CSUB who went 16-14 in Barnes' first season in 2011-12. CSUB is currently tied with Grand Canyon for second place in the WAC following GCU's 70-50 loss at New Mexico State on Thursday. CSUB has one meeting remaining with each team this season.

The 'Runners return to action Saturday night hosting Chicago State (4-21, 0-8 WAC) at 7 P.M. in the Icardo Center. The Cougars lost 59-56 Thursday night at Seattle. Saturday's game can be heard on 1230 AM and 98.1 FM ESPN and seen on the WAC Digital Network.