Box Score ANCHORAGE, AK – The CSU Bakersfield men's basketball team defeated host Alaska Anchorage 59-39 in a record breaking performance. The 39 points scored in a game is the fewest in UAA history and is the second fewest points allowed in CSUB's division I history.
The `Runners opened the first round of the 40
th and last GCI Great Alaska Shootout cold, but so did Alaska Anchorage. `Runners took a 6-2 lead into the first media timeout. Coming out of the timeout, CSUB found senior
Moataz Aly inside to take an 8-2 lead and Aly led the `Runners with six points just five minutes into the game. Just under six minutes into the first half, freshman
Jarkel Joiner would pick up his second foul and have to go to the `Runners bench early. At the second media timeout, senior
Shon Briggs had four points and 5 rebounds.
The Seawolves would go on a quick 5-0 run before the third media timeout and cut the `Runners lead to 14-11 after CSUB extended their lead to eight points, their largest lead of the half at that point. A low scoring half continued to the last media timeout and with 3:59 remaining in the first half, the `Runners led 16-13. But CSUB would get it going to finish the half. The `Runners went on an 11-1 run to end the first half and CSUB led 25-14 at the break.
Junior Ricky Holden would lead the `Runners with ten points at the half and Briggs had seven rebounds and senior
Brent Wrapp had five assists. The `Runners held the Seawolves to 25% shooting from the field in the first half and CSUB outrebounded Alaska Anchorage 22-14.
CSUB would come out of the break and continue the efficiency they saw at the end of the first half. The `Runners would make it 32-18 lead at the first media timeout of the second half. The `Runners came out of the media timeout and Durham happened. AGAIN. Junior
Damiyne Durham did the same thing to UAA that he did to Lamar on Sunday in the second half. Durham hit back to back threes to just about put both games out of reach in the second half. This time Durham gave the `Runners a 20 point lead after nailing his second three pointer in a row, this one from way beyond the NBA arc and it was a 38-18 CSUB lead.
The `Runners would take a 21 point lead, 48-27, into the third media timeout with 7:53 remaining in the game and CSUB was in complete control. CSUB would maintain their lead throughout the second half and would eventually win the game 59-39.
Wrapp would tie his career high for assists with 11 and that led all players. Aly would lead all scorers with 16 points on 7-13 shooting. Holden would have 14 points and five rebounds and Briggs would finish with 8 points and 8 rebounds.
The `Runners won the battle of the boards, 41-26 and CSUB would shoot 42% from the field, but more importantly, held UAA to 28.6% from the field.
With the first round victory, the `Runners will get Thanksgiving off and be back in action in the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 24 against Idaho, with tipoff scheduled for 8 p.m. Anchorage time, 9 p.m. Bakersfield time.
