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David Dennis/All-Star Sports Photography
Junior Rickey Holden posted a season-best 18 points on Thursday.
87
Winner UTRGV UTRGV 10-8, 2-0 WAC
74
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 7-10, 0-2 WAC
Winner
UTRGV UTRGV
10-8, 2-0 WAC
87
Final
74
CSU Bakersfield CSUB
7-10, 0-2 WAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UTRGV UTRGV 37 50 87
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 34 40 74

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Holden's 18 Points Not Enough As CSUB Falls To UTRGV

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – For the second-straight Western Athletic Conference matchup, the CSU Bakersfield men's basketball team played a tight first half with its opponent, but had the game slip away in the second half. The UTRGV Vaqueros went on a 17-4 run in the middle of the second half and put the game out of reach for the Roadrunners, who fell by a score of 87-74 in the Icardo Center on Thursday.

"I thought our kids fought," said Rod Barnes, Head Coach of the `Runners. "I think we just have to correct some things on the defensive end, especially in the second half. They made some shots and I thought the difference in the game was they made some open threes and we missed some open threes. We had some guys that haven't played a lot that showed some flashes of playing well. That's the most positive thing I felt we got out of tonight."

"As we continue to move forward," Barnes continued, "our team is going to get better. We're not playing as well as we need to play to win some of the games we have played recently. It will all come together as we continue to move forward."

The first half was a back and forth battle between the two squads as the score was tied eight times and the lead changed on 11 occasions. A 7-0 run late in the period gave the Vaqueros a slight lead, but junior Rickey Holden converted an and-1 just before halftime to make the score 37-34 in UTRGV's favor.

In the second half, freshman Justin McCall's three-pointer with 15:28 left capped a 12-5 run that put the `Runners ahead, 46-45. The lead was the first for the `Runners since 5:22 to go in the first, but would be the last of the game for CSUB as the Vaqueros turned the momentum their way.

Later in the half, UTRGV went on a 13-2 run and and found itself ahead of the `Runners, 72-55, with just over seven minutes left in the game. CSUB won the final five minutes, outscoring its opponents 17-11, including six points from redshirt junior Bray Barnes. The `Runners also won the battle in the paint (40-26) and on second-chance points (25-12), but UTRGV took the game 87-74.

On the game, Holden led the `Runners with a season-high 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line. Redshirt freshman Justin Davis filled the stat sheet with seven points, four assists, and a season-best 10 rebounds. Freshman Jarkel Joiner, CSUB's scoring leader this season, chipped in 12 points while four other `Runners added seven or more.

CSUB got to the free throw line early and often, converting on 23-of-31 attempts (.742), but UTRGV knocked down 22-of-29 (.759) of their own from the charity stripe to counter the `Runners. The Vaqueros outshot CSUB 52.8% to 41.4% from the field and the three-pointer line continued to trouble the `Runners, who hit just 3-of-15 (.200) from distance on Thursday night.

"I thought Justin McCall did well," Barnes said. "I thought Greg Lee, for the time he got, did well. I thought Rickey Holden had a good game. We have to get past this game to the next one because we have a really good New Mexico State team coming in here."

CSUB (7-10, 0-2 WAC) will get right back to work with defending WAC Tournament Champion New Mexico State coming to town on Saturday. The Roadrunners will look to exact revenge for the loss March, but the Aggies have been strong all year and will come to Bakersfield with the best record in the league (14-3, 2-0 WAC). Saturday's game in the Icardo Center will have a 7 p.m. tipoff and a huge crowd is expected. Fans can come down to the CSUB ticket office from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Friday or Saturday to avoid the lines.
 
~GoRunners.com~
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