David Dennis/All-Star Sports Photography

Box Score

CSU Bakersfield CSUB 8-4

Portland State PSU 5-6

CSU Bakersfield CSUB

8-4

Final

Dec. 20, 2018

Portland State PSU

5-6

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
CSU Bakersfield CSUB	47	29	76
Portland State PSU	29	42	71

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | December 20, 2018

CSUB Wins 5th-Straight On Strong Defensive Effort

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History

Recap
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PORTLAND, Ore. – CSU Bakersfield's men's basketball team built a 19-point lead on the road Thursday night, giving the Roadrunners the buffer they needed to withstand a feverish comeback by Portland State. Thanks to strong defensive effort against a high-powered offense, Bakersfield earned its fifth-straight victory in a 76-71 win over the Vikings.

Redshirt senior Damiyne Durham and sophomore Jarkel Joiner were both catalysts to CSUB's big first half. The pair of guard combined for 34 of CSUB's 47 points in the opening period as the `Runners took a 47-29 lead into the locker room. Bakersfield was unable to maintain its stellar play in the second half as the Vikings chipped away at the lead, but the `Runners came up big in the final minutes to seal the deal.

"We were able to build a big lead because of defensive execution," said CSUB Head Coach Rod Barnes after the game. "Down the stretch, we made the plays we needed to make. I'm thankful to God that we can go into this break with a win. This team is just doing what they do, guys stepping up when they need to. Together we are strong, divided we are not. We'll just go back to work and continue to get better."

CSUB raced out to a 10-point lead at 21-11 thanks to back-to-back three-pointers and defensive hustle from Durham in the first period. At one point, the shooting guard had recorded 15 of CSUB's 30 points in a half for the ages. CSUB ran away from Portland State in the closing minutes of the period as Durham continued to score at will. Joiner, a native of Oxford, Miss., got into the act as well and put the half to rest with a buzzer-beating three-pointer to give CSUB an 18-point advantage.

The Roadrunner defense smothered the Vikings with nine steals in the first half while forcing 11 Portland State turnovers. CSUB shot 63.3% from the field while limiting its host to just 34.8% in one of Bakersfield's best halves of the season.

Portland State would not go down without a fight and used a 7-0 run to cut the Bakersfield lead to 12 early in the first period. CSUB answered with a 9-2 run to maintain pace and led its host by as many as 19 points, but the all-in wave was about to come from the Vikings.

A 24-6 run by Portland State pulled the home team within one point at 63-62 with 6:44 remaining in the game. A jumper by Joiner finally cut the run's momentum as the pace of play began to slow down to CSUB's benefit. From 65-64, CSUB went on a 7-2 run, gaining some vital breathing room. Redshirt sophomore Justin Edler-Davis contributed on multiple clutch plays in the final minutes including taking a charge with 2:39 left on the clock.

CSUB's stalwart defense held off a potent Viking offense, which came into the game averaging more than 82 points per contest. Portland State, which normally out-rebounds its opponents by double digits, was only able to grab one more board than CSUB as the `Runners played with intensity and grit on the road.

Joiner, a 6-foot-1 guard, exploded for a career-high 24 points on Thursday night while tallying five rebounds, two assists, and two steals. After a standout first half, Durham was offensively quiet in the final 20 minutes but played a big role in thwarting the Viking comeback on defense. The redshirt senior wrapped up the contest with 18 points on four three-pointers to go with four steals.

Senior Rickey Holden added 11 points for the `Runners in Portland while dishing out three assists and swiping four steals of his own. Edler-Davis, a San Diego, Calif. native, wrapped up the road game with 10 points, three rebounds, two assists, and three charges drawn.

The `Runners (8-4) are now just one game away from completing the calendar year, but that contest might just be the toughest of 2018. Bakersfield will enjoy a few days off with family and friends for Christmas before heading to Spokane, Wash. to take on Gonzaga, a team ranked No. 1 in the nation a couple weeks ago. The `Runners and Zags will face off on New Year's Eve in a great test before Western Athletic Conference play begins in January.

~GoRunners.com~

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