David Dennis/All-Star Sports Photography

Box Score

CSU Bakersfield CSUB 12-18, 5-9 WAC

Utah Valley UVU 22-9, 10-4 WAC

CSU Bakersfield CSUB

12-18, 5-9 WAC

Final

Mar. 08, 2018

Utah Valley UVU

22-9, 10-4 WAC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
CSU Bakersfield CSUB	31	43	74
Utah Valley UVU	43	38	81

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | March 08, 2018

Men’s Basketball Season Ends with Loss in WAC Tournament

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A spirited, second-half defensive effort was not enough for the Roadrunners to overcome a 12-point halftime deficit, as CSU Bakersfield fell to Utah Valley, 81-71, in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament quarterfinals.

Trailing 43-31 at the break, senior Brent Wrapp gathered the young team together before taking the court for the second half and delivered a strong message to the `Runners, who at times were playing with four freshmen on the floor.

"As we played these guys (Utah Valley) earlier in the regular season, when they made runs we sort of quit," said Wrapp. "I felt on some possessions we were doing that in the first half. Things weren't going our way and when they hit a three we were looking defeated and I just told the guys that it's a long game and you've got to keep fighting, and anything can happen in these type of tournaments."

Wrapp, Damiyne Durham and Rickey Holden led the second half charge for seventh-seeded CSUB. Playing primarily a zone defense, the `Runners held Utah Valley to just two field goals over the course of the first nine minutes of the second half. CSUB held the Wolverines to just 33.3 percent shooting in the second half and whittled the lead down to just two points on a pair of free throws by Holden with 12:55 remaining.

A quick 13-4 spurt by the Wolverines pushed the lead back to 11, but just as Wrapp implored, the `Runners kept coming. With just over three minutes remaining, Holden cut the Utah Valley lead to just four. After an uphill battle, CSUB ran out of time and was unable to complete the comeback. The Wolverines shot 16-for-20 on free throws in the second half to clinch the victory.

"I think in the second half we did a good job of answering the call and guys stepped up," said Wrapp.

Head Coach Rod Barnes also acknowledged the `Runner effort in the quarterfinal loss.

"Our guys came out tonight and laid everything on the line for us."

With his 520th and final assist of his career, Wrapp tied the CSUB all-time record for that category.

"I'm just really humbled to have a record like that," said Wrapp. "I always pride myself on making my teammates better and I think an assist is a great way to do it."

Head Coach Rod Barnes has seen Wrapp grow into one of the top players in the history of the program and had glowing remarks about the departing senior leader.

"I can't say enough about [Wrapp]," said Barnes. "The young man came into our program as a walk-on. [He] took a dream and a vision that I had in our program and joined me as only family can, at the hip. He trusted me through the process and is now the all-time assists guy and one of the cornerstones of our program."

Durham made more field goals (12) than any other player attempted shots and poured in a game-high 29 points, just one short of the guard's career-high. From the 3:03 mark in the first half to the 6:50 mark in the second half, Durham scored 23 of the 29 `Runner points to power the comeback. The redshirt junior also spearheaded the defensive effort at the point of the CSUB full-court press. Durham set a new career-high with six steals and had a number of tipped passes.

"He has been as good as anybody in the last 8-10 games as anyone in our league," said Barnes. "We expect that when we get here, that we raise our level of play and [Durham] has been, along with Brent Wrapp, our leadership for our team this season."

After a scoreless first half, Holden scored 13 points in the second stanza.

Wrapp was not the only `Runner setting records on Thursday. Moataz Aly recorded three blocks to break the CSUB all-time record and finished his career with 109.

"We have a program. We don't have a team. We have a program," said Barnes following the loss. "We will return next year and a few of the names will change on the back, but the name on the front will be the same and the way we play, the effort we play will be a little bit older. As we say in Bakersfield 'we will go back to work' and we will be back."

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