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California State University at Bakersfield Athletics

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JarkelJoinerGON01
Courtesy of Gonzaga Athletics
73
UMKC UMKC 7-11, 2-1 WAC
74
Winner CSU Bakersfield CSUB 12-6, 4-1 WAC
UMKC UMKC
7-11, 2-1 WAC
73
Final
74
CSU Bakersfield CSUB
12-6, 4-1 WAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UMKC UMKC 30 43 73
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 37 37 74

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

`Runners Move into First in WAC with Wild Finish



BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – A basketball game filled with 16 lead changes begs for a dramatic finish and that is exactly what Roadrunner fans got on Thursday night in the Icardo Center. CSU Bakersfield's men's basketball team earned a victory on its home floor, in one of the wildest ends to a game this season.

With 0.9 seconds left on the clock, the `Runners trailed Western Athletic Conference-leader Kansas City by two points. Senior Rickey Holden inbounded the ball to a streaking Jarkel Joiner, who was fouled in the corner with 0.2 seconds remaining. With his warm blood trying to melt the ice in his veins, Joiner knocked down three consecutive free throws to give CSUB a 74-73 victory.

In CSUB's last home game, the `Runners narrowly escaped visiting Utah Valley when Joiner's last-second three-pointer was off the mark, but redshirt sophomore Taze Moore cleaned the glass and sank a buzzer-beating shot. This time around, CSUB Head Coach Rod Barnes said that Joiner gave him confidence to go back to the guard: "When we had a chance to substitute, I thought we needed to get someone in with a good shot. Jarkel told me, 'Coach, if you come back to me, we'll win the game. I just didn't know we were going to have to win it with three free throws."

After Joiner drew the foul, Barnes trusted his sophomore to finish the job: "I just told him 'Let's go home.'...It was one of those games that could go either way. I'm just thankful to God for the victory. It seems like some special things are happening on this court. I don't want to say it, but maybe we're the most exciting show in town…I think the support we had from our fans made the difference."

Barnes' squad improved to 7-0 in the Icardo Center this season with the victory Thursday night. CSUB (12-6, 4-1 WAC) also moved into a tie for first place in the WAC standings after handing UMKC its first loss in conference play this season.

The `Runners opened an early, six-point lead just about half way through the first period at 17-11. CSUB was able to hold on to that lead and extend it to eight points on a layup from redshirt James Suber with 5:34 left on the clock. A late surge by UMKC helped the Kangaroos draw within two points with 80 seconds to go, but Justin Edler-Davis nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer to give Bakersfield a 37-30 halftime lead.

In the first half, Edler-Davis and fellow redshirt sophomore Greg Lee paced the `Runners with eight points each. Holden, a senior point guard, contributed four points and four assists in the opening period. As a squad, CSUB shot 44% from the field in the first half while holding the Kangaroos to just 31% shooting.

The `Runners were able to gain their biggest lead, 39-30, on the first shot of the second half and were up by eight points four minutes into the period. The Roos went on a 9-0 run, taking their first lead since the fourth minute of the game at 45-46. From there, the lead changed seven times in the next three minutes and 12 times through the end of the game.

With 1:10 left on the clock, Edler-Davis stole the ball and found Joiner in transition to put the `Runners ahead, 71-70. Seventeen seconds later, UMKC answered with a three-pointer to go up 73-71 and set the two teams up for the final sequence. Joiner had a look at the game-winning shot with less than two seconds left, but was blocked on a play  the `Runner bench thought was a foul. Unfazed by the miss, Joiner came up clutch on the next go-around, drawing the foul this time, and sealed the deal in one of the strangest finishes in Icardo Center history.

The `Runners looked to Joiner's 10 second-half points to lead the way. The sophomore finished the game tied with Edler-Davis for the team-high in points at 16. Edler-Davis chipped in eight rebounds while hitting 6-of-7 field goals in the game. Holden finished the game with 11 points and five rebounds.

Bakersfield will return to the Icardo Center Saturday night for another WAC contest. This time around, the `Runners are set to square off with Chicago State. Tipoff in the Icardo Center will be at 7 p.m. as CSUB attempts to start the year 8-0 on the blue, Kern Schools Court.

~GoRunners.com~
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