CSUB Sets Sights on Grand Canyon

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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – With a big win already notched into its belt at the Icardo Center this week, CSU Bakersfield's men's basketball team is setting its sight on another important Western Athletic Conference game on Saturday night. The Roadrunners (15-6, 6-1 WAC) will host Grand Canyon (13-7, 6-1 WAC) in what is a mid-season battle for first place in the league standings.

Despite the implications on the WAC leaderboard, CSUB's eighth-year Head Coach, Rod Barnes, is putting as much emphasis on this game as any other: "We're not worried about it being for first place. What matters is that is that this is our next game and our next home game. We're a long ways from the last week of the season, so, we're just going to try to protect our home."

The home of the `Runners, the Icardo Center, has been a hazardous venue for visiting teams as Bakersfield's squad has posted a 44-6 (88%) record in its last 50 games on the blue Kern Schools Court. In recent seasons, fans have come out in droves with attendance rising to all-time highs, but Coach Barnes and his team still have hopes that the program will reach a point when every home game is sold out.

"When you're at home, you find yourself in a place where you have got people behind you," said Barnes. "That's going to help you go farther. We need that here. We get it during conference play, but it's something that should happen every night. We want people talking about us, on a national level, about how hard it is to play here."

With tickets flying off the counter as fast as CSUB can print them, the `Runners are closing in on a potential sellout for Saturday's game against Grand Canyon, but some tickets still remain. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets ahead of time by calling 661-654-BLUE to ensure they wont miss out on the game. The Lopes will come to Bakersfield on a hot streak, winning eight of their last ten contests, and they will be looking to hand CSUB its first loss on the blue court this year.

"They are balanced and they have veterans," said Barnes when asked about the challenge GCU represents. "They are solid across the board. They have size and they share the ball. There's no one person you can key on; it will take total, team defense…The end score can sometimes be deceptive of what happened in the game, but we also can't take away from the end score. I'm not worried about how many points they win by; I'm worried about the fact that they can be really good."

The doors to the Icardo Center will open at 6 p.m. on Saturday night and tipoff is set for 7 p.m. Fans who are unable to attend the game can follow along live via WatchESPN, CSUB's radio broadcast, or live stats. Links for all three options are available on the CSUB schedule page.

~GoRunners.com~

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